This is a picture of Mrs. Glenda Fernandez, our guest speaker from Cuba.

Cuban snack: Guayava and cream cheese, Maria biscuits, and plaintain chips.

After learning about Latin America all month, we were fortunate enough to have Mrs. Glenda Fernandez speak about Cuba. Mrs Fernandez is Nathan Fernandez' grandma and was a very interesting guest. She spoke about her life in Cuba when she was a teenage and how as the Cuban government was taken over by Fidel Castro, her family had to flee for their safety and freedom to the US.

She brought a guayava and cream cheese snack, plantain chips and a really plantain for students to sample and see. Students were able to ask lots of questions and learn about what life in a communist country is like.

PRIVATE BRAD MARBACH

PRIVATE BRAD MARBACH

Today we had a visit from Private Brad Marbach. Brad was in my World Studies class last year and has since joined the US Army. The object of his visit was not to recruit but to talk about life in and out of high school.

As part of the continuing Career Development in a Global Economy sub-course, I am trying to have some GLHS alumni speak to my classes to discuss how their experiences in high school prepared them for their careers.

Brad was a great guest. He connected with the students, offered heartfelt advice and gave us an great insight on how decisions in high school determine your future career.

CIRCLE DAY

So far this year, we have had very interesting circle days. It is an activity that everyone looks forward to and it is a great way to get to know each other outside of the academic context. Students write anonymous questions or comments on slips of paper and then place it in the center basket. The questions are then read out loud and students get to respond and give their opinions. We have had many thought provoking discussions about many topics. 

I almost forgot that we had circle day with the German students from our sister school in Lohne, Germany (the girl in the red and black strips, the blond in the blue sweater on the right and the blond boy in the black shirt on the far right). It was a very interesting experience because the Germans had much to say about the differences in our culture. The most eye raising thing about their visit was the information that they gave us about their school.
Many of these students are very serious about their studies and have very different academic goals.

 

STUDYING LATIN AMERICA

This week, we talked about the importance of learning about our neighbors to the south. We did some map work together and also saw some pictures of what Latin America looks like. After a powerpoint presentation, map work, notes and a fun game, we are ready to move on to learn about the beauty of the Aztec, Maya and the Inca civilizations.