Not until you've been the parent of a student charged with constructing a Diorama can you truly appreciate the excitement of "Ancient Cultures Day!" :) The third grade hallways are now filled with the great architectural ruins of Ancient Mali, Rome and Greece. On Friday, March 4th students will be sampling modern treats from those civilizations:

• Salad from Pie-Tanza
• Baklava from Anthony's Restaurant
• as well as hummus, feta cheese, grapes and pitas!

Since last week, TJ students have been praticing to compete in the World Maths Day. "It has been terribly exciting to watch students as they practice their math against students in Japan, Mexico, UK, Canada, Nigeria, South Africa, New Zealand, South Korea, among others", stated Scott Daugherty (aka Mr. D) the Technology Assistant that helped organize the event at TJ. Monday, "their smiles, fist-pumping and shrieks of joy were deafening!" The enthusiasm reached a fever pitch as the World Maths Day began for real with over 50,000 schools from countries across the world competing for 48 hours. Teachers and students were amazed to discover how much fun math can be. The yearly competition is a project of UNICEF and all students will receive a certificate of participation. Learn more about World Maths Day>>>

Thomas Jefferson Elememtary chorus students (above) donned their sunglasses and shared their now infamous "Pizza Love" as they serenaded a standing room only crowd for School Board Appreciation Night at Tuesday, February 15th's meeting. Thanks to Marie Haribson for arranging this performance.

Second grade students enjoyed China Day festivities on Friday, February 4th.

After touring the school in a 'Dragon Parade,' they visited classroom stations where they made a kite, tasted Chinese food using chopsticks (right) and made Chinese lanterns.

This project is part of the PYP planner in which students investigate contributions of ancient civilizations. It also reinforces the Virginia Standards of Learning that focus on ancient China.

Many thanks to Hunan Chef for donating the food, and Hoang's for donating the chopsticks.