homework update - Gang Leader for A Day

I am sorry but I am thinking that we won't get to Gang Leader for a Day by friday so please don't pressure yourself to read it all by then.  Please just read teen-parent conflicts for tomorrow.  The Gang Leader reading will be due wednesday.

Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind? Maybe, but too much water makes the studetns go "Ew".

Today and yesterday at Odyssey the Neo-Futurists performed their 30 plays in minutes.  One of their plays was their impression of a pod of Whales.  This scattered them out among the audience where they made whale noises and occassionally sprayed mouthfuls of water in the air as if to be the whales blow hole.  It was surprising and funny and gross!  But they did it right there at school and dozens of students were wet by the comical improv.

This reminds me of our spit vs. saliva lesson.  The idea was that we have socially constructed a difference between spit and saliva.  Spit is something that leaves your mouth and is considered gross. Saliva is the same thing but it stays in your mouth and so we would never consider that gross.  We freely swallow saliva but never spit.  Similarly, there are times and places that society says it is okay to spit: a baseball game, a water polo match, and now an improv theater performance.  Not only were they spitting, but they let the mist land on students!  Imagine if I did that in class or even at the Shedd Aquarium, "Look at me I'm a whale PPFFFFFSHSHSH." I might get kicked out of there and even arrested! But right there at school there it was as part of a performance.  Imagine if you did this in the commons and when security approached you, you said, "I was just imitating a whale."  That is an example of how society creates a certain feeling or a certain acceptability in some places but not others. 

Volunteer Op: Special Olympics Bocce Ball April 13th, 2014

This event has been a really great service experience in the past.  SHS supplies all the volunteers for the Special Olympics Area 13 Bocce Ball  tournament.   It is usually from about 7:30 - 3:30.  The event is usually a very positive experience.  You will work directly with the athletes and the Special Olympics is really grateful for your time.  They will give you a Tshirt and provide a modest lunch (sandwich, chips, cookie, water)  You do not need to know anything about bocce ball to volunteer.  We will have a 1hr training session the week before the tournament to teach you all that you need to know. I HOPE YOU WILL JOIN US!  If you are interested, be sure to leave Sunday, April 13th free.  Mr. Salituro will coordinate the event so feel free to email him at csalituro@d125.org.  There will usually be a training day the week before.  Salituro will update Mr. Block and Ms. Fainman with details.

If you are interested in volunteering, please click here and add your name to the list.

Polar Plunge 2014!

This is the Patriot Plunge Team 2014!  Tutu much fun!

This is the Patriot Plunge Team 2013!

Sunday, February 23rd from (roughly 10-2) is the Special Olympics Polar Plunge. This is the biggest and most important fundraiser for the Special Olympics. Here are instructions for how to register, but basically you simply need to logon to the webpage for the Fox Lake Polar Plunge. Then click on "register now"  (or click here) .  Then click on "Start Fundraising." Scroll down and select "Fox Lake" for the event. Then follow the instructions and when you get to "team" select "Stevenson High School Patriot Plungers". When you are finished registering, you will have your own unique webpage that you can email to family and friends. They can donate directly to you through that page. They can use a credit card and you won't even have to collect money. All you have to do is collect $75 or more and you get to participate in the polar plunge and you get a free hoodie! Help us defend our  title as the school with the most plungers!

Here is a flyer for the Fox Lake Plunge. Watch this video to get excited about being a part of this experience. Still not convinced?! Look at how much fun this is:

Volunteer op Louder: Than A Bomb: The Chicago Youth Poetry Festival

Here is an example of a service opportunity and sociological mindfulness.  This is from the Louder Than A Bomb: The Chicago Youth Poetry Festival .  A poetry slam is a competition where authors read and perform their poetry on stage.  It is a really cool art form, especially if you are into writing, poetry, or hiphop. They need volunteers to do all sorts of help with the performance.   You can volunteer by clicking here.

Checkout the following poem by Mr. Marshall Soulful Jones.  His poem is really sociologically mindful.  He is writing about the ways in which technology is affecting us and how we interact with each other.  That awareness of the changes in how we interact is sociological mindfulness. 

Jones makes an important point about being aware of how our use of technology is shaping us.  And So that is a reminder for you to be mindful of this in class.  Please be sure to power down and take your ear buds out.  Be in the moment.  Do not let your ipad or cell phone take you out of the moment.

If you are intrigued and want more, there is a documentary about the poetry competition called Louder Than A Bomb.  Here is the trailer: