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B.C. NEWS Banner Christian School, “Christ first, education second to none.”

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Why Are the Academics at Banner so RigorousWalter Williams, a syndicated columnist, reported statistics in a January 2018 article on the low academic quality of so many teachers. “It's an issue

that must be confronted and dealt with if we're to improve the quality of education. Most states require prospective teachers to pass a certification test. “Here's a question from a recent test given to college students in Michigan planning to become teachers: ‘Which of the following is largest? a. 1/4, b.

3/5, c. 1/2, d. 9/20.’ Another question: ‘A town planning committee must decide how to use a 115-acre piece of land. The committee sets aside 20 acres of the land for watershed protection and an additional 37.4 acres for recreation. How much of the land is set aside for watershed protection and recreation? a. 43.15 acres, b. 54.6 acres, c. 57.4 acres, d. 60.4 acres.

“The Arizona teacher certification test asks: ‘Janet can type 250 words in 5 minutes, what is her typing rate per minute? a. 50 wpm, b. 66 wpm, c. 55 wpm, d. 45 wpm.’ The California Basic Educational Skills Test asks the test taker to find the verb in the following sentence: ‘The interior temperatures of even the coolest stars are measured in millions of degrees. a. Coolest, b. Of even, c. Are measured, d. In millions.’ A CBEST math question is: ‘You purchase a car making a down payment of $3,000 and 6 monthly payments of $225. How much have you paid so far for the car? a. $3225, b. $4350, c. $5375, d. $6550, e. $6398.’

“My guess is that these are questions that an eighth- or ninth-grader with a good education ought to be able to answer. Such test questions demonstrate the low bar that states set for one to become a certified teacher. Even with such low expectations, college graduates have failed these and similarly constructed teacher certification tests. Recently, New York, after being tied up in court for years, dropped its teacher literacy test amid claims of racism.

“A 2011 investigation by WSB-TV found that more than 700 Georgia teachers had repeatedly failed at least one portion of the certification test they were required to pass before receiving a teaching certificate. Nearly 60 teachers had failed the test more than 10 times, and one teacher had failed the test 18 times. There were 297 teachers on the Atlanta school system's payroll who had failed the state certification test five times or more.”

Walter Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. Banner is blessed to have an experienced and qualified staff, which results in Banner students having higher scores than the national average!!

February • Open enrollment begins • February 5: 3rd quarter midterm • February 19: Presidents’ Day—School closed

March • March 14: End of 3rd quarter—11:30 am

dismissal • Teacher Appreciation Week--March 12-16 • March 30: Spring Break—School Closed

• Uniform with our new crest logo are now available at both Lands End and Flynn O’Hara.

• We are returning to the original school colors of navy blue, kelly green, and white.

• Returning students may continue to wear uniforms with the current logo and colors for a two-year period before the new uniform requirements are in effect across the board.

School Uniforms with New Banner

LogoWhat’s happening?

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February is Black History Month

Come join us each school

day as we start with student- led praise and

worship!

WAKE UP WITH

BANNER!

Have you read Am I Not a Man? An illiterate slave, Dred Scott, trusted in an all-white, slave-owning jury to declare him free. But after briefly experiencing the glory of freedom and manhood, a new state Supreme Court ordered the cold steel of the shackles to be closed again around his wrists and ankles. Falling to his knees, Dred cried, Ain’t I a man? Dred answered his own question by rising and taking his fight to the U.S. Supreme Court.

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The Four ChaplainsOne of the more extraordinary acts of heroism during World War II occurred on February 3 in the icy waters off Greenland after a U.S. Army transport ship was hit by a German torpedo and began to sink rapidly. When it became apparent there were not enough life jackets, four U.S. Army chaplains each removed theirs, handed them to frightened young soldiers, and chose to go down with the ship.

Throughout the voyage, the four chaplains George L. Fox, Alexander D. Goode, Clark V. Poling and John P. Washington, helped to soothe the nerves of the 700 young draftees and enlisted men on board by walking among them. They laughed, joked and even put on amateur floor shows every night. The chaplains also held regular religious services, which at first were poorly attended. However, attendance increased with every mile the ship sailed further away from home. When the periscope of German submarine U-223 poked through the water's surface and spotted the ship in its cross hairs, a German officer gave the order to fire torpedoes.

The Dorchester was blasted on its starboard side near the engine room, far below the water line, killing a hundred men and knocking out all power and radio contact. Captain Danielsen was then informed his ship was rapidly taking on water. He gave the order to abandon ship.

