People love to celebrate … everything. On January 18, Thesaurus Day is a celebration of the power of words. This date is the birthdate of Peter Mark Roget, who is best known for creating Roget’s Thesaurus. His name is so synonymous with this type of reference book that the publisher trademarked it. The original version of his Thesaurus of English Words and Phrases, Classified, and Arranged so as to Facilitate the Expression of Ideas was published in 1852 and contained 15,000 words; it has grown with each subsequent version. Roget’s was also the first book of this type that arranged synonymies in topical order, and it is this feature that many credit with the success of his thesaurus over others.

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Scientists waited more than a decade for the science missions of the Discovery Channel Telescope to begin. This instrument is one of the most sophisticated telescopes in the world and the 5^th largest optical telescope in the country. Its placement in the Coconino National Forest at a dark sky site located in Happy Jack means the telescope is situated in one of the darkest and, therefore, best places from which to view the night sky. This privately funded telescope will supplement the ability of Lowell Observatory to continue pioneering work in astronomy. DCT is expected to obtain high-quality data more than 300 nights a year because of Arizona’s climate and clear skies.

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Most parents today are well-aware of the studies showing that children lose knowledge and skills over long breaks from school. The holidays are a time of fun and relaxation for most, but, with a little planning, you might just be able to halt the loss of some of those skills and engage your children in inspiring ways.

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Winter officially begins every year on the day of the winter solstice. Typically, this astronomical event occurs on December 21 or 22 (in the Northern Hemisphere), though it can occur anywhere between December 20 and 23.

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Roberto Abram Saavedra’s poster entry for the 2015-2016 Lions Club International Peace Poster Contest won at the local level. Millions of children from nearly 100 countries have participated over the 25-year life of the Lions Club’s competition. Roberto received a $25 award for his unnamed entry and will now go on to the state, then national contest.

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You can help your school by taking advantage of the Arizona School Tax Credit. Arizona law allows taxpayers to receive a tax credit of up to $400 for donations that benefit our students. A tax credit reduces what you owe in state taxes, dollar-for-dollar. For more information and a printable tax credit form, click below.

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Mars regained the world’s attention this fall, with recent news of the discovery of liquid water on the planet and a new blockbuster film set on Earth’s nearest neighbor, The Martian. This is a timely moment to focus on Red Planet Day, November 28.

Celebrate the fourth planet from our solar system’s sun with our series of blogs discussing general information about Mars, some of the more than 40 space missions humans have launched to study the planet, a section on the future of Mars and plans for manned missions to the planet, and concluding with links to fiction and non-fiction on Mars.

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It is the season of missing mittens and other lost winter gear, especially for school-age children. Since this is also the hectic holiday season, we’ve done the legwork and put together a few simple tips that might help.

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On Friday, October 23, your favorite Williams charter school will be hosting a Harvest Festival for students, family, and the community from 5 – 7 p.m. Students are welcome to wear costumes, as long as they leave their masks at home. Each classroom will have games and holiday activities; prizes (other than candy) will be given out. There will also be a cake walk, tickets for which may be purchased for 25¢.

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On Friday, October 23 Heritage Elementary will be hosting a Harvest Festival for the school. Costumes are welcome, though we ask that students leave their masks at home. There will be activities and games in the classroom— prizes other than candy will be given out. We are also having a cake walk. Tickets are 25¢ each. Parents, we are accepting donations of baked goods for the cake walk.

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With fall, the first report cards and parent-teacher conferences of the academic year arrive. Heritage Elementary School, your Williams charter school, is no exception to this rule. Information on these one-on-one sessions with your child’s teacher will be going home shortly, making this the perfect time to discuss how to ensure these meetings are successful and useful for all involved. Every year there is more research documenting the connections between academic achievement and parental involvement in schools. Heritage believes firmly that parent engagement in education is vital to the academic success of every student, and encourages parents to be active participants in their student’s academic growth. We all—parents, students, teachers, staff, and administration—play important roles in the achievement of a shared goal: academic and character achievement.

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We seek peace, knowing that peace is the climate of freedom. – Dwight D. Eisenhower

In 1981, the third Tuesday of September was designated as the International Day of Peace by UN resolution 36/67. That date was chosen to coincide with the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly. In the resolution the General Assembly set out that the day “shall be devoted to commemorating and strengthening the ideal of peace both within and among all nations and peoples.”^[i] The resolution further invited all member states and organizations of the UN and the world to commemorate that day as they saw fit, including through education and cooperation.

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