Hello! My name is Mary Langland. I teach middle school English Language Arts, History, and Civics at SFdS! It is my 17th year here. My goal this year is for my students to learn their lessons; knowing that they are each very capable, and appreciated for who they are.
I graduated from UW-River Falls in 1980 with a Major in Elementary Education. My minor is in Geography.
I have six grown children, eight Grandchildren, three dogs, four cats, a small parrot, a bearded dragon lizard, two alpacas, and sixteen sheep. I love to read, and spend time with my family and someday I hope to travel all over the world.
As the month of February comes to an end the Eighth Grade Class has already started their last semester at St. Francis. They were talking about it just the other day, and the consensus was that their time at St. Francis, now that they are looking back, went by very quickly. They have lots of good memories and experiences to look back on, and they also have lots of anticipation for their next adventures in High School.
The Eighth Grade Students have been studying WWI in their ELA classes. They have been listening to selected excerpts from All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque, and they have been reading War Horse by Michael Morpugo. They are getting a grasp on what is entailed in going to war, through informative articles and historical fiction. I am finding in their thoughts, through writing assignments and discussions, that they are feeling that with war there are no real winners, and much is lost. Perhaps there is a better way to settle differences?
Our Civics lessons have been about the Federal Government; how American citizens can express their will for the way that they want to be governed through their votes,on a national level. We have had some good discussions. They have been learning about the Constitutional rights and privileges that are guaranteed within the electorate; how the Founding Fathers tried to set up a fair system that will endure for hundreds of years. They have learned about political parties, choosing candidates, campaigning, and how public opinion can affect a candidate’s run for office. Our next lessons will be learning about state and local governments, and how they affect the way citizens live.
The year continues to move right along, and the Eighth Graders are staying busy learning and moving right along with it. Blessings!
Mrs. Langland