Panic now set in among the men below decks as they groped around in the darkness, struggling to get topside. Many had no life jackets or clothing. Those who made it up onto the listing deck immediately realized they were about to die in the Arctic air and frigid water. Lifeboats quickly became overcrowded to the point of capsizing. Rafts were tossed into the sea but drifted away before anyone could get into them. Only two lifeboats out of 14 were successfully launched.

Amid the disorder, the four Army chaplains quietly spread out among the soldiers, preaching courage to the frightened, offering prayers to the wounded, and guiding the disoriented. After most of the survivors had struggled up on deck, the four chaplains opened a storage locker and began handing out life jackets. Soon they ran out. "Padre," a young soldier hollered, "I've lost my life jacket and I can't swim!"

One of the four chaplains, it is not known which, removed his and said, "Here, take mine. I won't need it. I'm staying." The other three chaplains followed his example. "It was," an eyewitness later recalled, "the finest thing I have ever seen or hope to see this side of heaven."

Now, just 27 minutes after the torpedo struck, the ship was about to go down. The four chaplains locked arms together and braced against the deck with its heavy starboard list. They prayed, each in the tradition of his own faith, as the water reached their knees. The Dorchester fought to right herself but failed and plunged into the seething ocean.

Of the 902 men aboard, 675 died, leaving just 227 survivors. News of the tragedy and the heroic conduct of the four chaplains caused a sensation in America. On December 19, 1944, the Distinguished Service Cross for "extraordinary heroism" and the Purple Heart were awarded posthumously to the chaplains' next of kin. In 1961, Congress authorized a Special Medal for Heroism, which had never been given before and is never to be given again.

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BOX TOP$

We hope you have been saving those Box Tops, because it's

that time again... We will be collecting Box Tops

from now until March. The class in Lower, Middle and

Upper school that brings in the most Box Tops wins a full dress

down day! Please save those Box Tops and turn them in - this is an

effective and easy way to earn money for our school!

Kindergarten Helps Others Keep Warm Kindergarten honors Martin Luther King, Jr. through an in-class service project and to add to the school-wide coat and blanket drive.

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Who Said That? Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.– Aristotle

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage.– Lao Tzu

My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.– William Shakespeare

If I had a flower for every time I thought of you … I could walk through my garden forever.– Alfred Tennyson

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.– Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Young love is a flame; very pretty, often very hot and fierce, but still only light and flickering. The love of the older and disciplined heart is as coals, deep-burning, unquenchable.– Henry Ward Beecher

Age does not protect you from love. But love, to some extent, protects you from age.– Anais Nin

Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward in the same direction.– Antoine de Saint-Exupery

Love has no desire but to fulfill itself. But if you love and must needs have desires, let these be your desires; To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night. To know the pain of too much tenderness. To be wounded by your own understanding of love; And to bleed willingly and joyfully.– Kahlil Gibran

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart.–Helen Keller

Love does not dominate; it cultivates.– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.– Zora Neale Hurston

Love is life. All, everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. Everything is, everything exists, only because I love.– Leo Tolstoy

Love is like quicksilver in the hand. Leave the fingers open and it stays. Clutch it, and it darts away.– Dorothy Parker

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Once a month Banner Bridge Treats the

Staff to a Scrumptious Lunch

Thank you, Ladies, for pampering us!

Banner Alumnus Selected for Internship,

Combined Training, Networking

An internship at The Fishing School in Washington, D.C. gave Randolph-Macon College student Max Petersen '20 valuable training and experience. Petersen's internship, which was made possible by a generous grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, was arranged by Jessica Majkowycz, assistant director of employer relations & internships for The Edge, R-MC's four-year career preparation program. Experience + Networking + Social Capital At TFS, Petersen, a business and communication studies major, managed and analyzed databases; created and surveyed data; and tracked and collected original content for the organization’s social-media outlets. He also assisted in TFS' rebranding process by helping with a "brand refresh" of all critical program documents. Porsha Childs, director of programs at The Fishing School, served as his internship mentor.

Petersen says that interning at TFS taught him how to be more autonomous, and to trust his instincts. "I had to budget time, money, and attention to a carefully crafted list of priorities," he says. "Before I officially started my internship, I was sent projects to work on, with limited instruction. This forced me to rely on my knowledge and skillset to complete the tasks to the best of my ability."

