Don't miss your seat at the table for the "Our Good Earth" Gala on Saturday, October 12, 2013.

Join Chairs Denise Ragland and Andi Hibbard on the Goshen Campus at 6:30 p.m.

You won't want to miss this event!   

We heard from Majora Carter, a woman from the South Bronx whose main message was not to try and "escape" an impoverished community, but to energize others and find ways to make your community better, Ron Finley, the self-described "Guerilla Gardener" from Los Angeles who calls his gardening "art," and advised the Louisville crowd to "just plant something" and Zev Dickstein, who at the age of 11 is actually involved in politics as a campaign manager. Alexandra Thurstone's "Thoughts" article in the October issue that was emailed Wednesday has more details on these inspiring speakers.

After lunch, we were treated to a talk from "The Last Maasai Warriors". These two brave young men, who hail from Kenya, described how they bucked tradition and went to school. They were intrigued by the concept of education (and also interested in the food they could get there!) and applied themselves vigorously despite scant supplies and horribly substandard conditions. Before being allowed to attend high school, their parents demanded they become official "Maasai Warriors". This involved physical training and the rite of passage of killing a lion. They accomplished this due to their motivation to obtain higher education. They have since graduated from both high school and college and travel the world telling their story. Perhaps the single most telling result of their odyssey is that now, to become a Maasai Warrior, one must obtain a highschool degree, in addition to proving  himself in the "old ways".

Here are some quotes from some of our 8^th graders on what made an impression on them:

When we were at Thrivals, Zev talked about how hard he works and how he is working to make sure certain people are elected. He was so passionate and smart; talking more effectively than most 11-year-olds can manage. There was a question asked him, "If you could tell your grown-up self anything, what would it be?" I expected him to say "Work hard, be engaged, and strive for your dreams." But he didn't. He immediately said "Never say anything mean behind anyone's back, no matter what". That was the most impressive thing anybody said to us. -Lillian Dine Young

I was really in awe about Zev and the Maasai Warriors. Zev really connected to us through his humor and interesting stories.  Wilson and Jackson of the Maasai Warriors really engaged us through their language and stories too. -Theo Taylor

Majora Carter was a very powerful speaker. She told us how she grew up poor not knowing there was a river six blocks from her. I thought it was very interesting how she grew up and got a job, but came back to her home and turned the riverfront into a park. -Ethan McCrocklin

The IdeaFestival is a wonderful synergy of individuals and ideas - the perfect place to take our students on a field trip. After all, we are The School of Thought!

We are happy to welcome back St. Francis veteran Kristan White!Kristan worked for St. Francis for 12 years both in our Admissions Office and as our Office Manager. Five of her and husband Dick White's children graduated from the Goshen Campus as well (check out their bricks in the Alumni Walkway!). Kristan will be working with Greg Borders and Diane Ellison part-time in the Business Office so please give her a warm welcome back!  

In order to streamline communications, please email schedule changes to Natalie (early pick-up/late drop-off, going home with someone else, now/no longer going to enrichment, needs/doesn't need activity bus, etc.) rather than calling, when possible. Thanks!