Okay, can you really expect the first article to be anything else?

Here are the summer plans of some Fletcher students:

“sleep.eat.watch youtube.draw.repeat”

“I plan to play board games, do art projects, bike, watch a little T.V., read some good books, hopefully go swimming in the pool if it is open, play piano, call my friends, and play outside.”

And here’s the level of boredom expected from kids in school, with 1 being “Completely engaged” and 5 being “Rescue me! AAAGH!”

1- 0%

2- 25%

3- 25%

4- 33.3%

5- 17.7%

In the first weekly “Backstage With the Superintendent” session on April 20, Dr. Don Austin (the superintendent) stated, “We can come back and we’ll do split shifts and social distancing and maybe we’ll do an A-B schedule and maybe it’s every other day and we’ll do distance learning. Those are all great- I don’t know how we do that, practically speaking. For example, the idea of moving to more distance learning is a norm for one or more periods a day or every other day- the governor and the California Department of Education- all the rules prohibited it.” A little later on in the session, he continued, “Luckily, PAUSD had wanted to attack some of those rules earlier, so we’ve written and actually posted our proposal to the state, online.” He says that the PAUSD is, ‘instead of complaining about them [the rules], we’re trying to change them’. From this, we can gather that school in the fall and even these last few weeks of school is a mystery- we’re doing this on the fly, like the rest of the world.

In another session of ‘Backstage with the Superintendent’, (on May 18) there was an opportunity to share thoughts about the closures and reopenings. Mr. Austin said that “For some people, they think that the synchronous exchange like the one we’re having tonight is the only way we can call something online instruction.” He went on to say that they were ‘going to continue to disagree with that piece.’ This brings up something interesting- what really counts as online learning? Is in-person instruction the only thing that counts? Or are ROLEs and pre-recorded videos the same? What do you think?

We reached out to the Fletcher community on whether or not to open school. The response was pretty spread out- with ‘1’ being “Please do it!” and ‘8’ representing “Do not, whatever you do!” Here's what they said:

1: 15.4%

2: 30.8%

3: 30.8%

4: 7.7%

5: 0%

6: 0%

7: 7.7%

8: 7.7%

When questioned on why they picked what they did, some students were undecided, stating that:

“I want to go back because you learn more at school, but if it's not safe, then…”

“I want school to open SOOOO bad, but I think that the virus will still be impacting us in the fall, so it would be hard to stay safe.”

“I really want school to reopen so that I can see my friends, but there will be some things that I will miss about staying home.”

Others, however, were of the opinion that school has to open:

“I'm at the stage now where I'm willing to get COVID-19 if it means seeing my friends again.”

“I really want to see my friends, some of my teachers, and if school opens then soccer probably will too!”

And still others are for staying home:

“Why is there such a rush to re-open and be unsafe? It isn't an emergency. I mean, I know our teachers aren't online class trained so the classes aren't so great for some and some adults need to go to work and can't leave kids behind and some just need teacher interaction; but is that really a reason to make EVERYBODY go? How can you feasibly NOT get coronavirus in a middle school with a limited budget? And it's not like things are better for coronavirus right now the USA has more cases than CHINA. What I think they should do is open school but only kids who want or need that interaction or need to be at school for another reason should be encouraged to go. That way everyone gets what they want. People who want to go get to go and people who don't don't have to.”

People were then questioned on what they felt would be appropriate safety measures for a smooth re-opening. Everyone agreed there- maks, fewer kids, split shifts, staggered days and start times, and frequent hand-washing were all popular opinions. One kid, however, came up with a very simple yet effective answer: “don’t open it.”

