Attention Prisms Artists and Crafters: DC Fundraising Opportunity

Dear Prisms and Parents, The cogs and sprockets have begun to creak and turn towards this spring's trip to Washington, DC! Last week, we met as a class to brainstorm ideas as to how students can earn their $75 share of the trip's cost. Among the many interesting ideas that came up was that of students who wanted to sell crafts they had made, which raises the question of what forum they have to sell such things. In the name of supporting this line of fundraising, I will be opening and overseeing an online shop through Etsy, where Prisms will be able to sell their handmade crafts and earn money towards their share. Etsy is a site that facilitates sales for craftspeople of widely varying styles and crafts. The sellers range from professionals who use it as one part of their business to hobbyists. Each seller has their own simple storefront. For an example, I invite you to look at the yarn shop I run through Etsy. The site is highly searchable, so buyers do not have to go directly to a particular shop, but can search for a type of item by keyword from the front page and be led to any number of shops. When listing an item for sale, a seller writes up their own description of the item, uploads their own photo of it, decides their price and their shipping charge. Each item has its own page under the shop's storefront. While there is no subscription fee to set up or maintain a shop, Etsy does charge minimal fees for listing and sale: it costs $0.20 to list each item, and they also take a 3.5% fee for each completed sale (before shipping cost). It is the seller's responsibility to ship each item. Etsy also has a fairly comprehensive frequently asked questions section about selling which also may have your answer. Etsy tends to be a very positive-minded, supportive community which genuinely believes in the value of handcrafts. It is one of the warmer, fuzzier corners of the Internet, both figuratively and literally. 
 In terms of how this would work with students' crafts, Etsy allows people under 18 to sell, but the account must be in the name of and supervised by an adult, a role I would fill. In regards to privacy and safety, students do not need to be identified on the site, though they may choose to use initials or a first name in descriptions of items they've made. When a student wanted to list something, they would bring me the item and their written description of it. They will decide their own price, and, ideally, take their own digital photo of it, too. I would take care of shipping, and would set shipping prices to account for cost of postage and envelopes. Many students already have crafts that they would like to sell. I've heard talk about jewelry making and knitting. Some other ideas might be duct tape wallets or recycled notebooks with interesting covers – the range of saleable crafts is huge, and I would encourage anyone interested to take a look around Etsy to see what's there. This is a rich opportunity, not only to earn money towards the trip but to explore using the internet for business – trying out some of the design, writing and promotion aspects of it, which will be primarily in the domain of the collective of student sellers. If you have any questions about this idea, please feel free to contact me via email, grace (dot) mrowicki (at) gmail (dot)com. Sincerely, Grace Mrowicki, Prisms TA

Friday, October 9, 2009

Social Studies:

• Read the article about Minoan civilization handed out today.

Science:

• Take home and read the edition of Science World handed out today.

Language Arts:

• Due Wed., 10/14: Read ch. 3 of Goddess of Yesterday. Write a one page response in LA journal, commenting on:
  • author's writing style (descriptively and substantively - not just whether or not you like it. Use examples/quotes from text!)
  • surprises in story
  • questions you have or want to discuss

Pumpkins: Have a happy long weekend, folks!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Math: Graph Paper link updated, and now goes directly to .pdf of 1cm grid. 7th Grade:

• Due Fri., 10/9: Complete all parts on #1 on p. 26 in CMP book (about temperature changes during Day 2 of the bike tour) according to directions and in complete sentences.

8th Grade:

• Due Fri., 10/9: Complete 2.3 on pp. 19-20 of CMP book. Do only A, C and D of 2.3

Social Studies:

• Be ready to write a reflection on dyeing project and some of the history discussed for Fri., 10/9.
  • The slideshow about purpura shellfish dyers in Oaxaca, Mexico
  • Download a copy of Grace's Powerpoint about the history of dyeing

Science:

• Due Fri., Oct. 9: Final draft of ice core analysis.

Language Arts:

• Due Fri., 10/9: Read ch. 2 of Goddess of Yesterday. Write a one page response in LA journal, commenting on:
  • author's writing style (descriptively and substantively - not just whether or not you like it. Use examples/quotes from text!)
  • surprises in story
  • questions you have or want to discuss

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Math: 7th & 8th Grade:

• Due Thurs., 10/8: Math's Mates: First, correct all errors on MM Sheet 3 on white, lined paper. Second, complete MM Sheet 4, answering * problems on the same sheet of white, lined paper and doing "problem" problems (the numbers done incorrectly on MM #3) first.

Social Studies:

• Due Thurs., 10/8: Read "Knossos" handout and answer the questions in full sentences either on a separate sheet of lined paper or typed.

Science:

• Due Thurs., 10/8: Write introduction and conclusion paragraphs of your ice core analysis.
• Due Fri., 10/9: Final draft of ice core analysis write-up.

Language Arts:

• Due Fri., 10/9: Read ch. 2 of Goddess of Yesterday. Write a one page response in LA journal, commenting on:
  • author's writing style (descriptively and substantively - not just whether or not you like it. Use examples/quotes from text!)
  • surprises in story
  • questions you have or want to discuss

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Math: 7th Grade:

Complete 2.2 on p. 20 of CMP book, about the second leg of the bike tour, which you began in class today. Be certain your writing is clear and well edited.
• Due Wed., 10/7

8th Grade:

• Complete 2.2 on p. 18 of CMP book according to directions. Also complete 2.2 follow up #1 only. Due Wed., 10/7

Social Studies:

Science:

• Complete ice core analysis. Use 4 cubes/layers per paragraph. Due Wed., 10/7

Language Arts:

Spanish: 7th Grade:

8th Grade:

Other:

Monday, October 5, 2009

Math: All students need to bring their signed green trip fundraising contract to Math on Wednesday, Oct. 7 7th Grade:

• Complete 2.1 on p. 19 of CMP book (about the first leg of the test tour). Due Tues., 10/6

8th Grade:

• Complete 2.1 and 2.1 follow-up on p. 17 of CMP book (about rates walking to the yogurt shop). Due Tues., 10/6

Social Studies:

Science:

• Finish 2 complete paragraphs of your ice core analysis. This includes anything you completed during class today. Due Tues., 10/6
• Assigned Previously: Read Science World article about teen fossil hunters, pgs 10-12 and complete "Mapping Skills" activity. Due Tues., 10/6

Language Arts:

• Finish reading ch. 1 in Goddess of Yesterday. Complete a one-page journal entry in LA journal. Comment on:
  • author's writing style (descriptively and substantively - not just whether or not you like it)
  • surprises in story
  • questions you have or want to discuss
  Be ready for a brief quiz. Due Wed., 10/7

Spanish: Bring in boxes for your altar! 7th Grade:

• Write a paragraph about your family in Spanish! Due Thurs., 10/8
• Bring in a family photo (optional).

8th Grade:

• Buscapalabras (word search) Due Tues., 10/6

Other: