I'm glad to see you all back and diving right in! Our new building is absolutely wonderful and I hope as the weather warms up to be able to move some of our literary circles outside, picnic style. I am totally fine if you'd like to bring in some snacks for those circles to make them feel more cozy and relaxed. Discussing literature shouldn't feel like a chore. :) I was impressed with the work I saw, the cooperation, and the discussions taking place at your tables today. I think there are many English teachers that would be envious of how well these discussions are going. If I haven't told you lately, it is an honor to work with each of you. I'm confident I have the best high school class anywhere. As far as history, our major focus today was on Reconstruction and the Radical Republicans. Again, I was very impressed with your ability to distill and discuss the primary document "Mississippi Black Codes" today. There's some legalese and advanced voc