On campus, Petersen previously served as freshmen class president for the Student Government Association. In addition, he is a member of Leadership Fellows; the Honors program; InterVarsity, a Christian student group; intramural sports; and he is a resident assistant. His post-R-MC plans include graduate school, where he plans to earn an M.B.A.

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Banner Christian Praise and Worship

Banner Christian School starts each day with student led praise and worship. This allows us to

showcase the talents of our Praise Team, to come to God in an attitude of worship and to get our minds Christ centered before heading into our day.

Parents are encouraged to join us, so come on out!

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February 1, 1960 - In Greensboro, North Carolina, four African American students sat down and ordered coffee at a lunch counter inside a Woolworth's store. They were refused service, but did not leave. Instead, they waited all day. The scene was repeated over the next few days, with protests spreading to other southern states, resulting in the eventual arrest of over 1,600 persons for participating in sit-ins. February 1, 2003 - Sixteen minutes before it was scheduled to land, the Space Shuttle Columbia broke apart in flight over west Texas, killing all seven crew members. The accident may have resulted from damage caused during liftoff when a piece of insulating foam from the external fuel tank broke off, piercing a hole in the shuttle's left wing that allowed hot gases to penetrate the wing upon re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. This was the second space shuttle lost in flight. In January 1986, Challenger exploded during liftoff. February 3, 1870 - The 15th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, guaranteeing the right of citizens to vote, regardless of race, color, or previous condition of servitude. February 3, 1913 - The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, granting Congress the authority to collect income taxes. February 3, 1943 - An extraordinary act of heroism occurred in the icy waters off Greenland after the U.S. Army transport ship Dorchester was hit by a German torpedo and began to sink rapidly. When it became apparent there were not enough life jackets, four U.S. Army chaplains on board removed theirs, handed them to frightened young soldiers, and chose to go down with the ship while praying. February 4, 1985 - Twenty countries in the United Nations signed a document entitled "Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment." February 6, 1788 - Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the new U.S. Constitution, by a vote of 187 to 168. February 6, 1933 - The 20th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was adopted. It set the date for the Presidential Inauguration as January 20th, instead of the old date of March 4th. It also sets January 3rd as the official opening date of Congress. February 6, 1952 - King George VI of England died. Upon his death, his daughter Princess Elizabeth became Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Her actual coronation took place on June 2, 1953. February 7, 1795 - The 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, limiting the powers of the Federal Judiciary over the states by prohibiting Federal lawsuits against individual states. February 8, 1587 - Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, was beheaded at Fotheringhay, England, after 19 years as a prisoner of Queen Elizabeth I. February 8, 1910 - The Boy Scouts of America was founded by William Boyce in Washington, D.C., modeled after the British Boy Scouts. February 10, 1967 - The 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, clarifying the procedures for presidential succession in the event of the disability of a sitting president. February 11, 1929 - Italian dictator Benito Mussolini granted political independence to Vatican City and recognized the sovereignty of the Pope (Holy See) over the area, measuring about 110 acres. February 11, 1990 - In South Africa, Nelson Mandela, at age 71, was released from prison after serving 27 years of a life sentence on charges of attempting to overthrow the apartheid government. In April 1994, he was elected president in the first all-race elections. February 12, 1999 - The impeachment trial of President Bill Clinton in the U.S. Senate ended. With the whole world watching via television, Senators stood up one by one during the final roll call to vote "guilty" or "not guilty." On Article 1 (charging Clinton with perjury) 55 senators, including 10 Republicans and all 45 Democrats voted not guilty. On Article 2 (charging Clinton with obstruction of justice) the Senate split evenly, 50 for and 50 against the President. With the necessary two-thirds majority not having been achieved, President Clinton was thus acquitted on both charges and served out the remainder of his term of office lasting through January 20, 2001. February 13, 1635 - Boston Latin School, the first tax-payer supported (public) school in America was established in Boston, Massachusetts. February 14, 1849 - Photographer Mathew Brady took the first photograph of a U.S. President in office, James Polk. February 14, 1929 - The St. Valentine's Day massacre occurred in Chicago as seven members of the Bugs Moran gang were gunned down by five of Al Capone's mobsters posing as police. February 15, 1898 - In Havana, the U.S. Battleship Maine was blown up while at anchor and quickly sank with 260 crew members lost. The incident inflamed public opinion in the U.S., resulting in a declaration of war against Spain on April 25, 1898, amid cries of "Remember the Maine!" February 15, 1933 - An assassination attempt on newly elected U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt occurred in Miami, Florida. A spectator deflected the gunman's aim. As a result, Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak was shot and killed instead. The gunman, an Italian immigrant, was captured and later sentenced to death. February 17, 1865 - During the American Civil War, Fort Sumter in South Carolina was returned to the Union after nearly a year and a half under Confederate control. The fort had been the scene of the first shots of the war. February 19, 1942 - Internment of Japanese Americans began after President Franklin Roosevelt issued an Executive Order requiring those living on the Pacific coast to report for relocation. Over 110,000 persons therefore shut down their businesses, sold off their property, quit school and moved inland to the relocation centers. February 20, 1962 - Astronaut John Glenn became the first American launched into orbit. February 23, 1942 - During World War II, the first attack on the U.S. mainland occurred as a Japanese submarine shelled an oil refinery near Santa Barbara, California, causing minor damage. February 24, 1582 - Pope Gregory XIII corrected mistakes on the Julian calendar by dropping 10 days and directing that the day after October 4, 1582 would be October 15th. The Gregorian, or New Style calendar, was then adopted by Catholic countries, followed gradually by Protestant and other nations. February 24, 1867 - The House of Representatives voted to impeach President Andrew Johnson. However, the effort to remove him failed in the Senate by just one vote. February 26, 1848 - The Communist Manifesto pamphlet was published by two young socialists, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. It advocated the abolition of all private property and a system in which workers own all means of production, land, factories and machinery. February 27, 1950 - The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified, limiting the president to two terms or a maximum of ten years in office.