Elena Kadvany, writing for the Palo Alto Weekly “News Digest” (read it here) says, “The district released its first proposal and a counterproposal from the Palo Alto Educators Association on working for this fall, assuming secondary schools reopen with a mix of in-person and online instruction. The provisions, while still under negotiation, also paint a picture of what school might look like in the fall for middle and high school teachers and students. (Planning for the elementary schools is happening separately, with the district working to prioritize more in-person attendance as possible for younger children.) Under the proposed memorandum of understanding, students at the middle and high schools would be divided into two groups that attend school in person on alternating days — one group on Mondays and Thursdays and the other on Tuesdays and Fridays — and learn from home the other days. In-person classes should be capped at 12 students or fewer, the union has asked. Wednesdays would be a “blended teacher day” to give teachers time to collaborate, hold office hours and work on lesson planning. The union also is asking the district to provide personal protective equipment, including masks, disposable gloves, face shields, smocks to wear over their clothes, hand sanitizer, hand-washing stations, Plexiglas shields or three-sided cubbies for work that requires people sitting closer together, as well as testing for the coronavirus or antibodies. The school district and teachers union began negotiations on May 20.”

That’s one idea- but if online learning continues, then there may be more projects like Car Parade Graduations, Online Art Shows (like what Gunn did) and who knows what else!

With special thanks to: Ms. Lee and Ms. Kellye, and the Fletcher community, for answering the questions!

What’s a series you recommend ‘binging’ on?

Ms. Lee: Great British Baking Show

Ms. Kellye: PBS's Asian Americans

Where do you recommend going for reliable COVID-19 news?

Ms. Lee: Washington Post, New York Times, NPR

Ms. Kellye: PBS Newshour, NPR, Washington Post, NY Times, MSNBC

What books(s) are you reading right now?

Ms. Lee: "Wicked Fox" (Kat Cho) and "Library of Lost Things" (Laura Taylor Namey)

Ms. Kellye: I'm REREADING Long Way Down, and reading All We Have Left (Both CYRM nominees!)

What is a very, very long book that you've read? How long was it?

Ms. Lee: "Shogun" by James Clavell. 1192 pages!

Ms. Kellye: The last really long book I read was Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan, 592 pages. Ms. Lee wins that one!

What's one book that you feel is underrated?

Ms. Lee: "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. LeGuin (kids won't read it b/c it has an ugly cover) and "The Thief" by Megan Whalen Turner

Ms. Kellye: Charlotte's Web. I say this because a professor once told me this was only a children's book, and I highly disagree! I think this is a great read for ALL ages :)

One genre that you feel doesn't get enough credit?

Ms. Lee: Historical fiction

Ms. Kellye: Horror!

Let’s move to the more generic questions we put out to the Fletcher community. Fantasy won the title of “Favorite Genre” - with about 30% of students selecting it. Humor and Realistic fiction came in neck-and-neck, both tying for second place, with 15.4% of students selecting each. In third place, we find a five-way tie- but I’m not going to list all that!

And when asked why, well, things got quite interesting. One student said: “Because you can get lost in it [fantasy] . It's a break from the world. I don't read it for the quality of writing, I read it for the story. It also inspires my own ideas, so that I don't get as bored.”

Another agreed with that, picking fantasy “Because when you write fantasy it can be about magical creatures that aren't real and there are no limits to what can happen in the book”

Another picked humor- (somehow managing to refute the above argument without knowing it!), saying, “Everything is better when you have a good laugh. If you are feeling alone, upset or worried or bored then a fantasy COULD distract you but a HUMOR would drive away the darkness even MORE”

And here’s what you’ve been waiting for: a list of books. Here are a few, randomly selected. Here we go.

• Harry Potter! You can’t not pick that- it was the most popular response by far.

Because… “It is so fun to read about Harry's world and there are cool creatures. The characters are so different from each other and the author has a cool way of writing.”

• The Hate U Give

“It is very powerful and realistic to the problems that people face in the world.”

• Bridge to Terebithia

“I don't know. I just really like it and connect with it.”

• All I ever need to know I learned in Kindergarten

• Conrad's Fate

“Because the way magic is used is really interesting.”

• Some Kind Of Courage

“I really like this book because first it a horse book and the last couple chapters it was sad so I even cried”

• Ink

“It's an interesting book that captivates you and interests you immediately. No spoilers here, but you should read it.”

