Solebury Middle School
April 2017
Fitness Class for the Middle Schoolers
The past 6 months have given me a great opportunity to get to know them all on a much more personal level. It is important that once our fitness class is completed they keep up with exercise in some way. This will not only help them improve in sports, theater and after school activities, but in building confidence and self esteem. If you have any questions or concerns about continuing a fit life here at Solebury you can contact the fitness instructors at fitness@solebury.org
Middle schoolers moving on to upper school continue to have an opportunity to work with the fitness instructors through after school fitness activities and private sessions. Middle schoolers next year will have the opportunity to be in MS fitness again each trimester.
Theater Production in May!
This is a change from the school calendar that listed the daytime performance on Thursday May 18th.
Community Service in May
8th grade Parents
Spring Term
English Class- a note from Lauren
As an introduction to a unit on WWII and the Holocaust, we talked in class about the origins of hatred. As part of that, I asked the students to use paper letters (H-A-T-E) and transform them into something new, something that combats hate, defies hate, or symbolizes the opposite of hate. I then asked them to answer some poetry prompts about how to combat hate. I mixed and matched lines of their poetry to create a class poem about standing up to hate.
Here is the poem, and a photo of their projects is attached.
When Hate Walked In
By Solebury School Middle School
The darkness of hate trickles into the room
creeping its way into the minds of others.
Its odious steps echo through the room
As it rolls and billows like an ever-expanding cloud.
It slinks through the shadows
Confidently, cruelly, swiftly, coldly.
It prowls like a hungry fox.
It moves angrily, sweeping through as many people as it can reach;
Through their anger, their aggression and their thoughts,
like a black snake
It looks with eyes stained by unjust assumptions --
A smug, cold glare with eyes full of rage,
Staring fiercely with glowing dark crimson light
and a blank but ruthless face
Its steely voice sounds like ice, like fire,
Like the screech of a cat as someone steps on its tail.
In a dark, moody voice, it whispers, I hate you.
It whispers, I’m going to bring you down.
It mirrors your own voice and your own hatred inside you.
Venom drips from every syllable.
I gather up my courage and stuff it into my heart.
To get rid of hate, my weapon of choice will be my voice.
In an instant, the word stop tumbles out of my mouth.
I say leave.
I say no.
I say I don’t need you.
I repeat it calmly and say it as a mantra.
I think about what I love to drown out the hate.
Until it grows into a chorus of voices speaking the purest notes.
We throw it in a cage with tight steel bars.
We put it in an abandoned room.
We seal it in a jar and lock it in a chest.
A trail of red and black smoke lingers.
The shadow of doubt fades.
The burnt, brown infernal rage dissolves.
The spiteful, icy blue evil vanishes.
Destructions and sorrows wash away.
In its place is a trail of hope,
Of lavender kindness, yellow happiness, shining positivity,
Friendship, patience, justice, love,
Pink, gold, silver, green,
Joy, encouragement, acceptance.
We said leave.
We said no.
We said we don’t need you.
I smile and let it shine bright.
Academic Warnings and Parent's Day
Baltimore Trip
- a lunch for Friday
- snacks for the trip
- spending money for Friday night and Sunday afternoon on our ride home.
- remember that there are two components to the trip- adventure park and hotel; boat and camping!