And they're off!

This mid-day we bid "Adios" to our ten amigas who will jet south to Mexico tomorrow morning! We'll be anxious to hear of their many adventures upon their return at the end of Spring Break. Meanwhile, the rest of us will be engaging in some welcomed, much deserved even, activities - academics mixed with fun...it doesn't get much better than that! After an afternoon trip to Half Price Books on Belmont tomorrow afternoon, we will engage in our long-awaited READ IN on Friday. An uninterrupted day of SSR...silent, sustained reading, interspersed with a few snacks, lunch with book talks, that kind of thing. More than any previous 8th grade class, this year's 8th graders are reading machines...almost to a girl, they live to read! I'm continually impressed with the titles they put away: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf, Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher and Odd Girl Out by Rachel Simmons, to name only a few. It's rather easy for me to forget that we're talking 14 year old girls here, as our 8th graders are notably sophisticated in their ability to synthesize material and discuss concepts as well as negotiate sophisticated literature. They're more than ready for high school!