May Events in the Learning Center

It is hard to believe the school year is so quickly winding down.
The good new is that there is still plenty of time for students to check out materials and read a few last books this school year.

Here's what is happening in the Learning Center the next couple weeks:
5/13 - Guys Read Meets from 3:40 - 4:30
5/14 - 7th Grade Lunch Bunch meets to talk about Marcelo in the Real World
5/20 - All 8th Grade materials are due and fines need to be paid
5/22 - 6th Grade Lunch Bunch meets to talk about Legend
5/24 - Farewell meeting for the 8th Grade Lunch Bunch
5/28 - All 6th and 7th Grade materials are due and fines need to be paid
5/28 - Write in the Middle Publication Party from 3:45 - 4:30

This Week at the Learning Center

Let's Get Ready to Rumble!

Highland is excited to host the 8th Annual Lake County Battle of the Books!
The battle of the books is an game where participating students are asked questions about the 20 nominated books from the 2013 Caudill list. Students buzz in (the favorite part of some participants!) to answer the questions.

There will be about 85 students playing on 11 teams from 5 area middle schools.
The event will happen at Highland on Thursday, 3/7, and will run from 4:00 - 6:00. Fans are welcome to attend.

Guys Read

Highland is happy to partner with Cook Memorial Library to continue the Guys Read program this year. Rob Eckmann, librarian at Cook, leads this group which meets once a month after school from 3:40 - 4:30 in the Highland Learning Center. Any guys in grades 5- 8 are welcome to attend!
The meetings for the rest of the 2012-2013 school year are :

• March 18
• April 1
• May 13

One Book, One School = A Success!

Breakfast Book Discussion in the LC

Friday (3/1/13) was the culmination of a very successful One Book, One School project. I got chills when our visiting author, Mawi Asgedom, asked the assembly full of students how many of them had read his book, Of Beetles & Angels, and nearly every hand in the gym was raised.

Throughout the week long celebration of the book, there were numerous opportunities for students, staff members, and members of the community to discuss the book. In total about 120 people participated in one of these events, leading to much great conversation about Mawi's memoir of coming to America from Ethiopia via a refugee camp in Sudan. The story inspired many of us. 

On Friday, Mawi spent the morning with us at Highland. His day was filled talking with student leaders over breakfast, doing two assemblies for the entire student body, and having lunch with students who had read and discussed his book. 

A great group of faculty members at Highland worked together to make this project and learning experience possible!

Write in the Middle Editorial Board Members

Along with submissions for writing and art for Write in the Middle, we are also looking for students willing to serve of the editorial board. This group reads and evaluates all the submissions, helping to decide which pieces are published.

Most of our work is done virtually. Although the board does have an afterschool final selection meeting face-to-face in mid-March.

Fill out the application to be considered as a member of the ediotial board!

Write In the Middle Call for Submissions

Write in the Middle, Highland's Literary and Art Publication, is gearing up for its fifth edition. 

We are currently looking for original writing - poetry, short stories, and essays - and artwork done by students and staff members to be considered for the 2013 issue.

Works should be electronically submitted to Dr. Wyatt (ewyatt@d70schools.org) by February 19, 2013.