Commencement Ceremony

Hello All,

     Tonight is the commencement ceremony at Helen S. Dunn School.  Our eighth grade class is receiving their certificates of achievement and being recognized for their time and effort here at HSD.  The ceremony starts at 6:00, so come and watch your children and friends earn their rewards for all the hard work they have contributed in the last nine or more years!

     In honor of the situation, Jasmine and Nicole wrote a lovely poem which they will read this evening.  I like it very much, and I think it captures the feelings of the eighth grade class as they close this chapter in their lives.  You may read it below.

“Graduation Day!”

This year our old lives end, 

And new ones begin.

But we will never forget the memories,

That will be forever in our heart.

We had good times,

and bad times.

As we move on,

we will never forget the friendships we had.

We will remember the days

when taking naps in class,

and never forgetting recess,

getting to run and play.

It felt like just yesterday

when we were little kids,

and now today,

we have grown so much.

We’ll remember big events,

like semi or carnivals.

Even the little things will be remembered.

Some of us will go in the same direction, 

some of us will go our separate ways;

but I know we will never forget,

The good old days.

by Jasmine and Nicole

Social Studies

Hello Eighth Grade,

     First things first, you need to take a survey about your experience at the Career Fair last week.  Please click on this link to go to the survey and complete it.  There are eight questions, and the majority of them are multiple choice.  When you finish the survey, write your name on the board in the appropriate spot or have a classmate write it there for you instead.

     Next, you need to print off last night's homework if you typed it and did not yet hand it in.  I will collect it from the printer when I return from my meeting.  Since Mr. Brownewell collects the laptops this morning, I want the work from you now.  When you finish yesterday's homework, turn to the person beside you, shake his or her hand, and say, "I have successfully finished my last Social Studies homework assignment from middle school.  I am awesome."  Then, pat yourself on the back.

     Finally, go up to Mrs. Flanders (or, if she is not there, whomever is filling in at my comfy chair), and get the paper.  This is due by the end of class today at 9:00 AM.  Once this is finished, you may relax and enjoy the last few minutes you have with the laptops before they are taken away.  Save any files, clean up any information, and get ready for the rest of your classes today!

All the best,

Mr. DeMaris

The Origin of Cheese

Behold, the mighty chiz!
This article is not about cheese, in case you are confused.

Hello All,

     A student asked me today where the term "cheesy," meaning "cheap or stereotypical," comes from.  I did not know at the time, but I promised I would look it up.  Based on some reliable sources, here is what I found.

     Cheesy, today, means "cheap, unpleasant, or blatantly inauthentic," at least according to the Apple dictionary.  It is cliche, stereotypical, or so unoriginal you can't help but wince.

     So far as historians can tell, however, the term comes from the Persian word chiz (pronounced just like cheese), which means "thing."  When the British invaded and occupied much of the Middle East and India in the early 1800s, they would refer to their native servants as "the real chiz," or the real thing / real deal.

     From there, it transferred to common British society in the middle 1800s, where it became associated more with "showy" instead of just excellent.  By the end of the 1800s, it meant gaudy or cheap, like oversized costume jewelry or overly dramatic gestures.  It wasn't long before it became a common term for anything stereotypically bad or cliche, which is how we know it today!

     Thank you, Jasmine, for the question!

Best,

Mr. DeMaris

UTC Trip Tomorrow

Hello Eighth Grade!

     Tomorrow you take a trip to the United Technologies Center in Bangor.  Three of you still need to bring in permission slips; if you don't have them, you will spend your morning doing schoolwork with another teacher.  Our bus leaves Helen S. Dunn School promptly at 7:45, so arrive at school on time.

Rock-a-thon Papers!

Hello, Eighth Grade!

     Your Rock-a-thon papers are due tomorrow, Wednesday, May 21, 2014.  You need sponsors to attend the event on Friday.

Sincerely,

Mr. DeMaris

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.