Week of December 16

Thanks to all the students and parents who participated at the Christmas party for the orphans of NPH!! Your participation is appreciated by all! Thanks for being in the Christmas spirit!!

 

The 6th grade class will continue to read their novel, Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls. Students will continue to understand the themes of the novel as presented in each chapter and understand the overall purpose of Mr. Rawls for writing.

 

The 7th grade class will finish watching the movie Invictus and follow it with a discussion of what they have learned of the life of the late, great Nelson Mandela. Students will finish the week by reading their self- selected novel.

 

The 8th grade class will finish the week by viewing the movie Freedom Writers. Students will compare and contrast the themes of  these different genres and understand how the author and the writers of these movies use different characters, ideas, and events to make connections to the reader or viewer.

 

Let's have a great  week leading in the Christmas break!! Achieving is Believing!!

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.

Nelson Mandela

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/nelsonmand101682.html#Q4WQg0FrPCXhIqS7.99

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.

Nelson Mandela

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/nelsonmand101682.html#Q4WQg0FrPCXhIqS7.99

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.

Nelson Mandela

Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/n/nelsonmand101682.html#Q4WQg0FrPCXhIqS7.99

A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.

Nelson Mandela

 

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! – We wish to express our gratitude to all our parents and students for opening their heart this holiday season to share with those around you. The donations of the disinfectant were delivered to FUNDACION ABRIGO last week in the name of our student body. The shoes and socks that were given for the children at NUESTROS PEQUENOS HERMANOS are ready to be handed out at a Christmas event at the orphanage.  Your contributions for the SUPPORT PERSONNEL HOLIDAY BASKETS are being organized and will be given to them this Wednesday.  Since all these donations were voluntary, we deeply appreciate our community’s willingness to reach out and share with others.

 

DPTO NEWS- The DPTO wishes to remind the parents who have not yet done so, to please pay the L.200.00 fee to support the DPTO. This contribution fee was agreed upon on the last Assembly, and is a vital contribution in order to keep on planning fun events for all of our school community to enjoy!  You can leave the payment with Ms. Carolina at the reception.

 

We also want to let you know that our DPTO blog has been updated, so please check it out!

 

SCHOOL FACEBOOK PAGE – Please check out our school Facebook page for news, pictures and tips that are helpful for both teachers and students. Look for Discovery School, Tegucigalpa, Honduras or follow this link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Discovery-School-Tegucigalpa-Honduras/265341306871650

            Don’t forget to click “Like” for our page to receive the latest updates and posts

Week of December 9th

The last (3) days of the week I attended an international teachers job fair in Atlanta, so the students were in the care of a very capable substitute, Ms. Rojios. I'm sure I spelled the name wrong, but what I am sure of is that she did a capable job in my absence. Nonetheless, I accepted a new job, but it will still be here in Tegucigalpa. Next year, I will be the new MS Art 6-8 teacher, a job I've wanted to perform since I became a teacher. This is my opportunity to embark upon my career teaching the subject that I majored in and love.

 

The first day or two classes will be to assess the degree of learning of the classes in my absence, along with the grading of the lessons that were presented by the sub. Hopefully, all went well and the classes are still on pace to end the first half of there year on a high note!!

 

Also, along with that assessment, students will analyze the life of one of the greatest men of our times, Nelson Mandela. Students will access technology to view the life of the Nobel Peace Prize Winner and one of mankind's greatest ambassadors. RIP, Mr. Mandela!!

 

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Nelson Mandela

 

 

 

SONGFEST – The School’s annual Songfest will be held on Friday, December 13 at 1:30 p.m. Parents are welcome to come and have lunch with our students before the performances. There will be a sale of food, baked goods and drinks.

Students have been asked to wear clothes in Christmas colors.  If they have Christmas accessories, they can wear them, too.    

 

SUPORT PERSONNEL HOLIDAY BASKETS – Christmas is the season to open our hearts and share with those around us that need it most. It has been a tradition at Discovery School for students to come together and contribute in assembling baskets of goods for our support personnel.  We are asking for your cooperation in sending the following:

 

Nursery/PKinder and 6^th grade students 1 5-lb bag of beans

Kinder and 7^th grade students                   1 5 lb bag of rice

1^st grade and 8^th grade students               1 5-lb bag of sugar

2^nd grade and 9^th grade students              1 bottle or 2 bags of oil, 2 boxes of margarine, OR 3 lbs of lard

3^rd grade and 10^th grade students             1 4lb-bag of MASECA

4^th grade and 11^th grade students             3 lbs of spaghetti (six packages) OR 1 bag of coffee

5^th grade and 12^th grade students             4 packages of tomato paste

 

Please feel free to send any additional goodies that you want to share with our devoted staff, such as canned goods, instant soups, cookies and crackers, or anything else that does not require refrigeration.  Please send these items no later than Monday, December 16th. Donations from our students are voluntary, and we deeply appreciate our community’s willingness to share with our dedicated workers

 

CHRISTMAS GIVING TREE:  Thank you for selecting your tags from the NPH Giving Tree.  Please remember to bring your item with the tag attached to Mrs. Agurcia's Room (Secondary Building; Room 7) by Tuesday, December 10th.

