Period 1 Blog #10

Your comment post should be at least 320 words this week due Thursday by 11:59 pm and you will be responsible for responding (respectfully) to one of your classmates in at least a one paragraph reply entries by Sunday at 11:59 pm.

What Has Been Your Most Memorable Thanksgiving?

Student Opinion

By NATALIE PROULX NOV. 17, 2017

Continue reading the main storyShare This Page

CreditAndrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? How do you celebrate and with whom? Do you like this holiday?

In “A Thanksgiving Snapshot: Readers Share Their Holiday Stories,” Julia Simon writes:

So many of us come together to celebrate Thanksgiving, but the holiday means something different to everyone. We asked for a snapshot of your Thanksgiving — a story or a tradition or a dish that helps define your holiday, and hundreds of you responded. You shared funny stories, about the turkeys that were too big for your ovens. You shared tragic memories, about experiencing unbelievable heartache on a day that is supposed to bring people together. And you shared tales about overcoming hardship to create a memorable meal. Here are your stories; together, they help tell the story of the holiday itself.

These responses have been edited for length and clarity.

‘My mother couldn’t stand the idea of anyone eating pizza for Thanksgiving’

About 45 years ago, my mother made a last-minute run to the grocery store. There was a pizza parlor next to the store, and she watched as three Marines entered. My mother couldn’t stand the idea of anyone eating pizza for Thanksgiving dinner, so she dragged them home. She cooked enough for a small army every night anyway, so three more hearty appetites wouldn’t make a dent. These three young men spent the day with our family, played board games, watched football and shared our Thanksgiving dinner. They even helped with the dishes. I think they were the most polite people my parents ever had over. — Sandy Stinson, Santa Barbara, Calif.

‘The shelter didn’t have an oven’

I was homeless and living on New York City streets, in foster homes and homeless shelters. One Thanksgiving, I received a donated turkey — a thoughtful, generous gift, for which I was grateful. My shelter, however, didn’t have an oven where I could roast my dinner. Ultimately, I cut meat off the turkey bones, boiling it in a small pot on a hot plate — my only cooking appliance. The generosity of the donated turkey was tempered by the indignity I felt as a hungry person, scrambling to find any possible way to prepare my Thanksgiving meal. — Debra Vizzi, Hillside, N.J.

‘A possum. In the pie.’

When I arrived at my parents’ home a few hours before dinner, the pie I baked was still very warm. The refrigerator was already packed and bursting with food. It was a particularly chilly Thanksgiving that year, cold enough that I thought I’d just set the pie out on the back porch to chill until dessert time. The curtains had been drawn all evening, and when I parted them to open the sliding door and retrieve the pie I saw — to my horror — a small possum with its face buried in my perfectly cooked, beautifully seasoned pumpkin pie. I SCREAMED. It froze. My brother came rushing over (probably suspecting I’d actually dropped the pie) and witnessed the same scene. A possum. In the pie. — Sonja Groset, Lake Forest Park, Wash.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

— Which of the stories was your favorite and why?

— Why do you celebrate Thanksgiving? What does the holiday mean to you?

— Give us a “snapshot” of your Thanksgiving. What has been your most memorable Thanksgiving and why?

Period 3 Blog #10

Your comment post should be at least 320 words this week due Thursday by 11:59 pm and you will be responsible for responding (respectfully) to one of your classmates in at least a one paragraph reply entries by Sunday at 11:59 pm.

What Has Been Your Most Memorable Thanksgiving?

Student Opinion

By NATALIE PROULX NOV. 17, 2017

Continue reading the main storyShare This Page

CreditAndrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? How do you celebrate and with whom? Do you like this holiday?

In “A Thanksgiving Snapshot: Readers Share Their Holiday Stories,” Julia Simon writes:

So many of us come together to celebrate Thanksgiving, but the holiday means something different to everyone. We asked for a snapshot of your Thanksgiving — a story or a tradition or a dish that helps define your holiday, and hundreds of you responded. You shared funny stories, about the turkeys that were too big for your ovens. You shared tragic memories, about experiencing unbelievable heartache on a day that is supposed to bring people together. And you shared tales about overcoming hardship to create a memorable meal. Here are your stories; together, they help tell the story of the holiday itself.

These responses have been edited for length and clarity.

