Virtual Secret Santa!

The Inter-Island Student Council had the BEST idea EVER... have an Inter-Island Secret Santa to celebrate the holidays across our island schools! YES! I couldn't have been MORE on board for this idea! SOOO FUN! When the Student Council met to talk about the rules and plan for the project they decided that we would do the Secret Santa by islands so each school would get the name of another school and have to put together a package to send with lots of goodies and surprises! The catch was, the packages could not cost the schools more than FIVE dollars! That meant all of the goodies and surprises had to be handmade and crafted... ALL THE MORE FUN, if you ask me!

The teachers pulled the school names so the students would not know who got who. I told my kids who we got and we went straight to work! Monhegan got Islesford School (the largest of the TLC schools) so we had a lot of goodies to make.

We spent some time initially brainstorming what we could make for the kids and teachers on Islesford that would not cost a lot and would be fun for them to receive! Dalton came up with the idea of making and decorating paper airplanes for all 12 students on Islesford! Lots of folding for Dalton!

We also came up with the idea of making pet rocks! We had done some sluething and had found out what every Islesford student's favorite animal was... so it was fun making personalized pet rocks for them all!

We also made a DANCE PARTY CD for the whole school because we KNOW how much Islesford loves a good dance party. Lastly, we make little mini sugar cookies for all of the kids and teachers!

Time to pack up our gift box!

We had an assembly line going to back this monsterous box of goodies!

Individual cups of cookies! YAY!

Paper airplanes on top!

Margaret rolling out paper for wrapping!

Stickers are obviously a must! We sent off our package and then waited anxiously for ours!

A few days later all the island packages had been received and it was time for our VIRTUAL Secret Santa PARTY via the Tanberg!

We pulled names and each school got to open their packages! Matinicus was up first!

Cliff's turn! These kids were PUMPED to open their gift!

And then Islesford's turn. I think we were more excited for Islesford to open their gift then we were to open our own!

The Isle Au Haut boys opening their awesome gift package!

Monhegan's turn to open!!!!!

Our package was from Cliff and we were SO excited!

Even Millie enjoyed our Christmas package!

We then had Mr. President (Daltini) read some holiday riddles for the group!

And of course we ended our party with...

Some holiday dancing!

Jingle bell rock!

Even our friends from the Island Institute joined us for some Christmas fun!

Bust a holiday move!!

After our super fun party it was time to enjoy a homemade cookie from our secret santa, Cliff Island!

So much fun! Happy Holidays TLC! We love you all!

Tree Hunting and Holiday Decorating!

With Christmas getting closer and closer it was time for the Monhegan School to take the yearly pilgrimage out to find our Charlie Brown tree!

Off we go... hunting for trees!

The kids picked which trail they wanted to go on to find our tree. They have quite a bit of experience with tree hunting!

It didn't take long to find our beautiful little tree!

The boys working together...

I don't think our tree was very heavy!

The kindergartner taking a turn hauling it back to school.

Tree trimming time.

Millie protecting Quinn and the tree!

Aw, she looks good!

Time to break out the Christmas decorations!

Decorating some pine cones for our tree!

Margaret loved the tree decorating!

Dalton was in charge of lights... he looks confused by this assignment!

Quinn putting up the garland!

The tree is looking better and better!

Haul out the holly....

More decoration making!

Okay, enough with the photos... I get it!

Christopher Columbus Trial!

To end our Social Studies unit about Early American Explorers we participated in a super-fun and interesting mock trial where we put Christopher Columbus (and others) on trial for the tragic crimes that were committed over 500 years ago to the Taino people. We joined up with our TLC classmates on Islesford for this project which, of course, meant lots of technology!

The boys were partnered up with students on Islesford and assigned different groups of people who they were to represent/defend at the trail. Quinn and his partner were given quite the tough assignment... they were to represent Mr. Christopher Columbus and try to prove that it was not ALL his fault for the crimes that were committed against the Taino people.

Dalton and his partner were asked to represent Columbus's men. These were the men who actually physically committed many of the crimes against the Tainos... yet it was Dalton's job to try and explain why they should not be held entirely responsible for their actions.

The other people who were to go on trial were The King and Queen of Spain, The System of Empire, AND the Tainos themselves! The students had to develop opening statements to explain why their defendants were being wrongly accused and then had to develop questions for witnesses they wanted to call to the stand during the trial to further prove their defendants innocence!

On the day of the trial we met with Islesford via Tanberg... Ms. Eysnogle and I were the honorary Judges who ran the trail and the students were the representing attorneys for the different people being prosecuted.

The Monhegan Attorneys dressed up for the trail.

Even Millie was dressed for the trial!

Quinn was up first to give his opening statements. He talked about how Christopher Columbus was just doing what the King and Queen of Spain had told him to do... find new land and bring back gold! He had a lot of strong points about how Columbus did not actually physically commit many of the crimes against the Taino people... he just gave the orders. He also discussed how it was because of the System of Empire and the explorer's who had gone before him that he felt it was okay to treat the Taino's the way he did, because he did not know any better.

Quinn virtually called the Tainos to the stand... Ms. Eysnogle represented the Tainos well.

Some of Islesford students representing the King and Queen of Spain.

And then some of the other students representing the Taino people.

Prosecutor Daltini makes his open remarks... he was pretty stinkin' convincing right off the bat!

He talked about how Columbus's men were just "pawns" in the event that Columbus used to get what he wanted. Columbus threatened his men with their lives if he did not follow his orders. Most of Columbus's men were just trying to survive and make money for their families and did what Columbus told them because they were afraid for their own lives. I see a future in law and debate for D. Burroughs, Representative at Large!

Closing remarks from the group.

We then had the group take off their "prosecuting hats" and become the jury. They had to work together to assign percentages to each of the groups depending on how guilty they believed they were for the violent acts committed.

The reading of the final verdict! Pretty cool stuff! These kids took their assignments very seriously and I was super impressed how well they were able to articulate their ideas and represent their defendants! Job well done!

Special thanks to Ms. Eysnogle on Islesford for letting us take part in such a fun and engaging project!