Although Whatchadoin' wasn't around Tuesday, November 2nd, there seems to have been quite a bit going on.  Longview was visited by Steve Biolsi, the Project Manager for the Putnam County chapter of Habitat for Humanity.  In case you didn't know, Habitiat for Humanity is an international, non-profit ministry, whose mission is to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness by ensuring that EVERY family has a decent, safe, affordable place to live.  Yes, I know it sounds like a big task, but Habitat for Humanity has a LOT of people on its side.  Since Millard and Linda Fuller founded the organization in 1976, they and 1.75 million (that's 175,000,000! yikes 6 zeros!) volunteers who have either built from the gound up or rehabbed (short for rehabilitation, a fancy way of saying fixed up) over 350,000 houses in 3,000 communities world wide. 

Now they don't just give away these houses, according to Steve, a family in need not only has to be chosen from among the THOUSANDS of families that apply, but once the are chosen, they have to put in HUNDREDS of hours of sweat equity  (equity=value/money in the form of sweat=hard work) on their own home and the homes of other Habitat families, while their's is being built.  And just like any other home owner, they have to manitain their home and pay bills like a mortgage, but unlike a regular home, when you own a Habitat home, the mortgage payment not only pays back the lender for all the supplies and land and such, but helps finance other Habitat for Humanity homes being built.  Sounds like a win/win situation to me!

Quotes written by Ben Jacobs Pousada, student of Longview School

Sometimes people will put you down.  But it’s up to you to get back up.

If there’s too much on your plate then you should just stop eating.

If your feeling down then just look up.

Don’t regret your life regret your mistakes.

I prefer to laugh at life not to cry.

I think life is a play with some bad actors.

Life has a child’s humor.

He who is unlucky is the luckiest of all.

Whatchadoin, stumbled upon Ethan in the lounge today and said what else?  "Whatchadoin Ethan?"  Looking up science experiments was the answer... and here are some of the thrilling, and sometimes a tad creepy ideas...

http://www.youtube.com/v/Xd-lZ7ctLUA?fs=1&hl=en_US

http://www.youtube.com/v/fVSn9xkxnc8?fs=1&hl=en_US

Tell us whatchathink about 'em! 

Thank you all for such a wonderful conference day.  I apologize for those of you who had to wait.  It ended up that all of our students and their families were able to come in to school and meet with their teachers.  I'll be sending out the class schedule in the next day or two.

Our beloved Sharon Nakazato and Keith Phillips with current and potential Longview students--fun!!!!

We had such a great time at the Open House / Family Craft Days this past week!  What a great bunch of students, and what an inspired, inspiring staff--it makes me proud to be a member of the Board!  Kudos to all who dedicated their time and energy to this exciting school community!

Being the new kid on the block isn't always easy. I know this because I am one of the new teachers at Longview School. It is an amazing place!  This is not a place where you get lost in the hall ways, tossed into a locker or even bored in class. There is always something to do. Education takes place with a turn of the page, a glance at the computer and even in the conversation you have with a student or teacher.  I am so looking forward to a year filled with new adventures!

Emily