There you go. Get reading!

We interviewed a Fletcher student, Victor Dang, on ROLEs. Here’s what he said.

What would you have to say about the math, social studies, PE, and science ROLEs? How hard are they?

Geometry ROLEs seem to be different from the other ROLEs that I have. They're the most difficult, but that's not saying they're impossible to complete. I actually enjoy doing them, as it keeps me busy and my mind working hard in these confusing times. Difficulty rating 7.5/10.Social Studies ROLEs are decent. While of course not having the depth of actual physical classes, they still offer insightful views into the past. Difficulty rating 5/10. PE ROLEs are difficult to get into the habit of doing. I, personally, didn't really have a rigid exercise/workout schedule until quarantine. But once I motivated myself into doing them, it's not bad at all. Difficulty rating 5/10. Science ROLEs for 8th graders have recently become project-based, which I think is great. The difficulty a few weeks ago was maybe 6.5/10, but I have yet to decide what the overall rating for this unit is.

What’s something new you’ve learnt since quarantine began?

I recently learned that putting ice cream in cake batter before baking it is a viable option. How much I'm allowed to put in before it becomes not a cake though, I'm not sure.

What is your favorite subject?

My favorite subject in school is probably Geometry. Note that what I like isn't necessarily what I'm good at, however.

How long could you spend on your favorite subject before your concentration wavered?

My record is roughly 2 hours. I think it can be broken, I just need a free block of time to try it.

We interviewed (well, via Google Forms), two Fletcher parents: Katrina Barnett and Catherine Blish. Both of them have dealt with COVID patients. Here’s some advice from them on how to not get the virus:

“Wash your hands a lot.”

“Wash your hands! A lot! Carefully and frequently. And please wear a mask to protect yourself or others.”

And while that’s something you’re (probably) tired of hearing by now- you simply can’t stress it enough! So please please please and a thousand more pleases- follow that advice!

Both parents told us a little about where the work-

“I work in the Emergency Room at several hospitals in the area. Generally, it has been very quiet at my hospitals. There have been some COVID patients, but not a lot. We have been seeing about half the number of patients in the ER than we usually do. However, all the doctors and nurses are wearing masks (and sometimes double layers of masks) the whole time throughout their entire shifts. This is hot and uncomfortable and sometimes hurts your ears and nose a lot. We have enough masks and protective equipment, though. We have gotten comfortable with switching in and out of the full protective gear, and isolating patients that might have COVID. We have lots of plans for what to do if there is a surge of patients.”

“I work at Stanford Hospital where I see people who have been admitted into the hospital with infection. I also do research trying to understand how the virus causes disease.”

And we all know how hard it is to find reliable news so we’re clearing it up once and for all- Katrina Barnett and Catherine Blish say,

“I think that a lot of the news focuses around the situation in the COVID hot spots (big dense cities), and not about what’s happening in the rest of the country, where the situation is very different. It’s hard to know where to get reliable news.”

“Definitely stay off social media! I would stick with reputable news sources. In particular, I strongly encourage everyone to read the NY Times. Their science coverage is always outstanding. I also see good coverage in the Washington Post. Government websites such as those run by the CDC and Santa Clara County are also great sources.”

We asked them for a ‘big take-away’- what they’d have to stress most about the COVID pandemic. Here’s what they said:

“COVID spreads fast, but the vast majority of people who get it don’t get very sick. We need to be careful to protect the more vulnerable members of our community, but we also need to balance that with trying not to panic and think that we’re all going to die if we get it.”

“The importance of hand washing and keeping that distance and wearing a mask. Children can be infected, and likely can spread it to others (though we are still trying to understand how much this can happen). Even if you don't have symptoms, you could be a source, so it's important that you keep a respectful distance from others to protect the vulnerable around us. You never know who might have an underlying medical condition that makes them at high risk, so it's better if you don't transmit the virus to others.”

