Moral Heroes: Third Graders Research Inspiring Individuals
‘ It does not require many words to speak the truth .’This statement, attributed to Native American elder, In-mut-too-yah-lat-lat [Thunder Rolling Down the Mountain] or Chief Joseph, was chosen by third grader Luc Mattern to include in his Moral Hero study of the historic Nez Perce leader.
The middle school was honored by a second guest teacher for the middle school master class series in dance. I Gede Oka Artha Negara (also known as ‘Oka’) brought costumes and music to share Balinese dance with our students. I’ve included his biography below. Balinese dance is an impactful and disciplined style of dance that includes gorgeous costume work. Saki, the middle school dance teacher, invited and arranged Oka’s visit.
While her husband M’bor beat an energetic rhythm on his Senegalese d’jembe drum, Oumou Faye, garbed in colorful clothing from her west African homeland, wasted no time in arranging a group of Mount Madonna School (MMS) middle school students in rows to teach them lyrics and a series of choreographed movements for the KouKou dance.
gmh Today, November/Decmeber 2015, “A Trip to Remember: Uxhumano – Journey to South Africa.” 
The Connection
Last week was a bustle of activity in the Spanish classroom, where all students grades 3 through 11, helped to create pieces for a large, group ofrenda installation honoring D’a de los Muertos .