Mrs. C’s Site/Social Studies

September 1, 2011

Dear Student,

Welcome to Room 105, your 8th grade Social Studies classroom.  For the next ten months you and I are going to be partners in an exploration of one of the most exciting centuries in the history of the human race.  We are going to time travel (figuratively, not literally) through the twentieth century.  We will explore the roles of both the heroes and the villains, learn about amazing inventions, investigate the causes of wars and their consequences and much, much more. The emphasis will always be on the changes that occurred during this amazing century.  The journey will be much more fun if we know a little bit about one another especially since we are going to be travel partners.

One of the first things you will learn about me is that I adore my family and often mention them in class discussions. I am married and have two adult children, Jennifer and Stephen, both of whom are married.  Jen and her husband Paul live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Our son Stephen and his wife Amy live in South Burlington, Vermont, with their two- year old son, Thomas..  My husband, Bruce, is the Director of Technical Support at Connecticut College.

Next both my husband and I love to cook. I usually organize the 8th grade events that involve food like the Fall Breakfast, Taste of Africa and the International Café.  My philosophy is Feed the Body, Feed the Mind.  All three events are great fun, and I think you will enjoy them.

In addition to cooking, I adore music especially jazz, swing, and the big band sound. One of my favorite songs is Coldplay’s Viva La Vida. Music will be a component of our study of cultures this school year, and I often play music before, during and after class. One of the first songs you will hear is Bob Marley singing Buffalo Soldiers.  Hmmm, I wonder what that has to do with the 20th century. You may not be aware of this, but jazz was one of America’s unique contributions to the world.

Do you like M&M’s?  I do, too.  Except, in this case, M&M’s refer to movies and musicals.  I LOVE to discuss movies with my students.  My husband is a good sport about being dragged to the movies every week although he draws the line at the Twilight series. Favorites this summer were the last Harry Potter and Super 8.  The last musical we saw was Wicked in Boston.  Delightful!  My favorite, though, continues to be Phantom of the Opera.  The music just thrills me.  And when that chandelier comes crashing down – WOW

Most of all, I read!  I am a compulsive reader especially of books pertaining to history, mysteries and current events.  When a subject fascinates me, I read everything I can get my hands on.  I read all three books in The Hunger Games series.  The first one was my favorite.

Lastly, I certainly should mention that I am a true-blue Red Sox fan!  I won’t hold it against you if you are a Yankee fan.

This is a very brief description of me and some of the attributes that define me as a person. Please write back in order that I can get to know you.  Include any information that you feel is important for me to get to know you as a student and as a person.  I look forward to your letter.

Get ready and pack your bags for an incredible journey.  I will be your guide, partner and storyteller through our twentieth century time travel and what a story it will be!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Carpenter, a.k.a. Mrs. C (You may refer to me as either Mrs. C or Mrs. Carpenter.  I am comfortable with both.)