1. Make Birthday Presents

Even if you don’t have any family birthdays coming up, make and stock presents… for the next few years. Besides being more, well, personal, when compared to picking up something in the store, this tends to save some last-minute hassle and also creating a 5-minute card out of markers and paper. There are tons of videos and sites where you can find ideas- and if you’re stuck, well, put on your coat and sunglasses and become an undercover spy. Keep an ear out for mentions of favorite books, movies, and especially grumbles. Grumbles are the saviour of birthday-present makers! Snoop around a bit, keep your ears out, and if you can’t find a lead in two weeks I’ll eat my glasses. This leaves the slight problem of how to even deliver gifts. Well, guess what- you can a) make online cards - this is a good opportunity to learn how to code or b) send it by post (schedule for it to arrive a few days in advance, so proper de-COVID-ation can occur). You could also plan scavenger hunts, or make electric cards that sing when you press a button… the possibilities are endless. Use your summer wisely- and never have to make a birthday present again!

2. Redecorate Your Room

Do you hate that babyish wallpaper you picked out when you were seven? Does the too-pink color scheme hurt your eyes? Well, change it! (But ask your parents first.) If you want a large-scale difference, be sure to sketch out or write down what you’re going to do- freestyling with paint doesn't always end well! You’ll also probably need to buy plastic sheets to cover your bed and shelves. But you can always use a can of spray paint to redo your walls, and use a paintbrush and some acrylic paint to add designs. You can also pick up a needle and thread, and stitch some new patterns on your curtains and bedspreads. But for a smaller-scale redecoration, do the following: Clean out your room. Reorganize you books, toys, clothes… whatever. You can ask an adult for help to move your bed(s) and other furniture around. You could change up the ‘theme,’ maybe make a place to display puzzles you’ve completed, books you’re reading… the choices are endless. Make a color scheme, and decorate your room with that- make a pencil holder out of painted popsicle sticks, change up your cushions, and maybe even paint a new picture to hang up. But I don’t want to get in trouble with your parent(s)/guardian(s) - so please please please and yet a thousand more pleases- ask them first!

3. Create an Elaborate Labyrinth of Something

(If you’re an inherently not-organized person and you like being like that, skip this.) Pick anything you’re passionate about- books, movies, writing, or literally anything else. Then, painstakingly organize your thoughts on the subject. Confused? You probably are. So I’ll give you an example. Say you like books. Then you might create your ‘Elaborate Labyrinth’ on books! Sort out all the books you know. You could do this by genre, books you enjoyed, didn’t enjoy, by author… Then list out every book that might fit in those categories. If, for example, you instead wanted to make your Labyrinth on people you know, you might group people by characteristics, personality, how well you know them, where you met them, and so on. You could write this down in a notebook, type it onto a document, or simply file it away in your memory. This is actually pretty fun- you’ll realize a lot about what you’re grouping! Add notes, questions, anything! And also, this makes for a great thing to do if you’re one of those people who simply enjoy thinking about things- like me.

4. Write Down Blissful Fantasies

This is a fun one- even if you despise writing. Just sit back and dream about better days- pranking your annoying sibling, meeting an idol… bring your dreams to life! And if your imagination brings you poor results, keep practicing! The ability to simply daydream is a valuable skill- but only if you can control when you do it. And the writing-it-down bit is to please all the parents out there- you simply cannot get in trouble for writing! Nobody can really teach you how to do this- you’ve got to figure it out on your own. It’s generally easier when it’s quiet- at least for me. If you can slip off into a different world for a while- well, that can’t be a bad thing, can it?

