World Geography Skypes with the Ukraine

Our Honors World Geography students had the awesome opportunity to Skype with a group of Ukrainian students this morning!  Our teacher, Mr. Keith Forkin, is utilizing People to People International (PTPI) this semester to form a collaboration with a middle/high school in the Ukraine. Nick Burdine is a Peace Corps volunteer working in the Ukraine and has an English Club for students after school.  Through PTPI, Mr. Forkin and Mr. Burdine were connected, and the teachers are using this connection to help their classes learn more about each other's school and community.  To kick off the project, we set up a Skype session with Mr. Burdine's English Club.  At 8:30 a.m. EST, we met the Ukrainian students, where it is currently 2:30 p.m.  Despite a few technical glitches (which always seem to happen when it REALLY matters!), the students were able to introduce themselves and learn how to say "hello" and "goodbye" in Ukrainian - "Привіт" (pronounced "pree-veet") and "до побачення" (pronounced "do pobachennya"), respectively. The students will now work on videos about our school, athletics, restaurants, neighborhoods, and more that they will share with the Ukrainian students. Stay tuned for more of this exciting connection!

Introducing ourselves to the Ukrainian students

Skyping with Jo Knowles for #WRAD15

In conjunction with World Read Aloud Day (#WRAD15), the RHHS Book Club got a chance today to Skype with young adult author, Jo Knowles!  She is the author of such titles as Lessons From a Dead Girl, Jumping From Swings, Living with Jackie Chan, and most recently See You at Harry's.  We chose Mrs. Knowles as our recent book club read because her next book, Read Between the Lines, is being released on March 10.  Students in attendance asked questions about the relationships in certain titles, as well as Mrs. Knowles career as a writer.

RHHS Book Club getting ready to Skype in the LiNK

Skyping with Jo Knowles from her office in Vermont

Mrs. Knowles' fiction appeals to teens becuase she focuses on sometimes tough situations that many teens themselves have faced.  Abuse, teen pregnancy, death, and grief are some of the topics that have found their way into her writings.  But her straightforward writing style is what I love best!  It was truly a pleasure to have her visit with our students, and we wish her all the best with her latest release, Read Between the Lines.

For more information on Jo Knowles, please check out her webpage.