...Just the Way We Work.....

Back to the workplace today found the teacher up at 3:00 in the morning and attempting to reschedule herself to function in the classroom! We have so many activities to pack into the next three weeks, with so much to learn and assimilate that it makes one's head spin! At the same time, this is what we love about our educational system at GFA...there is a prodigious amount of knowledge to learn and pack into our lives and memory banks, and therefore we never find ourselves bored!

Today we presented book report projects. There were a number that were done quite well and there are a few pictures as I was trying to grade and shoot at the same time! We also got our Forensics shirts and were able to wear them to show them off. Scholars may add these to their normal uniforms to wear anytime to school. Ballots were handed back at club yesterday and discussed. The rest will be handed out in Speech Class this morning.

Thursday was the second day of Hanukkah since it began at sundown on Wednesday.  Bella is the youngest in the class so she is lighting the candles each day. We will be playing dreidel with their new driedels and enjoying our little Hanukkah presents each day. The scholars learned the Hebrew phrase Baruch Atah Adonai which begins each evening of Hanukkah in a Jewish home. Blessed be the Lord our God.

The December schedule will go up sometime over the weekend. Be on the lookout. We will have a field trip the second week of December to Mountain Ridge Retirement Home for our service project. we will go spend a couple hours in a checker tournament with the residents and enjoy some Christmas music. We will be working on making small gifts for them this coming week. As soon as we know the date we will be looking for drivers both there and back.

Have an excellent FRIDAY!

Under the Same Stars

The Hobbit

Looking professional!

This is what we do!

Hanukkah day two.....

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have so much to be thankful for this season. I have a wonderful group of young scholars to hang out with in my suite....I have tremendous parents that go out of their way to make my day easier, and make learning experiences sensational for their children, and I have a precious new grandson who makes every minute with him a joy.

Be grateful for all we have scholars, thank your parents for loving you so well, and be appreciative that you are a GFA GUARDIAN! :)

How I am spending my time! :)

How Mason spends his! :)

Forensics Fury!

Our feet are in pain after walking/running so many miles last night, but we can all breathe a little bit easier now that we've been through our first Forensics Tournament together! The scholars worked extremely hard last evening to use all they have learned over the past couple months, and I am very proud of their overall performance. We filled our building with "speechies" and made new friends from area schools. The whole evening could be termed "priceless" in the life of a child and their mental/emotional/educational growth. Thank you parents for your incredible support in taking care of our judges and coaches. The complements from the other teams were overwhelming. They all want to return to GFA and enjoy another well run debate....we'll be inviting them back in the spring...can we build an addition by then??? lol..... Many of the rounds were extremely close and came down to numbers of excellence on the ballots and minutes of time spoken. GREAT JOB SCHOLARS! YOU ROCK!!!
 Here are the final Tabs....

November Tournament 2012 – Final Standings

Storytelling

3^rd – Braylee Earnhart – GFA

2^nd Grace Campbell – High Mark

1^st – Katie Bloker – Central Davis

Prose/Poetry

3^rd – Evelyn Lowe – GFA

2^nd – Alexsis Kemp – GFA

1^st – Jacqui Earl – GFA

Duo

2^nd-Vincent Bonacci & Asher Litchfield - West

1^st-Clara Tsao & Alexa Johnson - Maeser

HI

3^rd-Annelisa Kingsbury - West

2^nd-Sadie Seddon -West

1^st-Samantha Kelcey - West

Impromtu

3^rd-Micheal Tao - West

2^nd-Alexa Johnson – Maeser

1^st-Sam Pope – GFA

Oratory

3^rd-Sam Pope – GFA

2^nd-Garrett Krizek – GFA

1^st-Carraleene James – GFA

SWEEPS TROPHY TO GFA BY ONE WIN!!!!

Enjoy the photos from the evening. We will be recuperating in the suite this morning and attempting to distribute the many crockpots that I left there last night. If you have one at school, please claim it as I will not be back until the 29th. The final photo you will see today is my reason for taking a much needed break!
I am moving the History test to Monday, and the Science Test to Tuesday. Scholars will have a math test on Unit 6 while I am away, but that will be determined by my sub, Mrs. Cardinal.

excited to compete!

...not so excited.... lol

some of our guests

Past students competing

our lovely concessions table hostess!

waiting for postings

happy young ladies

the way we work! Thank you Ms. Demeter and Mrs. Hartman!

POSTINGS!!

Where exactly am I going?

waiting in rounds

chilling before taking turns...

Forensic Coaches - Maeser Prep and GFA

postings...

Where is that room again? Consult the map!

snack time!

Add caption

We know we're rockin!

What we've all been waiting for! Best part of a Tournament Director's job!

beginning awards

Storytelling!

Prose/Poetry

DUO Interp

Humerus Interp

Oratory

Largest event of the night - Impromptu

Mason Joseph Goers 11/12/12 :)

God Bless you all and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

And Bella Cleans Up!

For history today we learned about the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. After we read about the temple in Jerusalem in our history chapter, and the fact that once the Jews returned the oil lasted eight days in menorah, we learned the four Hebrew letters for nun, gimel, hey, and shin. The letters put in order mean: "A great miracle happened there". We enjoyed learning the rules of the game based on the letters on the dreidel and gave it a spin. Bella quickly threw a gimel and cleaned up the entire pot, candy, toys and all! She loves this game!

We have a scheduled Latin Test on Monday and I am going to move it to Tuesday. Our history test scheduled for Tuesday will move to a week from Monday, while I am away.

Thursday night is the Forensics Tournament hosted by GFA. I suggest scholars bring their dress clothing to school and change after school for the tournament. There will be concessions available after the first round, pizza, drinks, and snacks. Scholars should bring some money for dinner if they don't want to pack a second lunch.

We are hoping to start the first round by 4:30, 4:45. We hope to be complete with the tournament by 8:30. All students are competing in Impromptu Speech. Some are also competing in Prose/Poetry, Duo, and Original Oratory. It will be an exciting evening.