I want to take a little time to promo the National History Day Club at SMS. What an amazing opportunity for the students to learn skills that will be valuable to them throughout their education. They learn how to research and create an annotated bibliography at college levels. My son's AIM writing score jumped this year. I credit that to this program. Children not only learn these valuable skills but are given the opportunity to earn money, scholarships, recognition and, of course, experience.

Last year, 20 students from SMS made it to state and 5 earned the right to compete at the national level. The students gave performances. Created documentaries. Museum quality displays. They wrote historical papers and created web pages.

Last year, I watched in awe as these projects came together. This is a year long project that requires a strong commitment from not only the student but the parents. You will find yourself driving to all types of museums, libraries and archives in search of that one crucial source or interview.

The rewards go beyond the monetary awards. Last year, Richard wrote a 2500 word historical paper on Paul Rusesabagina and the Rwandan Genocide. During that process he made friends in Rwanda. They write weekly and the cultural exchanges are something he could have never learned from a history book.

One journalist and student in Kigali, Rwanda will be visiting the USA next month and stay for a month in Washington D.C. thanks to an exchange program. The excitement is building in our home as we anticipate his arrival. Magnus played a key role in Richard's paper as it was he who went out to interview Rwanda's political figures for Richard. These two have built a strong bond that I am sure will last a lifetime.

Richard not only learned the history of Rwanda during the project. He learned much more. He learned about human nature and the effects of hate and envy. He learned why hate speech is so damaging. He learned about compassion and understanding. All these life lessons is not something I would have expected him to find in a history assignment.

This is a very challenging class. It requires a level of commitment, diligence and effort you will not find in any other class at the middle school level. If you have a history minded student they will find a good deal of fun in the class. Helping, sharing and comparing with such passion was a real treat for me to witness among the students.

This year the class is a year long elective that meets all the core requirements of a Language Art class. If you feel this might be a good fit for your student I would welcome you to investigate the class this year for possible placement next year. Also, take a look at the web site www.nhdarizona.org to answer any questions you may have.