10 Years After 9/11: A Day We Will Not Soon Forget

I remember exactly where I was when the first plane crashed into the first World Trade Center building.  It was a day, much like any day really, filled with preparations for school and finsihing up last minute homework.  When the North Tower (1 WTC) was hit by a commercial jetliner, people did not necessarily assume the worst (believing it to be an accident).  Once the second airliner hit the South Tower (2 WTC), people began assuming the worst.  You can imagine how this felt on that Autumn day, as people were preparing themselves for work or taking their children to school.  Panic ensued among family members, teachers, city officials, and government officials all over the world.  For the first time since the attack of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii at the onset of WWII (December 7th, 1941), the United States had been attacked on its own soil...

I imagine a day when I am left telling my grandchildren of the day the Twin Towers were attacked in New York City.  A day in which many will have forgotten the significance of this event, merely taking notice of it on the calendar and moving about their busy day.  I know this will be an unfortunate day, but it is purely human behavior to lose sight of significance with time.  Preserving the past is never easy, but it is a necessary burden one must carry in order to prevent events like this from happening in the future. 

Progressive Thinking,

Mr. Stocker

Welcome Back PCMS 2011-2012

Hello PCMS'ers,

It is so great to be back in action at Project Chrysalis Middle School.  The faculty has an incredibly exciting year planned for you and we hope that you are as equally excited about all of the great opportunities you will have to grow and learn throughout this year!  

As part of the course requirement and homework for your Social Studies class, you are to visit this website and leave a comment below on the following Youtube video (you must sign-in with a valid Google account that has your name or some portion of your name in it).

Your comment should discuss: 1) a detail(s) from the video that you found to be interesting.  2) A logical and well-stated opinion.  3) Additional information about the particular point you found to be interesting.  Overall, your comment/response does not need to be more than a paragraph (3-5 sentences).  Feel free to include links to other resources and websites that you find to be related or of interest.

Good luck and progressive thinking,

Mr. Stocker   

My Life

Hi PCMS'ers,

As the school year winds down and your summer break (I will use the term "break" loosely) begins, you will have an immense amount of choices to consider in regards to your educational and recreational endeavors this sunny season.  I too must consider how to spend my time "off."  Like any other human being, I have set lofty goals to do all the things I feel unable to do during the busy school year (e.g. reading, watching the year's most acclaimed movies, reading, spending time outside, playing with our dogs, reading, finish my Grad School class, did I mention reading?).

What I have learned in my short time off is that there will always be something else that is deemed "pressing," ready to take time away from the things I truly want to do.  Allowing myself to give in to the immediate needs of others or even falling trap to what I like to call "lazy syndrome" (you know those times when you spend copious hours on the couch and then realize 6 hours later that you have "wasted" the entire day...?) can truly take away from your long-term goals as a person.  This is not to say that spending time with others (family, friends, etc.) or taking moments for some well deserved rest and relaxation on the couch should leave you feeling guilty, but everything should be enjoyed in moderation (yes, even your time spent watching re-runs or that television series).

So, what am I really trying to get at here?  There must be a purpose and possibly even a "catch" to all of this, right?  Think long-term, focus on your goals and aspirations, and be a little selfish.  It's easy to avoid your reading aspirations or plans to build a next generation thermodynamic engine that will resolve all the world's energy needs, so become conscience of how you are spending (or wasting) your time.  I suggest taking a few extra moments to read (anything at all), but you probably knew that... Speaking of which, I am going to continue my trek into President Bill Clinton's My Life.  

Progressive Thinking,

Mr. Stocker

Jeopardy Extravaganza!

Perhaps you are an 8th Grader or possibly you have recently passed by Mr. Stocker's classroom, nonetheless, you have likely heard the familiar tune of the Jeopardy gameshow being hummed.  As we approach the end of the year and the final week(s) leading up to our Social Studies standardized tests, the 8th Graders are participating in a series of Jeopardy matches.  What's on the "line?"  Pizza!  Of course, the winners will have a chance to spend lunch wih yours truly while enjoying pizza and special baked treat from Ms. Renard.  8th Graders, get your "game faces" on because it's Jeopardy time!  For the rest of the campus, be sure to cheer these 8th Graders on in their final weeks before the Science and Social Studies TAKS! 

Progressive Thinking,

Mr. Stocker

Sssso Looking Forward to NYC!

What's better than spending a week in New York City?  There are literrally thousands of things to see: The Statue of Liberty, The Guggenheim, 5th Avenue, The Empire State Building, The Bronx Zoo, Escaped Cobra Snakes, Broadway... wait, what?  Did you just say "escaped snake?"  Yes indeed!  As reported by The New York Times, an Egyptian Cobra Snake escaped from The Bronx Zoo last Friday (see full article here).  While the zoo has been unable to find the "escaped" reptile, there is likely no need to worry since the cold weather mixed with the unpredictabilities of the city are likely to prove "deadly" for the poor reptile.  But hey, you never know... While in NYC be sure to keep a sharp eye, you might dissssscover sssssomething extraordinary! 

Progressive Thinking,

Mr. Stocker

P.S. You can follow the commentary on the escaped Cobra on Twitter by following @BronxZoosCobra

Spring Break 2011

Hello Fellow Monarchs,

This spring break has truly been an extraordinary one to say the least!  The beautiful whether combined with special friends and family has made this spring break one to remember.  While I did not take the time to head to the beach this Spring Break, I did have a chance to explore some amazing locations in our great city of Houston:

Hermann Park:

This is where I spent three days of my break.  Mostly sitting in the sun and reading, this park is an excellent place to delve into some great literature.  

Houston Holocaust Museum:

This is my second time visiting this museum (the 8th Graders had the opportunity to visit earlier this year).  I still feel an amazing connection and sentiment each time I walk through the halls of this historic museum.  

Houston Livestock and Rodeo Show:

I know that many of you said that you were going to this annual event, so I too decided to put on my cowboy boots and head over to the rodeo.  What an excellent place to enjoy some Houston Tex-Mex culture, meet local celebraties, and learn a little more about what it means to be a Texan!  

I am very much looking forward to our return to Chrysalis tomorrow as we focus ourselves towards the end of yet another successful year at Project Chrysalis.  I know that many of you are likely getting bored and are waiting on your couches as I write this, dreaming of the moment you get to walk through those big-blue gates and back into your classrooms of collegiate learning.  What an extraordinary moment it will be!  See you all tomorrow!  

Progressive Thinking,

Mr. Stocker

The Time Has Come... TAKS 2011!

E.R. (student) is amazed at how awesome Mr. Stocker truly is... :)

Fellow Monarchs... It is here! The 7th Graders opened up another year of TAKS by (assumingly) crushing the writing TAKS yesterday afternoon.  I have full confidence in each of our students and their ability to easily pass and gain commended status on each of the assessments. 

Last week, we had the opportunity to open up the TAKS season with our annual TAKS Olympics ceremony (check out Mr. Little's Blog Post by click here).  What a great way to show our school pride and celebrate our committment to doing well on the state standardized tests and beyond!  It was great to see all of the classes in their homeroom college gear in order to celebrate our path to college.  I look forward to seeing all of your future and past hard-work demonstrated in your end of the year assessment scores.  Keep pushing Chrysalis!  Let's do this!  Let's CRUSH the TAKS!

Progressive Thinking,

C.S.