School Bells – Current Affairs – Grade 8 – Week 16
8th grade concerns
This week I will tell the class that Mrs. Stanton will meet with them sometimes this week to review the Facebook page with them. Once that is set up she will take it to the committee of the School Board and if they are okay with it, will post the introduction to the page and the letter they wrote to their Congresspersons about what action they would like to see taken or at least discussed regarding the high cost of much medication in the United States. Today they are to bring at least one issue and one positive suggestion or question they would like to see posted on their Facebook page.
Here comes the class now. I am eager to hear what they have to say.
Me: Good morning class.
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. Cookies?
Me: No, we had cookies last week. If time permits I will bake more before we meet next week.
(Collective sigh!)
Me: I am eager to hear you share the issues and suggestions you have to post on the Facebook page.
Abdul: My family and I were talking and we would like to see (he picks up a paper from which he reads) both the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and the House Committee on Homeland Security ask all agencies which track terrorist threats and actions to provide them both the number and percentage of citizens and immigrants who have committed or threatened to commit terrorist actions in the United States since 9/11/2001. Then we would like to see that information made public. We have heard that the number of non-citizens who have made or carried out terrorist threats within the United States is very small.
Me: That would make a very interesting study. I assume you and your family are hoping that policy makers would use this information to make decisions.
Abdul: Yes, my family and I are fearful that emotions are likely to make decisions.
Me: Who else?
Paul: My mom was saying that the one of the new hospitals in another city grows its own vegetables and herbs and also teaches nutrition classes as well as gardening classes. We were talking about the benefits to the environment and health. Some communities share a greenhouse and outdoor garden area.
(Paul picks up a piece of paper and reads.) There were 110 healthcare-based gardens, with 39 in the Midwest, 25 in the South, 24 in the Northeast, and 22 in the West. Compared to US population averages, communities served by healthcare-based gardens had similar demographic characteristics, but significantly lower rates of obesity (27% versus 34%, P < .001). (Preventive Medicine Reports, volume 2, 2015, pp 35-39 – sciencedirect.com)
Dad said these gardens also then save on transportation costs which then decreases toxic emissions.
Me: Wow Paul! That is impressive. That seems like really good information to want to pass along to others.
Who else has concerns?
Ann: My mom and I visited a school which has a childcare center for children of students. The had a full-time staff person who was also certified to teach parenting classes to students. We found some studies from the 1900s which indicated that the children of high school students in school-based centers were healthier and the parents were healthier. They also tended not to have more children. We were wandering why they could not be expanded to take care of the children of teachers and another staff. We could not find any programs which included all those children. Wouldn’t the teachers be off work less if they had a safe, good place to put their children?
Me: That is an awesome idea. I am not sure why it is not being done but certainly a lot of people talk about needing more child care
Ann: (She looks down to read from the card she has.) My Aunt Elma and my Uncle Bill pay $1200.00 a month for two small children. They said the average cost in 2015 was $11.00 to $35.00 a day.
Will: At our house we have been experimenting with unplugged days. Now it is just Sunday but we are talking about having an unplugged time every day. This would mean that our homework was done. When grandma was sick we kept one phone on just for her. Mom set up a special ring so that we would know it was her. There is a lot written on this subject already but not sure much of it is coming from 8th graders or even high school students. Our family plays board games if weather is not nice for getting out but if weather is decent we go outside. Sometimes we go to a museum or to see an art exhibit.
Me: That is great Will. I think that would be a great topic for you and our classmates to address on your Facebook page.
I am very impressed. Goodness, we are running out of time. Keep thinking about issues you might like to address on the face book page and bring them to the attention of Ms. Sanford.
I was thinking that next week we could talk about what the phrase “American Dream” means to you and how that differs from what it might have meant to your parents when they were your age.
Written November 29, 2016
8th grade concerns
This week I will tell the class that Mrs. Stanton will meet with them sometimes this week to review the Facebook page with them. Once that is set up she will take it to the committee of the School Board and if they are okay with it, will post the introduction to the page and the letter they wrote to their Congresspersons about what action they would like to see taken or at least discussed regarding the high cost of much medication in the United States. Today they are to bring at least one issue and one positive suggestion or question they would like to see posted on their Facebook page.
Here comes the class now. I am eager to hear what they have to say.
Me: Good morning class.
Class: Good morning Mr. Jim. Cookies?
Me: No, we had cookies last week. If time permits I will bake more before we meet next week.
(Collective sigh!)
Me: I am eager to hear you share the issues and suggestions you have to post on the Facebook page.
Abdul: My family and I were talking and we would like to see (he picks up a paper from which he reads) both the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs and the House Committee on Homeland Security ask all agencies which track terrorist threats and actions to provide them both the number and percentage of citizens and immigrants who have committed or threatened to commit terrorist actions in the United States since 9/11/2001. Then we would like to see that information made public. We have heard that the number of non-citizens who have made or carried out terrorist threats within the United States is very small.
Me: That would make a very interesting study. I assume you and your family are hoping that policy makers would use this information to make decisions.
Abdul: Yes, my family and I are fearful that emotions are likely to make decisions.
Me: Who else?
Paul: My mom was saying that the one of the new hospitals in another city grows its own vegetables and herbs and also teaches nutrition classes as well as gardening classes. We were talking about the benefits to the environment and health. Some communities share a greenhouse and outdoor garden area.
(Paul picks up a piece of paper and reads.) There were 110 healthcare-based gardens, with 39 in the Midwest, 25 in the South, 24 in the Northeast, and 22 in the West. Compared to US population averages, communities served by healthcare-based gardens had similar demographic characteristics, but significantly lower rates of obesity (27% versus 34%, P < .001). (Preventive Medicine Reports, volume 2, 2015, pp 35-39 – sciencedirect.com)
Dad said these gardens also then save on transportation costs which then decreases toxic emissions.
Me: Wow Paul! That is impressive. That seems like really good information to want to pass along to others.
Who else has concerns?
Ann: My mom and I visited a school which has a childcare center for children of students. The had a full-time staff person who was also certified to teach parenting classes to students. We found some studies from the 1900s which indicated that the children of high school students in school-based centers were healthier and the parents were healthier. They also tended not to have more children. We were wandering why they could not be expanded to take care of the children of teachers and another staff. We could not find any programs which included all those children. Wouldn’t the teachers be off work less if they had a safe, good place to put their children?
Me: That is an awesome idea. I am not sure why it is not being done but certainly a lot of people talk about needing more child care
Ann: (She looks down to read from the card she has.) My Aunt Elma and my Uncle Bill pay $1200.00 a month for two small children. They said the average cost in 2015 was $11.00 to $35.00 a day.
Will: At our house we have been experimenting with unplugged days. Now it is just Sunday but we are talking about having an unplugged time every day. This would mean that our homework was done. When grandma was sick we kept one phone on just for her. Mom set up a special ring so that we would know it was her. There is a lot written on this subject already but not sure much of it is coming from 8th graders or even high school students. Our family plays board games if weather is not nice for getting out but if weather is decent we go outside. Sometimes we go to a museum or to see an art exhibit.
Me: That is great Will. I think that would be a great topic for you and our classmates to address on your Facebook page.
I am very impressed. Goodness, we are running out of time. Keep thinking about issues you might like to address on the face book page and bring them to the attention of Ms. Sanford.
I was thinking that next week we could talk about what the phrase “American Dream” means to you and how that differs from what it might have meant to your parents when they were your age.
Written November 29, 2016
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