February in History

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Banner’s Drama Team Visits the Virginia Retirement Home Before the Banner drama team headed off for Christmas break, they made one last stop: The Virginian Retirement Home. The afternoon was jam-packed with Christmas cookie decorating, bingo, and a classic rendition of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The residents were a wonderful audience with many of them quoting Dr. Seuss as the drama team performed. Nigel Chege, voicing the character of Cindy-Lou Who, was a particular crowd favorite. Next, came a surprisingly competitive game of bingo. The drama team donated prizes for the winners, and they played alongside of residents. However, if a team member won a game, they had to give their prize to the Virginian resident closest to them. The residents loved this rule, but Tess and Kidus, both bingo winners, not so much. Then the grand finale: Christmas cookie decorating. It was discovered that some of the drama team members might actually have a future in cookie decorating. Who knew? All-in-all, the students of the Banner drama team, who are never short on words, enjoyed talking with the Virginian residents and making some new friends. A return trip is already scheduled for the spring.

-Tess Petersen

Presidents’ Day Presidents’ Day is an American holiday celebrated on the third Monday in February. Originally established in 1885 in recognition of President George Washington, it is still officially called “Washington’s Birthday” by the federal government. Traditionally celebrated on February 22—Washington’s actual day of birth—the holiday became popularly known as Presidents’ Day after it was moved as part of 1971’s Uniform Monday Holiday Act, an attempt to create more three-day weekends for the nation’s workers. While several states still have individual holidays honoring the birthdays of Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other figures, Presidents’ Day is now popularly viewed as a day to celebrate all U.S. presidents past and present. --http://www.history.com/topics/holidays/presidents-day

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The following Kindergarten-2nd grade students were on All E honor roll for 2nd quarter (All E's except fine motor/penmanship and character development/work habits).