‘My mother couldn’t stand the idea of anyone eating pizza for Thanksgiving’

About 45 years ago, my mother made a last-minute run to the grocery store. There was a pizza parlor next to the store, and she watched as three Marines entered. My mother couldn’t stand the idea of anyone eating pizza for Thanksgiving dinner, so she dragged them home. She cooked enough for a small army every night anyway, so three more hearty appetites wouldn’t make a dent. These three young men spent the day with our family, played board games, watched football and shared our Thanksgiving dinner. They even helped with the dishes. I think they were the most polite people my parents ever had over. — Sandy Stinson, Santa Barbara, Calif.

‘The shelter didn’t have an oven’

I was homeless and living on New York City streets, in foster homes and homeless shelters. One Thanksgiving, I received a donated turkey — a thoughtful, generous gift, for which I was grateful. My shelter, however, didn’t have an oven where I could roast my dinner. Ultimately, I cut meat off the turkey bones, boiling it in a small pot on a hot plate — my only cooking appliance. The generosity of the donated turkey was tempered by the indignity I felt as a hungry person, scrambling to find any possible way to prepare my Thanksgiving meal. — Debra Vizzi, Hillside, N.J.

‘A possum. In the pie.’

When I arrived at my parents’ home a few hours before dinner, the pie I baked was still very warm. The refrigerator was already packed and bursting with food. It was a particularly chilly Thanksgiving that year, cold enough that I thought I’d just set the pie out on the back porch to chill until dessert time. The curtains had been drawn all evening, and when I parted them to open the sliding door and retrieve the pie I saw — to my horror — a small possum with its face buried in my perfectly cooked, beautifully seasoned pumpkin pie. I SCREAMED. It froze. My brother came rushing over (probably suspecting I’d actually dropped the pie) and witnessed the same scene. A possum. In the pie. — Sonja Groset, Lake Forest Park, Wash.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

— Which of the stories was your favorite and why?

— Why do you celebrate Thanksgiving? What does the holiday mean to you?

— Give us a “snapshot” of your Thanksgiving. What has been your most memorable Thanksgiving and why?

Period 4/5 Blog #10

 Your comment post should be at least 320 words this week due Thursday by 11:59 pm and you will be responsible for responding (respectfully) to one of your classmates in at least a one paragraph reply entries by Sunday at 11:59 pm.

What Has Been Your Most Memorable Thanksgiving?

Student Opinion

By NATALIE PROULX NOV. 17, 2017

Continue reading the main storyShare This Page

CreditAndrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? How do you celebrate and with whom? Do you like this holiday?

In “A Thanksgiving Snapshot: Readers Share Their Holiday Stories,” Julia Simon writes:

So many of us come together to celebrate Thanksgiving, but the holiday means something different to everyone. We asked for a snapshot of your Thanksgiving — a story or a tradition or a dish that helps define your holiday, and hundreds of you responded. You shared funny stories, about the turkeys that were too big for your ovens. You shared tragic memories, about experiencing unbelievable heartache on a day that is supposed to bring people together. And you shared tales about overcoming hardship to create a memorable meal. Here are your stories; together, they help tell the story of the holiday itself.

These responses have been edited for length and clarity.

‘My mother couldn’t stand the idea of anyone eating pizza for Thanksgiving’

About 45 years ago, my mother made a last-minute run to the grocery store. There was a pizza parlor next to the store, and she watched as three Marines entered. My mother couldn’t stand the idea of anyone eating pizza for Thanksgiving dinner, so she dragged them home. She cooked enough for a small army every night anyway, so three more hearty appetites wouldn’t make a dent. These three young men spent the day with our family, played board games, watched football and shared our Thanksgiving dinner. They even helped with the dishes. I think they were the most polite people my parents ever had over. — Sandy Stinson, Santa Barbara, Calif.

‘The shelter didn’t have an oven’

I was homeless and living on New York City streets, in foster homes and homeless shelters. One Thanksgiving, I received a donated turkey — a thoughtful, generous gift, for which I was grateful. My shelter, however, didn’t have an oven where I could roast my dinner. Ultimately, I cut meat off the turkey bones, boiling it in a small pot on a hot plate — my only cooking appliance. The generosity of the donated turkey was tempered by the indignity I felt as a hungry person, scrambling to find any possible way to prepare my Thanksgiving meal. — Debra Vizzi, Hillside, N.J.

