Founders Classical Academy of Fort Worth
Week of March 15 - March 21
"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them."
— William Shakespeare
UPCOMING EVENTS
SPRING BREAK: March 16th - 20th
6TH GRADE POETRY RECITATION: March 23rd (7:45 AM)
7TH GRADE POETRY RECITATION: March 24th (7:45 AM)
Week in Review
6th Grade
This week in 6th grade literature, we were pleased to welcome a new student into our class community. To ensure everyone was prepared for the next stage of the story, we spent time reviewing the key events and characters from the chapters we have read so far in The Scarlet Pimpernel. Students revisited the tense atmosphere of the French Revolution and the mysterious efforts to rescue innocent people from danger. After this review, we moved into Chapter 9, where the story takes an exciting turn. In this chapter, readers begin to see the first clear hints about the true identity of the elusive hero known as the Scarlet Pimpernel. The gradual revelation of the protagonist prompted lively discussion among students as they examined clues and character motivations. Many students enjoyed trying to predict how the story might unfold as the mystery surrounding the hero begins to unravel. It was a rewarding week of careful reading, thoughtful analysis, and engaging conversation about the plot.
7th Grade
In 7th grade literature, we spent time strengthening our vocabulary skills by studying how prefixes can change or refine the meanings of words. Students learned how certain prefixes can negate a word’s meaning, while others can amplify or intensify it. This skill helps readers unlock the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary they encounter in literature. We then turned our attention to the chapter “The White Seal” from The Jungle Book. In this story, students examined the moral dilemma faced by Kotick, the white seal, as he struggles to protect his fellow seals from danger. Our discussions focused on themes of responsibility, courage, and leadership. Students did an excellent job analyzing how a character’s choices can influence an entire community.
Next Week
Next week, our school will be observing Spring Break. I hope students enjoy a well-deserved week of rest, time with family, and perhaps even a good book. When we return, we will continue our literary adventures with fresh energy and new chapters to explore.
Words of the Week
Gallantry — (noun) noble courage or heroic behavior, especially when helping or protecting others. This word reflects the daring rescues and brave actions found in The Scarlet Pimpernel.
Rookery — (noun) a breeding ground or colony where animals, especially birds or seals, gather together. In The Jungle Book, the rookery is the crowded home of the seals in the story “The White Seal.”
Did You Know?
Did you know that Baroness Orczy, the author of The Scarlet Pimpernel, originally wrote the story as a stage play before turning it into a novel? The play premiered in London in 1905 and became extremely popular, which led Orczy to publish the novel version that same year. The story’s mysterious hero and secret identity later helped inspire many modern characters, including masked heroes in adventure stories and comic books.
POEMS OF THE WEEK
by Emily Dickinson
After great pain a formal feeling comes–
The nerves sit ceremonious like tombs:
The stiff Heart questions – was it He that bore?
And yesterday – or centuries before?
The feet, mechanical, go round
A wooden way
Of ground, or air, or ought,
Regardless grown,
A quartz contentment, like a stone.
This is the hour of lead
Remembered if outlived,
As freezing persons recollect the snow–
First chill, then stupor, then the letting go.
A Noiseless Patient Spider
by Walt Whitman
A noiseless, patient spider,
I mark’d, where on a little promontory, it stood, isolated;
Mark’d how, to explore the vacant, vast surrounding,
It launch’d forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself;
Ever unreeling them – ever tirelessly speeding them.
And you, O my Soul, where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, –seeking the spheres, to connect them;
Till the bridge you will need, be form’d–till the ductile anchor hold;
Till the gossamer thread you fling, catch somewhere, O my Soul.
Resources for Parents
Here are a few excellent, free sites to help students build reading comprehension skills at home:
ReadTheory – adaptive online reading practice with comprehension quizzes:
https://readtheory.org/
CommonLit – free texts with guided questions and assessments:
https://www.commonlit.org/
Newsela – leveled nonfiction articles to strengthen reading comprehension and critical thinking:
https://newsela.com/
About Mr. Laurence
Mr. Ethan Laurence-Gauglitz earned his Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from the University of North Texas, also studying a semester at Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität in Hannover, Germany. After graduation, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kosovo, working as a grant writer for the local municipal government and teaching English in local schools. These experiences deepened his appreciation for cultural exchange, global perspectives, and the power of language to connect people.
Most recently, Mr. Laurence was the Academic Coordinator and Lead English Instructor at Excel Academy in Henderson, Nevada, where he developed curriculum, supported teachers, and helped students reach their full potential. He brings to the classroom a love for languages, literature, and learning, and is excited to share these passions with his students this year.