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Holiday Cards A Big Success At Children's Hospital
Before the December holidays, St Louise 7th grade students created, and sent a number of holiday cards of various faiths and cultures to children undergoing treatment at the hospital. This is our first annual "winter cards for Children's" campaign. Both 7c and 7d partook in the card drafting. Check out the pictures section to see our 7th graders working in class on the project.
We recently received a letter from the hospital, thanking our students for their caring wishes and support. We hope to make this an annual event, as part of our annual, ongoing support for the hospital.
Best Wishes To All,
7th Grade Team | | | | 2010: Exciting Year Ahead For Social Studies
Welcome back to social studies in Rm D. This is going to be another incredible year for our nation and the world. There is so much history unfolding before our eyes so quickly that even a current events marathoner, such as myself, is having a hard time keeping up with it. It is imperative that you keep up on the news and share this with your children. The younger generation often doesn't understand much about the world we live in. Some can't even recognize important public officials, or find major countries on a world map. This is not acceptable for your children, or the future of our nation. They, of course, are the future of this nation. Therefore it is imperative that we prepare them to function in the world of their future; a world that is taking shape now. To function they will need to understand the world they are living in and why it matters. They also need to understand what has happened in the past, which brought us to this point. I take my role in opening up your child's awareness of the world, very seriously. That is why I always place a high priority on maintaining the integrity of class instruction time. I also constantly integrate and upgrade the curriculum to reflect the latest current events issues and how they relate to our history curriculum. My goal has always been and will continue to be, to bring the subject matter alive for your children, and put them right in the middle of it. They will learn it because they want to understand these issues and their world. Once we get them there, then we are creating a new generation of informed leadership for this nation. They will also find personal significance, in being who they are, at this time, in this place, on this amazing planet!
Yours, Historically & Currently, Mr. O'Connor | | | | The Broader Thoughts w/ Mr. O'C : Why "Social Studies" Matters (Oct '09))
Too often, today, we hear about how our nation's educational systems must improve in the area of math and science. We rarely, if ever, hear that the nation's schools are failing at teaching our youngest generations "social studies." And yet, this subject, too, is in crisis in the school systems. Maybe this is because social studies encompasses so many different things that we are not quite sure how to define it, or how it best be taught. While math and science are pivotal to continued technological advancement in our society, it is the merits of the social studies that provide our very identity and soul as a culture and nation. Such matters are probably not best left to the first available coach who could simply "cover" the history class. We do this subject and our civilization a tremendous disservice when we reduce social studies to this. We insist on trained math and science professionals in our classrooms. Yet we allow those with no social studies background or interest whatsoever to instruct high school students in social studies, and then wonder why kids are bored or tired of outlining textbook chapters. Social studies is almost a living thing. It is just what it says, SOCIAL! It is the one subject that could and should never be boring due to the sheer scope of potential material to draw upon for thought and conversation.
These days, I see a lot of kids who know how to use their ipods and texters to amazing feats. What I don't see in modern society, are a large number of young people who truley understand what it means to be an American citizen, or for that matter, the question of pondering the very meaning of their existence itself. Basic history eludes many of our young people in the society. Many don't know their rights as citizens ( a dangerous precedent). Some don't even know who we were fighting in WW II, or about the Greatest Generation, whom are now fading farther away, themselves into history, every day. Basic geography knowledge is essential to understanding the planet we are living on. How can anyone have a meaningful context for their own life if they don't know where anything is, in the world in which they are living? These are questions I and my students ponder daily. China, India, Russia, Iran, every citizen should know these places.
For anyone who might not be clear on why social studies matters, let's define it: Social Studies is all the geography and culture in the world that has become the "Global Village."
It is all the religions, ethnicities, and nations that are interacting and creating the incredibly complex world and events we absorb daily on the nightly news. It is the economic systems, their interactions and impact on all people and ecosystems planet wide. It is the sum total of all History, everywhere that has created the world that you and I are currently living in, struggling to understand, and in which we are trying to raise the next healthy generation of human souls. It is all the arts, literature, music, and philosophical themes that have been generated by human thought, and through human expression. It is our command of political institutions and the exercise thereof for the improvement of the human condition. Indeed it should be argued that science and math themselves are products of the social studies since they come out of a culture's desire to explore, discover, and improve society. (think Rennaissance- de Vinci)
I would argue that everything; civilization itself, comes from the social studies. Math and Science are important tools we use to "build" our society (social studies), our civilization.
It's essential we continue those efforts, but let's not dismiss or forget the importance of social studies in our nation's educational systems and institutions. Our culture and society will only be as good as the social studies education we give them, because it will be those factors that form their identities and their grasp of who and what they are, and what they can and should do with their lives.
Happily, there are no such worries here at St. Louise. :) Our students benefit from this concept of teaching the "whole child." That means that we are able to immerse their learning in all subjects, in such a way that we create informed, conscientious, well rounded citizens, whom we hope and expect will go forth and improve our society and the world. And there you have it. We are right back where we started from: "social studies".
Next time someone blows off history or social studies, you set them straight.
Best Wishes All.
Historically & Currently Yours,
Mr. O'C | | | | December: 7th Grade Service For Children's Hospital
During this festive month, the 7th graders will be making some holiday cards of cheer to send to the young, patient residents at Children's Hospital in Seattle. Children's is our annual service project, and we wish to ring in the new season with greetings and good wishes.
Cards will reflect the many, multicultural holidays of the season (Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanza, etc.) as well as a Winter theme in general. The patients at Children's, are, of course, from all varieties of cultural and religious backgrounds. A hospital representative will see to it our cards are distributed appropriately.
Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays To All!
God Bless & Peace On Earth!
Mr. O'Connor, Mr. Chambers and
the entire 7th Grade at St. Louise Parish School | | | | 7th Grade Service Project ( 7d & 7c)
Seventh grade service project is an annual effort to sponsor and assist a local charitable cause. It's recent tradition that 7th grade efforts revolve around contributions on behalf of Children's Hospital in Seattle. During Lent, our students conduct classroom auctions. In the interum months, we sponsor an occasional drive to collect stuffed animals or childrens' bathing suits, on behalf of the hospital, and we help with Thanksgiving Baskets and Christmas Toy Drive donations. For more information about 7th grade involvement for this cause and others, check this site monthly. For more information about Children's Hospital Fund Raising, please visit their web site from the link provided here. Thanks for all your support!!!
-Mr. O'Connor | | | |
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Mr. O'Connor has been teaching in the St. Louise School junior high since 1999. Mr. O'Connor graduated from Western Washington University and Seattle Pacific University. He is ecstatic to share his knowlege and insights on history, government, geography, current events, and environmental issues with his St. Louise students. Mr. O'Connor teaches 7th and 8th grade Social Studies and the "Contemporary World Issues" elective. He resides in Bellevue with his wife, Jamie. He enjoys developing social studies teaching materials, following international news, watching old TV shows, viewing nature programs, and spending time with his daughter, Christina.
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"Remember this, you, who are my servant! I found you to be a servant to me; by me you shall never be forgotten. I have brushed away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like a mist; return to me, for I have redeemed you." (Isaiah 44:21-23) |
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