‘A possum. In the pie.’

When I arrived at my parents’ home a few hours before dinner, the pie I baked was still very warm. The refrigerator was already packed and bursting with food. It was a particularly chilly Thanksgiving that year, cold enough that I thought I’d just set the pie out on the back porch to chill until dessert time. The curtains had been drawn all evening, and when I parted them to open the sliding door and retrieve the pie I saw — to my horror — a small possum with its face buried in my perfectly cooked, beautifully seasoned pumpkin pie. I SCREAMED. It froze. My brother came rushing over (probably suspecting I’d actually dropped the pie) and witnessed the same scene. A possum. In the pie. — Sonja Groset, Lake Forest Park, Wash.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

— Which of the stories was your favorite and why?

— Why do you celebrate Thanksgiving? What does the holiday mean to you?

— Give us a “snapshot” of your Thanksgiving. What has been your most memorable Thanksgiving and why?

Period 9/10 Blog #10

Your comment post should be at least 320 words this week due Thursday by 11:59 pm and you will be responsible for responding (respectfully) to one of your classmates in at least a one paragraph reply entries by Sunday at 11:59 pm.

What Has Been Your Most Memorable Thanksgiving?

Student Opinion

By NATALIE PROULX NOV. 17, 2017

Continue reading the main storyShare This Page

CreditAndrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? How do you celebrate and with whom? Do you like this holiday?

In “A Thanksgiving Snapshot: Readers Share Their Holiday Stories,” Julia Simon writes:

So many of us come together to celebrate Thanksgiving, but the holiday means something different to everyone. We asked for a snapshot of your Thanksgiving — a story or a tradition or a dish that helps define your holiday, and hundreds of you responded. You shared funny stories, about the turkeys that were too big for your ovens. You shared tragic memories, about experiencing unbelievable heartache on a day that is supposed to bring people together. And you shared tales about overcoming hardship to create a memorable meal. Here are your stories; together, they help tell the story of the holiday itself.

These responses have been edited for length and clarity.

‘My mother couldn’t stand the idea of anyone eating pizza for Thanksgiving’

About 45 years ago, my mother made a last-minute run to the grocery store. There was a pizza parlor next to the store, and she watched as three Marines entered. My mother couldn’t stand the idea of anyone eating pizza for Thanksgiving dinner, so she dragged them home. She cooked enough for a small army every night anyway, so three more hearty appetites wouldn’t make a dent. These three young men spent the day with our family, played board games, watched football and shared our Thanksgiving dinner. They even helped with the dishes. I think they were the most polite people my parents ever had over. — Sandy Stinson, Santa Barbara, Calif.

‘The shelter didn’t have an oven’

I was homeless and living on New York City streets, in foster homes and homeless shelters. One Thanksgiving, I received a donated turkey — a thoughtful, generous gift, for which I was grateful. My shelter, however, didn’t have an oven where I could roast my dinner. Ultimately, I cut meat off the turkey bones, boiling it in a small pot on a hot plate — my only cooking appliance. The generosity of the donated turkey was tempered by the indignity I felt as a hungry person, scrambling to find any possible way to prepare my Thanksgiving meal. — Debra Vizzi, Hillside, N.J.

‘A possum. In the pie.’

When I arrived at my parents’ home a few hours before dinner, the pie I baked was still very warm. The refrigerator was already packed and bursting with food. It was a particularly chilly Thanksgiving that year, cold enough that I thought I’d just set the pie out on the back porch to chill until dessert time. The curtains had been drawn all evening, and when I parted them to open the sliding door and retrieve the pie I saw — to my horror — a small possum with its face buried in my perfectly cooked, beautifully seasoned pumpkin pie. I SCREAMED. It froze. My brother came rushing over (probably suspecting I’d actually dropped the pie) and witnessed the same scene. A possum. In the pie. — Sonja Groset, Lake Forest Park, Wash.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

— Which of the stories was your favorite and why?

— Why do you celebrate Thanksgiving? What does the holiday mean to you?

— Give us a “snapshot” of your Thanksgiving. What has been your most memorable Thanksgiving and why?