5. Give Yourself Work

This one's for all the people who simply crave a schedule, something productive to do! You could come up with ridiculously hard math problems- it’s not too hard- pick a bunch of numbers (the bigger, the better!) and put in a whole lot of operations (you could use addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, exponents, square roots, parentheses, anything!) Try to solve it, then plug it into a calculator to check your work. If you prefer writing, write a page every day- or more. Set yourself an ‘assignment’ for each time- tell yourself to describe and object, scene, or person, whether he/she/it be real or completely fictional. You might try a multi-day project- pick one of numerous writing prompts online and write a book! (You can submit it for our Summer Novel Contest) Maybe write a page on every person you meet, and store it in a case file! Catalog TV shows! Write book reports or summaries for every book you read! The possibilities are endless! If you’re more Social Studies of Science-y, pick a research topic, and read about it. Then, create a document that states what you’ve learnt. If you want to be serious about it, ask an adult to quiz you on the facts in your report! Also that’s too many exclamation marks.

6. Become an Expert on Something New

Besides giving you exclusive bragging rights, this is actually pretty fun! (Fun fact- I became an expert chemist at age 5- and make world-changing discoveries about what happens when you mix shampoo and coke and ice and Mom’s very expensive makeup and cough drops.) You might start cooking at home- and a fun prank to play that I totally did not suggest to you is this- conceal hot sauce in yummy treats- this has guaranteed results! You might pick up an instrument- it’s always a good idea- besides, now you have an excuse to annoy your family with off-key music, and the perfect excuse: “But I’m just learning- how could I be perfect at it?” Now come on- that’s always worth it. And coming back to bragging rights. “I know the piano and you don’t.” and “Did you know I can cook?” or even “HAHAHA I know that and you don’t.” Always worth it- especially when you can become an expert potioneer and concoct Felix Felicis. (Harry Potter reference, people.)

Well, that’s it. Hopefully you’re not as bored to death now.

SpaceX has launched two astronauts (Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley) into space this Saturday, May 29, in the spacecraft named “Dragon Endeavor,” which reached the space station this Sunday. If you haven’t already, be sure to catch up on the videos!

The importance of sports amid this shelter in place continues to be emphasized by the public. Sports for a long time have been a way to bring people together, but because of the shelter in place order, and the growing coronavirus cases, sports had to be postponed, or even cancelled for the year.

But people have been finding ways to cope. Surprisingly, bikes are hard to find anywhere. Even Walmart is sold out. Who knew bikes would be coronavirus’ next toilet paper? Because kids (and parents) are having a hard time finding physical activities to do. So they are turning to bikes. Biking is great exercise and super easy and fun. Just take your bike and ride around your neighborhood. Yup! It’s that easy! Biking is a great way to start being active again.

During Shelter in place, we all have missed professional sports. Without them, things have been pretty boring. Right now, it is supposed to be baseball season. But never fear, because professional sports are coming back! Sports like baseball and soccer are to open starting as soon as June! They are hoping that they will be able to open in June for sports, although it depends on how bad Covid-19 is at that point in time. So, what will sports look like? According to espn.com, sports could be played in front of an empty crowd. Instead of being played with fans in the audience, they will play in an empty stadium with possibly pre-recorded reactions. Either way, we are so excited for sports to start again!

Just my luck. The one summer I actually had a shot at having fun, a global pandemic comes trotting along with one goal in mind- to ruin my break! Mom broke the news over dinner. I excused myself before dessert, because I knew I’d get mad at everyone if I stayed down there. Slowly, I dragged my feet up the stairs, kicking every step individually to vent my anger. Then I opened my bedroom door and entered, careful not to bang it shut. Then I fell face-first into my gold and purple pillow and cried like a baby. Then, once my tears were successfully exhausted, I went up to the attic. It wasn’t much- just a small room stuffed with drawers and smelling like new paint- but it always calmed me down.

I sat down and pulled a diary from the top shelf of an old oak cupboard. Brushing the dust off of the top, I could just make out faded gold letters, Diary of M. L. I didn’t know who that was. Probably some great- grand-aunt twice removed. But I settled down in a corner and began to read. The diary was written in a thin slanting hand, with an old fountain pen. The pages were thin and easily tearable. The first few pages were normal entries- about the latest gossip and what the neighbor did yesterday. But then, on the fifth page of the diary, was a hastily scribbled note- “The treasure has arrived.” The rest of the diary was blank. I was staring hard at the script, trying to draw some clue out of those words, when someone knocked.

