This next week, we will be planning out the layout of the books we are publishing.  To be honest, it is way more confusing and labor-intensive than it should be, so this should be good practice at being patient.

I'll explain everything in class and also hand out this from in class, but if you lose it or want a preview of what's going to happen you can check out this Book Layout Planner.

All students will need calculators and rulers tomorrow (Friday) for the math portion of their SAT.

We will be having a test over chapter 12 of our history book next Tuesday.  We will be setting aside two class days for review: this Wednesday and next Monday.  Make sure to study on your own!

"Good lighting in the black sky" is what you get when you use Google translate and pass "God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all" through 20 random languages and then back to English using Translation Telephone.

What do you get when you try it?

I never knew what the Maundy in Maundy Thursday meant, but now I do because I had to look it up so I could explain it to Megan.  It turns out that it's a really great reminder of what Jesus' ministry means to and for us.

The following explanation is from Wikipedia:

Most scholars agree that the English word Maundy in that name for the day is derived through Middle English, and Old French mandé, from the Latin mandatum, the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you"), the statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John (13:34) by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet.

We will be taking two tests every day from 10:30-12:00.

Monday: Reading Comprehension, Reading Vocabulary
Tuesday: Listening, Bible
Wednesday: Language, Spelling
Thursday: Science, Social Science
Friday: Math Problem Solving, Math Procedures

Everyday: Number 2 Pencils
Tuesday: Scratch Paper
Friday: Scratch Paper, Calculator, Ruler

We will be taking two tests a day every day next week, so make sure to come prepared.

1. Eat a good breakfast
   
2. Get lots of sleep
   
3. Bring a few sharp number 2 pencils
   
4. Bring a good snack
   
5. Bring a book to read when you are finished
   
6. Some days you will need scratch paper, a calculator, and a ruler

We've had a slow start to our persuasive website project - partially due to things outside of my control and partially by design.  This project is going to be a big and it's going to be largely self-managed.  My hope is that by scheduling a few days where we won't be doing research it will give students who are having a difficult time getting started, time to get their feet under them, make some progress at home on their own time, and be set up for success once our project hits its full momentum in the middle of next week.

So, to be successful, by class-time next Wednesday (the 27th) each student should have at least the following done:

Settle once and for all on your big research subject.
Nuclear power or Pet Adoption?

Determine what your topics are going to be. 
How many will you have?  You need at least three, not including your introduction.

Have a list of at least five solid resources.
These can include websites, people, books, videos, etc.

Have a solid start on gathering information.
This is going to look a little bit different for every person.  If you only have three facts written down by next Wednesday, that's not enough.  If you have ten, you're probably okay.  If you have more than ten, that's really great.

Check out Where Did My Tax Dollars Go to see a cool, personalized, and simple info-graphic about how our taxes are spent.