Period 11 Blog #10

Your comment post should be at least 320 words this week due Thursday by 11:59 pm and you will be responsible for responding (respectfully) to one of your classmates in at least a one paragraph reply entries by Sunday at 11:59 pm.

What Has Been Your Most Memorable Thanksgiving?

Student Opinion

By NATALIE PROULX NOV. 17, 2017

Continue reading the main storyShare This Page

CreditAndrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Do you celebrate Thanksgiving? How do you celebrate and with whom? Do you like this holiday?

In “A Thanksgiving Snapshot: Readers Share Their Holiday Stories,” Julia Simon writes:

So many of us come together to celebrate Thanksgiving, but the holiday means something different to everyone. We asked for a snapshot of your Thanksgiving — a story or a tradition or a dish that helps define your holiday, and hundreds of you responded. You shared funny stories, about the turkeys that were too big for your ovens. You shared tragic memories, about experiencing unbelievable heartache on a day that is supposed to bring people together. And you shared tales about overcoming hardship to create a memorable meal. Here are your stories; together, they help tell the story of the holiday itself.

These responses have been edited for length and clarity.

‘My mother couldn’t stand the idea of anyone eating pizza for Thanksgiving’

About 45 years ago, my mother made a last-minute run to the grocery store. There was a pizza parlor next to the store, and she watched as three Marines entered. My mother couldn’t stand the idea of anyone eating pizza for Thanksgiving dinner, so she dragged them home. She cooked enough for a small army every night anyway, so three more hearty appetites wouldn’t make a dent. These three young men spent the day with our family, played board games, watched football and shared our Thanksgiving dinner. They even helped with the dishes. I think they were the most polite people my parents ever had over. — Sandy Stinson, Santa Barbara, Calif.

‘The shelter didn’t have an oven’

I was homeless and living on New York City streets, in foster homes and homeless shelters. One Thanksgiving, I received a donated turkey — a thoughtful, generous gift, for which I was grateful. My shelter, however, didn’t have an oven where I could roast my dinner. Ultimately, I cut meat off the turkey bones, boiling it in a small pot on a hot plate — my only cooking appliance. The generosity of the donated turkey was tempered by the indignity I felt as a hungry person, scrambling to find any possible way to prepare my Thanksgiving meal. — Debra Vizzi, Hillside, N.J.

‘A possum. In the pie.’

When I arrived at my parents’ home a few hours before dinner, the pie I baked was still very warm. The refrigerator was already packed and bursting with food. It was a particularly chilly Thanksgiving that year, cold enough that I thought I’d just set the pie out on the back porch to chill until dessert time. The curtains had been drawn all evening, and when I parted them to open the sliding door and retrieve the pie I saw — to my horror — a small possum with its face buried in my perfectly cooked, beautifully seasoned pumpkin pie. I SCREAMED. It froze. My brother came rushing over (probably suspecting I’d actually dropped the pie) and witnessed the same scene. A possum. In the pie. — Sonja Groset, Lake Forest Park, Wash.

Students: Read the entire article, then tell us:

— Which of the stories was your favorite and why?

— Why do you celebrate Thanksgiving? What does the holiday mean to you?

— Give us a “snapshot” of your Thanksgiving. What has been your most memorable Thanksgiving and why?

Period 1 Blog #9

Your comment post should be at least 310 words this week due Thursday by 11:59 pm and you will be responsible for responding (respectfully) to one of your classmates in at least a one paragraph reply entries by Sunday at 11:59 pm.

Read The New York Times headline that appears below. Did you initially misread “start” as “stop”? What do you think the Op-Ed will be about? Why would someone tell kids to start fighting?

In the op-ed “Kids, Would You Please Start Fighting?,” Adam Grant writes:

Wilber and Orville Wright came from a wobbly family. Their father, a preacher, never met a moral fight he wasn’t willing to pick. They watched him clash with school authorities who weren’t fond of his decision to let his kids miss a half-day of school from time to time to learn on their own. Their father believed so much in embracing arguments that despite being a bishop in the local church, he had multiple books by atheists in his library — and encouraged his children to read them.

