Switches now allow students to break a circuit at will.  By connecting the paper clip (pictured below left) to each brad on the index card, students can turn on a light bulb.  Swing the paper clip away from the opposite brad, and the light goes off.  The back of the switch (pictured below right) shows the Fahnestock clips where the wires are connected and kept out of sight.  This should come in handy in the next lesson - making their own flashlights using the knowledge they have gained.

Take three minutes to watch this video:

Take three and a half minutes to watch this video:

Since the 2011 tornado, the word hope has floated around our community with some regularity.  It didn't hurt that the Joplin high school sign was left standing with just the letters O and P from the word Joplin remaining.  Someone had the creativity to use duct tape to add the letters H and E to the beginning and end of the sign respectively.

In an attempt to streamline the website, I have only included four tabs at the top of the page.  Those four tabs have now been arranged in the order, Homeroom, Orientation, Positivity, and Exploration.  You may notice the first letters in those words are H, O, P, and E, clearly spelling HOPE.  I didn't intend it to spell anything, but it is indicative of the message I want to convey to my students - that no matter how bad things seem, no matter how poor, how weak, or how ignorant we may feel, there is always hope for better.  With hard work and respect, hope is something inspirational.  Just as the now iconic sign at the high school encouraged the citizens of Joplin to pull themselves out of their basements and yearn for more, I always want to encourage my students to improve.

Take five minutes to watch this video:

Take six minutes to watch this video:

On Saturday, participants in the Cecil Floyd Math League traveled to Carl Junction, Missouri, to compete in the regional contest sponsored by MCTM (Missouri Council of Teachers of Mathematics).  KADEN excelled in each of the two areas of competition.  In Math Concepts, he scored high enough to take home the ninth place ribbon, and in Problem Solving, KADEN made second place, qualifying to advance to the state competition in the spring.

KADEN will also receive an invitation from Mr. Obert (South Middle School teacher) to visit his backyard, in May, for barbecue ribs and ALL the trimmings, including ice cream sundaes for dessert.  Of course, anyone who qualifies for state was promised a pie (or is that pi?) to put in a teacher's face.  KADEN now has to choose the recipient of that pie.  It's between Mr. Culbertson and Mr. Hoggatt (Don't you agree that he should remember who fills in his grade card?  I hear that Mr. Culbertson loves pie anyway.).

As expected, our whole team represented Cecil Floyd and Joplin well.  They conducted themselves maturely and were respectful.