Go here, to complete your 3rd Trimester Reading Blog survey.

Just before Spring Break, I said I was going to post all the videos of the students' skits... and then I didn't.  So, here are three more skits for you to check out.  The final skit is still on its way.  

The password is the same one we always use.  Your kids know it if you don't.

We just started reading The Hiding Place this week in class.  It's written for an adult audience and it's written very well.  I highly recommend it if you haven't already experienced it.  You won't be disappointed.  It encourages and challenges me every year to think about what it means to live a Christian life.

Also, since it deals with some difficult subject matter like the Holocaust, you may want to be reading along with your child so that you can help them to understand what they are reading.

Check out the first posted skit video, "Anne and the Time Machine", on the Behind the Scenes page.

We had a great deal of fun today with all the skits that were presented.  I plan on posting them one at a time over the next few days so that they can each have the full spotlight for a while.  For now, here are some pictures from today.

Your Task
Write and produce a three minute (minimum) skit which places Anne and at least one other character from Anne of Green Gables in an unfamiliar setting or situation. 

Examples
Anne of Noah’s Ark
Anne of Bellingham Christian School
Anne bakes cookies

Requirements
Groups of five
Costumes and Props
Script written out
At least 3 minutes
Follow the story arc (exposition, rising action, climax, resolution)

Tips
Pick a normal situation and examine how Anne would make it very abnormal.
How would Anne interact with technology that wasn’t around in the book?
How would Anne interact in another book we’ve read?
How would Anne behave during some historical event?

In the next couple days/weeks Blogger is going to be updated for all users.  Here is a look at what it has been like in the past and also what it will be in the future.

Don't forget to have written insightful blog posts on 1,500 pages of 2nd trimester reading by Tuesday, March 15th.  

Now would be a great time to check your past posts and make sure they have been commented on and that they are written in the proper format.  If it counts, you will have a comment that says, "Count it."

If you need to re-do a post: Do not just edit your existing post.  Instead, copy and paste your content into a brand new post and make your revisions there.  That way, it will show up in my Google Reader account and I'll be able to see that you've improved your post.

So we've been in the standards-based grading system for about five months now, and I'm curious what you think.  I imagine that many of you don't really see a difference from a traditional system other than a slightly different looking report card.

I'd like to take a second to show you (parents and students) how to use the standards-based system to your advantage.  For example, you might be saying, "So what if I demonstrated a '2' in something?  What does that even mean, and what are some steps I could take right now to improve?"  Or what if you've demonstrated a '3', but lately you've been feeling bored at school?  What can you do to challenge yourself?

Please take five minutes to view the video below and learn how to use this feedback-rich system to your advantage.  When you're done, don't hesitate to comment on this post with any feedback you might have about how the system is working (or isn't working) for you so far... or maybe how you plan to use the system to your advantage now that you've viewed this video.  Thank you ahead of time for your feedback.  It will help me learn and do better in the future.