If we rarely see a spat, we learn to shy away from the threat of conflict. Witnessing arguments — and participating in them — helps us grow a thicker skin. We develop the will to fight uphill battles and the skill to win those battles, and the resilience to lose a battle today without losing our resolve tomorrow. For the Wright brothers, argument was the family trade and a fierce one was something to be savored. Conflict was something to embrace and resolve. “I like scrapping with Orv,” Wilbur said.

The Wright brothers weren’t alone. The Beatles fought over instruments and lyrics and melodies. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony clashed over the right way to win the right to vote. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak argued incessantly while designing the first Apple computer. None of these people succeeded in spite of the drama — they flourished because of it. Brainstorming groups generate 16 percent more ideas when the members are encouraged to criticize one another. The most creative ideas in Chinese technology companies and the best decisions in American hospitals come from teams that have real disagreements early on. Breakthrough labs in microbiology aren’t full of enthusiastic collaborators cheering one another on but of skeptical scientists challenging one another’s interpretations.

If no one ever argues, you’re not likely to give up on old ways of doing things, let alone try new ones. Disagreement is the antidote to groupthink. We’re at our most imaginative when we’re out of sync. There’s no better time than childhood to learn how to dish it out — and to take it.

Students: Read the entire op-ed, then tell us:

— What are some good things not mentioned by the Op-Edd that can come from argument or disagreement? And some bad things?

— How does your experience with your family compare with how Mr. Grant describes as many parents’ desire to keep any kind of conflict out of their homes?

— What is your response to Mr. Grant’s assertion that “we’re at our most imaginative when we’re out of sync.” Have you had an experience that supports this idea? What about an experience that contradicts it?

— How do you think people can best benefit from their disagreements? Can you think of any examples that compare to the Wright Brothers’ experiences?

Period 9/10 Blog #9

Your comment post should be at least 310 words this week due Thursday by 11:59 pm and you will be responsible for responding (respectfully) to one of your classmates in at least a one paragraph reply entries by Sunday at 11:59 pm.

Read The New York Times headline that appears below. Did you initially misread “start” as “stop”? What do you think the Op-Ed will be about? Why would someone tell kids to start fighting?

In the op-ed “Kids, Would You Please Start Fighting?,” Adam Grant writes:

Wilber and Orville Wright came from a wobbly family. Their father, a preacher, never met a moral fight he wasn’t willing to pick. They watched him clash with school authorities who weren’t fond of his decision to let his kids miss a half-day of school from time to time to learn on their own. Their father believed so much in embracing arguments that despite being a bishop in the local church, he had multiple books by atheists in his library — and encouraged his children to read them.

If we rarely see a spat, we learn to shy away from the threat of conflict. Witnessing arguments — and participating in them — helps us grow a thicker skin. We develop the will to fight uphill battles and the skill to win those battles, and the resilience to lose a battle today without losing our resolve tomorrow. For the Wright brothers, argument was the family trade and a fierce one was something to be savored. Conflict was something to embrace and resolve. “I like scrapping with Orv,” Wilbur said.

The Wright brothers weren’t alone. The Beatles fought over instruments and lyrics and melodies. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony clashed over the right way to win the right to vote. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak argued incessantly while designing the first Apple computer. None of these people succeeded in spite of the drama — they flourished because of it. Brainstorming groups generate 16 percent more ideas when the members are encouraged to criticize one another. The most creative ideas in Chinese technology companies and the best decisions in American hospitals come from teams that have real disagreements early on. Breakthrough labs in microbiology aren’t full of enthusiastic collaborators cheering one another on but of skeptical scientists challenging one another’s interpretations.

If no one ever argues, you’re not likely to give up on old ways of doing things, let alone try new ones. Disagreement is the antidote to groupthink. We’re at our most imaginative when we’re out of sync. There’s no better time than childhood to learn how to dish it out — and to take it.

Students: Read the entire op-ed, then tell us:

— What are some good things not mentioned by the Op-Edd that can come from argument or disagreement? And some bad things?

— How does your experience with your family compare with how Mr. Grant describes as many parents’ desire to keep any kind of conflict out of their homes?

— What is your response to Mr. Grant’s assertion that “we’re at our most imaginative when we’re out of sync.” Have you had an experience that supports this idea? What about an experience that contradicts it?

— How do you think people can best benefit from their disagreements? Can you think of any examples that compare to the Wright Brothers’ experiences?