 

CAFETERIA HOLIDAY LUNCHEON - The Cafeteria is hosting a Holiday Luncheon for parents and children this Friday right before Songfest.  For Menus and prices go to http://discoverycafeteria.blogspot.com

           

For Secondary Only:

 

SCIENCE FAIR-  Congratulations to our 2013-2014 Discovery Science Fair winners:

 

7th grade-  1st place- Rebekah Fenn; 2nd place- Kelvin Myers;  3rd place- Paola Isaías

8th grade- 1st place- Owen Cardona; 2nd place- Jorge Mas; 3rd place- Efrain Ochoa

9th grade- 1st place- Oliver Chang; 2nd place- Mikayla Fenn; 3rd place- Maria Fernanda Bran

10th grade- 1st place- Nicole Fiallos; 2nd place- Nohel Atuan; 3rd place- Daniel Bermudez

 

Week of December 2

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday with your family and/or friends, and that you are renewed and energized for the next three weeks leading to the Christmas holidays.

 

Nonetheless, the 6th grade class will be introduced to their new novel, Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls. Students will pre-read the novel by understanding the author's point of view and purpose for writing, the themes of the novel, and increase their vocabulary skills. Students will fall in love with Billy and his wonderful dogs, and increase their overall analytical thinking as I introduce them to different, but fun ways of learning.

 

HOMEWORK:

Vocabulary words, FOLDABLES, reading assignments of different chapters

 

The 7th grade class will effectively close the unit of The Pigman, by Paul Zindel by completing their Pigman/Pigwoman essays. Students will use the Writing Process and the 6+1 Traits to complete the essay and read it before the class on Tuesday and be graded by a rubric as they field questions from their peers. Students have enjoyed the novel and because they are writing about their own, loveable Pigman/Pigwoman, will love writing the essay.

Later in the week, students will check out their own grade- appropriate novel from the library to increase their overall level of reading and comprehension skills.

 

HOMEWORK:

Reading of the novel

 

The 8th grade class will conclude the reading of their novel, The House on Mango Street, by Sandra Cisneros. The 8th grade class have increased the overall pace of their learning with this unit and that has taken it to another level. I am impressed with their motivation, but wish for it to continue to the Christmas holidays. This week, students will discuss the last couple of vignettes in Literature circles and with a worksheet that diagnoses the themes and a description of the characters culminating with a test. Good luck, 8th grade!!

 

Let's have a fabulous week of learning!!

'No problem can be solved by the same consciousness that created it. We need to see the world anew.'     Albert Einstein -

 

MINI CHRISTAMS BAZAAR – Our school DPTO is organizing an early shopping opportunity for our families on December 5 and 6. The event will last all school day long! Come and support our DPTO and take advantage of the great items that will be on sale at terrific prices!!!!

 

SONGFEST – The School’s annual Songfest will be held on Friday, December 13 at 1:30 p.m. Parents are welcome to come and have lunch with our students before the performances. There will be a sale of food, baked goods and drinks. 

 

PREPARATION FOR SONG FEST - In preparation for our song fest, we are asking parents who have spare Christmas decorations which they would like to share with us for the stage presentation taking place on December.13,to please send them to your child's homeroom teacher next week.We will take good care of them and return them by Monday, December, 16. Anticipated thanks for your unconditional support in all our school activities.

 

CHRISTMAS GIVING TREE:  Nuestro Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) is an international organization that takes in abandoned and orphaned children, providing a home and education.  Here in Honduras, the NPH organization provides for over 500 children in at large ranch near La Venta and home in Tegucigalpa for severely handicapped children.   While many children at the ranch have aunts, uncles, or grandparents that come to visit them and can provide some Christmas gifts, some children at a ranch have no family to visit.  It is these children, whom we would like to provide for this Christmas.   On the second floor of the secondary building, a NPH Giving Tree will be set up.   Choose a paper tree that has a child’s information about his/her size for shoes or socks.  Purchase the new item and return it to Mrs. Agurcia’s Room (Rm. 7) by Tuesday, December 10th, with the tree tag taped to it.  As well, there are tree tags for basic food items that will be donated to the orphanage.  Cash donations will also be accepted to provide shoes and socks for children whose tags were not selected.  Thank you for giving this Christmas!  If more information about NPH’s work in Honduras, please visit http://www.nph-honduras.org/. 

 

FUNDACION ABRIGO - Discovery Schoo, l in solidarity with FUNDACION ABRIGO ( A foundation that provides lodging for families from outside Tegucigalpa who bring patients to Hospital Escuela), is asking our school community’s collaboration in sending us a donation of 1 gallon of disinfectant per family by this Friday, December 6. Your contribution will be greatly appreciated!

           

For Secondary Only:

 

GRADE 6 TALK FOR BOYS - Dr.Guillermo Ruano ( psychiatrist) will be giving an informative talk on Friday, December 6 to the sixth grade boys on changes that occur during the puberty stage of development. This will take place from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m.  We will be sending a permission slip with your child this week for parents to sign if they wish for their son to attend this presentation.

 

SCIENCE FAIR:  Please remember that Science Fair will be held on Friday, December 6th.  That day, all 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10A students will be involved in the fair during 3rd and 4th periods. First period will proceed as normal and 1/2 of 2nd period will be used to set up the fair on the second floor of the secondary building.  As well, students with top projects will be asked to present their project to a visiting judge that afternoon in the library (meaning the library will not be available for classes that afternoon).  Students from other classes will be invited to visit the fair in the following schedule:  6A, 6B, 10B, 11, and 12 during 3rd period, and elementary classes during 4th period (10:53-11:43).  More details about the schedule will given closer to the fair.