I volunteer on the board of directors for The Arc -- a local advocacy agency for individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. For the second year, The Arc will be hosting a community dance, on Saturday, Nov. 7. I invite any who are interested to check out this wonderful evening -- it is a great time and the proceeds go to support the work of a long-standing Cincinnati charity:

Last year, October 03, 2008 was an incredible time. A dance with food, drinks, raffles, live music, and photo booths allowed many people of our community to relax in an environment designed for entertainment. Check out our Dancin' page! We successfully raised money for future advocacy and attendees left with great memories: "Dancin' With The Arc last October offered us a chance to get out and have fun, meet some great people and to support a great organization that does immeasurable good for many in the community. What more could anyone ask for? We are looking forward to Dancin' With The Arc this [year]! " -Alfred Joseph

There are high intentions for the success of this year's event. Join us!

"I was part of the planning committee, and brought two friends with me to the event. We all had so much fun! Both of my friends are excited about attending the event with me again this year! We danced, laughed, and talked to lots of new people. " - Mindy Freson

"What I remember about Dancin' With The Arc was the incredible energy in the room. Everyone had so much fun! My wife and I agreed that it was the most enjoyable evening we had spent in a long time."- Jay Allgood

Event Information This year's event will be held on Saturday, November 7 at

Wunderland from 7pm-11pm. · Emcee: Jen Dalton at WKRC (Channel 12) · Music: The AirWave Band · Dinner: buffet dinner · Drink: beer, wine, and other beverages · More Fun: The "Say Cheese" Photo Booth · Important Info: All friends and family are invited

Who is Affected The success of this event will make it possible for The Arc to continue to provide programs and services to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Local organizations, which sponsor the event are not only supporting the work of The Arc but will also allow our constituents who might not otherwise be able to attend to be part of the community celebration. They will be recognized during the evening.

Plant a Sock -- Year 3

Plant a sock? What? Materials Needed: an old sock a shoebox garbage bag or plastic wrap potting soil scissors Instructions: Check with a grown-up before you begin. Joshua of Texas told us how to grow plants using socks. It's a great way to find out what kinds of plants are growing in different biomes. Joshua says that the best time to do this project is on a sunny day in late summer or early fall. First, find an old, fuzzy, worn-out sock that will fit over your shoe. Then, wander around outside. You can do this in the city or in the country. You could go to the woods, or a nearby lot that's full of weeds. Walk back and forth through an area where plants are growing. Take the sock off and examine the kinds of seeds that are stuck to the sock. Now, to plant your sock. Line a shoebox with a garbage bag or plastic wrap. Fill the shoebox with potting soil. Cut a slit down the side of your sock. Then flatten your sock and plant it with the seeds pointing up. Cover it with a thin layer of soil and then water it. In a week or so, the seeds should begin to sprout. This is really fun to do with your friends in different environments because you get something different every time. What kind of plants did your sock grow? Write and tell us about it at ZOOM!

Sharing Our Family Histories

As students study culture, and begin to learn about cultures from around the world and through time, it is important for them to understand their own culture and to become aware of their assumptions about how the world is as viewed through that lens... And so, we take a bit of time to learn of our own families and our community, and to share that history in class. Students tell of where their families came from, what brought them to this region, what keeps them here, and most share some object or story or tradition that is meaningful in their family.

I am so Proud!

I was not at school today. I was at a workshop at XU with a team from our school -- we are learning about Professional Learning Communities, and we hope that what we learn over the next year can be instrumental in moving us all forward toward becoming even better in the future.

Students were left in the hands of one of our most reliable and dependable substitute teachers. They had all been told about my absence in advance, and we had talked about what they could do to help make the substitute welcome in our classroom.

I was able to return to school just before dismissal this afternoon, and I found (much to my delight) a whole bunch of smiling, happy young people ready to head home for the weekend. When I talked with my substitute, he told me that they had had a good day, and that he was able to work easily with the students to help them understand and work through the challenges that they encountered with the work I'd left. He seemed calm, relaxed and happy with the way the day had gone.

I am so very proud of this group of students. They were polite, respectful, diligent, and helpful. My classroom looked just great. Clearly they did exactly what we would all expect of them today, and did it with grace and kindness. What a terrific bunch!

Cosmic Oranges

We've spent the last few days in science working to develop the process skills of observation, data collection, analysis, inference, communication, and questioning. Students have worked on a project modeled on the ThinkWrite lesson called Cosmic Oranges. They've done a great job, and have gotten to be very familiar with their subjects. Here are some pictures of the work as it happened...

What is "Kind?"

As we begin our study of culture and social justice in social studies class, one of the topics of discussion is how community is formed, and the workings of kindness and civility within a society (such as the classroom). One of the ways to explore the subject of being kind is for students to role play various situations where a kind response can help someone in some way. Walking through the motions of stopping and helping another person in need gives our brains another way to learn this concept... and so, although the pictures are not very good, here are some images of 6th graders demonstrating such behaviors as helping someone pick up books that have been dropped, intervening when someone has been bullied, encouraging a friend who is sad...