I jumped, snapped the diary shut and shoved it in a drawer. Then I called, “Come in!” M poked her head around the door. Her hair was plastered to her face, and she smelled of mom’s lemon and orange shampoo. “Mommy says you need to take your shower. She says you better not get mad at her. She says it’s not her fault and that you can blame the virus. You probably should.” And with those words of wisdom, she left. All through that night, I stayed awake, staring at the blank ceiling like it held some answers to the riddle. Over the course of the next few days, I looked eagerly for a chance to slip back into the attic. I hoped to find previous diaries or other clues to this elusive treasure. All of a sudden, this summer was turning out to be the most interesting of my life!

Soon enough, I found my opportunity. Mom and Dad were going to take M to the doctor, giving me a full hour to search for leads. I ran to the attic the moment the car left the driveway. I ran my finger along the shelves, searching for something, anything, that was written around the same time. Then I saw it- an old leather-bound volume titled Treasure Hunting. Blowing off the dust, I settled down to read again. I worked my way through the book, which was actually a ‘guide for aspiring sailors,’ hoping to find something. However, after combing through every inch of it multiple times, I had to admit that there was nothing for me to find. Exasperated, I snapped the book shut, which sent up a cloud of dust that had me leave the room coughing. But there was only one thing I didn’t see in the old book- the dedication.

Over the course of the next few days, I kept returning to the attic, but I learnt nothing - unless you count the poor digestive health of Great-Grandma’s chickens (too much information there). It was only in July that I struck gold. I had been squatting on the floor, looking at the bottom shelf of an ancient teak bookshelf, when I noticed something odd. There was a brick, shoved hastily into the shelf, that had knocked down quite a few books. Curious, I pried it out. In the back of the shelf, concealed by the brick, sat a tiny black journal. It looked like it had been put there recently, as it was not covered by dust and who-knows-what like the other books. More interestingly, it was printed. I flipped it open and began to read. The entries were not at all engaging, written in a dry, droning way that could be compared to Mr. Frugg’s history lectures. The author found it necessary to use words such as ‘dissenting’ when a simple ‘no’ would have sufficed. But I stumbled through, occasionally looking up words, until I hit the jackpot.

‘Today,’ the diary proclaimed, ‘the captain arrived, rather uncouthly and pretentiously, schlepping his bulky briefcase down the garden path, making our usually civil neighbours stare in a rather plebeian way, which does not suit people of this neighbourhood’s stature. I must admit, however, that I expected no better of him- one can only expect so much from such a common man. But he has served his purpose. I am now in possession of a truly awe-inspiring treasure. It is like no other- even the kings must admit they have nothing that can compare to it.’ I read and then reread the entry, then looked up definitions for ‘pretentiously,’ ‘schlepping,’ and ‘plebeian,’ and spent a moment pondering how someone as nice as me could have an ancestor who had such a sense of supremacy. Then, I closed the book and, carefully hiding it again, I walked to a magnificent chest of drawers, an old one, where every handle was carved painstakingly in the shape of a mythical creature’s head. I grabbed the unicorn and yanked the drawer open. The ancient wood creaked and groaned but by some miracle, did not break. Inside, there lay something most people would have passed by- but I was not most people. In my painstaking search of the attic, I’d found a log- of every single payment that the family had made, going back about three generations! And thanks to whats-his-name’s diary, I knew exactly where to look.

