Tonight's Game is Cancelled

Hello All,

     Tonight's home game against Veazie is cancelled, likely due to the great amount of water in the field.  Hopefully Thursday's game will still happen!

Property Tax is Established!

Citizens of Room 27 Vote for More Taxes, Bank Bailouts

by Mr. DeMaris

     Today, a majority of class legislators passed a law creating new taxes to pay off government debt incurred by bailing out the failed First Blue Bank of the Helen S. Dunn School.  The institution, which had lent more money than it could afford, shut down when student concerns about access to money led to a run on the bank that drained its funds.  After several days without access to their bank accounts, and unable to do anything but watch their income swallowed by massive debt, students agreed that their comfort and security was more important than immediate fiscal responsibility, and proposed new legislation authorizing the Government of Room 27 to bail out the bank in return for higher taxes to pay off that investment.

     As a result, government officials have imposed a property tax on each individual in the classroom.  Students must now pay for the right to sit in their chair and use their desk, even though that chair and desk has been theirs since the beginning of the school year.  Many students expressed dissatisfaction with this decision, but their voices were overwhelmed by the majority, who insist that it is a worthwhile trade.

     We must wait to see what the long-term impacts of this decision will be.

The Civilian Conservation Corps

Hello All:

     In 8th Grade, we are looking at the Great Depression and FDR's "New Deal," part of which was the Civilian Conservation Corps, or the CCC.  There were actually 28 CCC camps in Maine between 1933 and 1942, and they worked on everything from forest management to cleaning up and improving national parks.  Click on this link to read an article about the CCC's work in Acadia National Park.

     After reading the article, students should either type or write the answers to the following questions:

1. What was the nickname for the workers?
2. What did critics call the CCC?
3. By 1942, how many men had been hired by the program?
4. How many camps ran in Maine?
5. How many camps contributed to Acadia National Park?
6. How old was Simon Caswell when he started working for the CCC at Acadia?

     Click on this link to read an article about the CCC in the state of Maine.  After reading the article, students should either type or write the answers to the following questions:

1. How many men were requested in the first quota of 1933?
2. What was the base pay for employed men?  How much of that did they get to keep?
3. How many Maine enrollees worked for the CCC?
4. How many supervisors and technical staff members worked for the CCC?
5. How much money did their families earn from the program during the period of 1933 to 1942?
6. Was the CCC a worthwhile program?  Why or why not?  Defend your answer with reasons and examples, as this question is worth as much as three others put together.

New Tax Established

Income Tax Begins in Room 27

by Mr. DeMaris

     A controversial bill was passed today by the legislature of Room 27, and signed into law by Mr. DeMaris.  Law 18 establishes a 5% income tax on all classroom paychecks to provide compensation for the creation of new jobs in the room.

     In an effort to maintain fiscal responsibility and keep the government from sliding into debt, Legislators Hunter, Jayton, Kyle, and Chris pushed for the development of this new tax to prevent the ballooning prices of candy and other necessities in the classroom store.  By agreeing to this law, Hunter says, you can make sure the room stays clean and people still get to work.

     Others, however, take a different view of the matter.  Greg believes that any income tax is a bad idea, and money earned should go into the worker's pocket, not to the government.  "I'm not signing that," he said.

     Still, the majority of the class agree that this new law will help boost the economy by building up new economic opportunities for those currently unemployed.  Says Hunter, who just got his first job today, "If you pay me well, I'll want to keep working."  And that, in this reporter's opinion, is good for everyone.  Whether or not this optimism will play out in the long run, we will simply have to wait and see.

Happy Vacation!

Hello All!

     I hope everyone has a wonderful and entertaining vacation week, and you all take full advantage of your time out of school to burn off some energy and get outside for fun.  With the river going down and the snow almost entirely gone, and with temperatures predicted to be in the 50s and 60s all next week, you should have plenty of reasons to enjoy the sunshine.

     In case any of you panic, or any parents ask, none of the ELA classes has homework over vacation, and the eighth grade has no Social Studies work.  We will begin the Roaring Twenties in Social Studies on Monday after vacation.  I will also be hiring for three new jobs that day, so if you are looking for further employment, or just your first job, let me know!

Sincerely,

Mr. DeMaris

Cinderella is Postponed

Good afternoon,

     Due to unexpected circumstances, the school has postponed the production of Cinderella tonight.  It will be presented after vacation.

Two Hour Delay

Good morning, All!

     Due to the nasty weather outside, the administration has issued a two-hour delay this morning.  This means school will start at 9:30, so all you middle-schoolers have to miss Social Studies today.

     Eighth grade, you still have your test tomorrow!