Good afternoon Grizzlies,
This week I had the pleasure of speaking with Ms. Lyon's and Mr. Anderson's students in Global Studies. They are reading a book titled "A Long Way Gone". written by Ishmael Beah about his experiences as a child soldier in Sierra Leone during the Civil War there in the 90s.
I was able to talk about "Ethics in War" and share some of my personal experiences with military service in combat. I was honest about the challenges that service members face in combat and afterwards for the rest of their lives. The classes had really great, thought provoking questions, including the role of an individual focused on social justice when it comes to war. I feel that each one of our responsibilities is to do the work to prevent war from even occurring. Working hard to lead in all areas of our lives, with compassion, to have a positive influence on those around us is key. I hope the students were able to take away something from our time together.
We completed the initial round of ELA CAASPP Testing this week. 11th grade students completed the work in their English classes and we are appreciative of their effort along with their teachers. We will conduct make-ups this coming week, and Math testing will begin March 28.
This week was also a week of celebrations (as you'll see in the Views from the Den section). We revived the annual Grizzly Award for the first time since 2019. The Grizzly Award gives each CHS staff member an opportunity to select a student to recognize for their exceptional character. Students that are nominated because they make a difference in our community by how they treat others, how they move through the world in a positive way, how they display strength of character, and overall Grizzly Spirit! Congratulations to the 43 students that were recognized. Thank you for the efforts of Mrs. Montague for reviving our annual tradition along with the nominating committee, and counseling team.
I hope you are having a great weekend!
Respectfully,
Mr. Ball