I flipped open the narrow book and turned to the 1950s. And there it was- on the date the diary had mentioned. But I was severely let down. For the log never specified- it simply said ‘priceless treasure’ and stated- this was surprising- ‘free’. I slammed the log shut and shoved it in the drawer, slamming it shut. The unicorn’s horn cracked and the horn fell to the floor with a depressing thud. I sighed. I hadn’t meant to get angry. And I certainly hadn’t meant to break that unicorn. But it was just so frustrating when every last clue turned out to be a dead end! After making a mental note to get some superglue to fix the unicorn, my eyes landed on the old volume of Treasure Hunting. It had been an interesting book. And, ironically after my proclamations about the exciting-ness of this summer, it wasn’t like I had anything better to do anyway. So I sat down and picked it up. Careful not to inspire another dust cloud, I opened it. And then I found the most important clue of all. Written in a rough, halting script was the dedication. To my dear friend, from Captain. I almost laughed out loud at my idiocy. And, with a spring in my movements and with great gusto, I began to turn the pages. At the very last page, there was a note in what-his-name’s handwriting- “Captain, this is the greatest treasure of all.” The funny thing? I couldn’t agree more. And so my eyes drifted to the great piles of books in the corners. Nobody had ever paid much attention to them before. Yet they looked so well-loved, with dog ears and pages that had clearly been turned a hundred times. I suddenly saw those dusty old books in a whole new light. For there were books from around the world, written in languages I didn’t recognize. There were books with embellished gold covers and books crudely bound with cardboard and string. There were books about hope and fear and happiness and sorrow. And so, for the rest of that evening, I drew charcoal pictures with little girls, flew across the world with witches, and invented the lightbulb with Thomas Edison. It would be over a year before I could finish this set of books. But it was something very special to me- my own little secret treasure.

1. When the sky turned green

And the heavens cried tears

Of tasty popcorn

2. It’s very simple:

You go out then you get sick.

So just stay at home.

3. You see blooms of red

The first thing you think is: blood

Then you smell the paint.

4. Pirate ship: Ahoy!

Climb aboard, within a day

Walking off the plank

5. Put pen to paper

But what oh what did I write?

You have just read it.

“Sometimes you never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory”

• Dr. Seuss

How right this is! Hardly anyone really felt grateful for being able to sit with your friends at lunch, to be able to go to school, to be able to go outside… The list is endless! And now, we’d give anything for those same moments.

“You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think”

• A. A. Milne

We all need a little bit of a pep talk now and then, don’t we? And even more than that, we need a good, hard dose of reality. We need to stop thinking we’re not going to make a difference- because that’s like saying slugs can fly.

“Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.”

• Henry James

That is true- now more than ever. So go help people or something.

🏆 LEADERBOARD 🏆

1st: Amann M., 100%, 9400 points, 2 attempts

2nd: Ryan S., 100%, 9390 points, 2 attempts

Disclaimer: There were only two participants. OOF.

And…

A new one this week(I found this one online, too). I am only taking your FIRST ATTEMPT this week.

Go to joinmyquiz.com and enter code 6480628

Finish by June 7th

How far does your knowledge of COVID go? Test it out!

Level 1: Easy-Peasy Lemon Squeezy

1. When you do go outside, you need to practice…

• Social Isolation

• 6-Feet-Apart-ing

• Social Distancing

2. The COVID Virus originated in which city?

• Wuhan, China

• Vuhan, China

• Woohan, China

3. Which of the following should you do during a pandemic?

• Go to the grocery store every day

• Buy all the masks in the store

• Don't panic

4. Which of the following is most likely to prevent contracting the virus?

• Buying books

• Washing your hands A LOT

• Going outside

5. The virus is most harmful to... (pick the BEST answer)

• Children under 10

• People in their 30s

• Older people / Senior Citizens

Fill out this form to get your score and try your luck at TWO additional levels!

We’ve come up with a contest- for all current Fletcher students! Here are the rules:

1) Your story must be less than 100 pages.

2) You may not work with a friend on this- all work is individual.

3) You can only participate if you are a student of Fletcher as of the 2019-2020 school year.

4) Your story can literally be about anything, as long as it's school-appropriate.

5) You must fill out this form by August 1 to participate.

6) Drawings are allowed, but they must be drawn by you- otherwise your story will be disqualified.

7) Your story can be of any format- poem, novel, graphic novel.. anything.

Finally...

Stories will be judged primarily on content, both words and pictures, but if the font and/or size is unreadable, you may be disqualified.

Submit stories here.