Granell, Ava Elyse 1st Honors

James III, Charles Clarke 1st Honors

Jones, Brianna Danae 1st Honors

Melton, Harper Megumi 1st Honors

Minnaugh, Stanley Michael 1st Honors

Torres, Madeline Liliana 1st Honors

Warden, Madisyn Ariana 1st Honors

Wells , Quinn 1st Honors

First Grade

Burtner, Josiah Marvin 1st Honors

Dock, Chaniyah Nevaeh 1st Honors

Reyes, Cooper Alexander 1st Honors

Tillman, Preston A 1st Honors

Second Grade

Boyd, Sean Lamar 2nd Honors

Moehling, John Michael 2nd Honors

Monroe, Myles Jefferson 2nd Honors

Morgan, Ethan Thomas 1st Honors

Swineford, Joshua Teinwi 2nd Honors

Taylor, Robert Calvin 2nd Honors

Wilson, Hannah Lee 2nd Honors

Wilson, Logan Caroline 1st Honors

Third Grade

Benefiel, Seth David 1st Honors

Cornett, Noelle Meiyuan 1st Honors

Hicks, Christian Shawn 1st Honors

McGarvey, Elsa Colette 1st Honors

Miles, Arielle Sequoia 2nd Honors

Moore, Landon Lee 1st Honors

Motes Jr, Jeremy 1st Honors

Murrell, Ethan Daniel 1st Honors

Njugi, Joseph Kungu 2nd Honors

Sims, Riley Savannah 2nd Honors

Fourth Grade

Reyes, Delaney Anne 1st Honors

Taylor, Jordan Elizabeth 2nd Honors

Fifth Grade

Archer, Brian Lewis 2nd Honors

Barragan, Rebeca Dora 1st Honors

Benefiel, Cole Frey 1st Honors

Bobb, Daphne Rose 1st Honors

Boyd IV, Robert Lee 2nd Honors

Burtner, Micah Kyle 2nd Honors

Ellison, Clint Tobias 1st Honors

Freund, Megan Grace 2nd Honors

Gonzalez, Chloe Imani 2nd Honors

Irwin, Isaiah Milton 2nd Honors

Jones, Samantha Montgomery 1st Honors

Lander, Caleb Stuart 1st Honors

Linn, Mackenzie Grace 2nd Honors

Mabry, Gabrielle Renee 2nd Honors

Mason, Lenora Isabelle 2nd Honors

McCarthy, Mikaylah Quinn 1st Honors

Monroe, Montclair Xavier Lane 2nd Honors

Pollock, Gretchen Michaela 2nd Honors

Sixth Grade

Lekberg, Joseph Alexander 1st Honors

Quaynor, Duke Adotey 1st Honors

Vaughan, Christian Hale 1st Honors

Lekberg, Joseph Alexander 1st Honors

Kindergarten

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Archer, Emily Lauren 2nd Honors

Atchison, Zacheriah Joseph 2nd Honors

Berry, Payton Elizabeth 2nd Honors

Bryan, Gabriel James 1st Honors

Burtner, Caleb Andrew 1st Honors

Culver, Benjamin Elisha Andrew 2nd Honors

Daniel, Julianna Patricia Louise 1st Honors

Davis, Abigail Rose 2nd Honors

Deas, Colleen Grace 2nd Honors

Hayes, Tali Maria 1st Honors

Hood, Georgia Andrea Nicole 2nd Honors

Jackson, Jasmine Marie 2nd Honors

Johnson, Bryce Wellington 2nd Honors

Johnson, Miles Jayden 2nd Honors

McClung, Brandon Douglas 1st Honors

McGarvey, Thomas Alexander 1st Honors

Mireles, Emanuel Oseas 2nd Honors

Swineford, Eden Gahwi 1st Honors

Taylor, Jdn Aniyah 2nd Honors

Tignor, Christopher Robert 1st Honors

Wenger, Elisabeth Claire 1st Honors

Wiersma, Adrian Paul 1st Honors

Seventh Grade

Bobb, Audrey Alexa 2nd Honors

Desta, Bethlehem Yonas 1st Honors

Fountain, Kenaiya Janese 2nd Honors

Gonzalez, Zoe Serene 2nd Honors

Irwin, John Gabriel 2nd Honors

Lander, Gabrielle Pontiveros 2nd Honors

Linn, Madison Marie 1st Honors

Eighth Grade

Barnes, Kyla Jael 2nd Honors

Camus, Alexander Theodore 2nd Honors

Corbett, Caroline Anne 2nd Honors

Daniel, Kathleen Lillian Mae 2nd Honors

James, Jordan Jenae 2nd Honors

Petersen, Tess Aubrey 1st Honors

Swineford, Kerith Yonwi 2nd Honors

Sylvester, Wesley David 2nd Honors

Willoughby, Ashley Elizabeth 2nd Honors

Xia, Ruxi 1st Honors

Ninth Grade

Atchison Jr, Ryan Barrett 2nd Honors

Culver, Emma Michal 1st Honors

de Haas, Alexis Rae 1st Honors

Desta, Kidus Yonas 2nd Honors

Ellison, Michaela Rose 1st Honors

Hale, Alexis Jordan 1st Honors

Irons, Asia Monae 2nd Honors

Jiang, Yan 2nd Honors

Liu, DaoMing 2nd Honors

Moses, Sydne McKyrin 2nd Honors

Pacelli, Jacob Giovanni 2nd Honors

Perry, Chyna Alicia 1st Honors

Vugteveen, Nadia Anastasia 2nd Honors

Wiersma, Evan James 2nd Honors

Wiiki, Natalie Madison 1st Honors

Tenth Grade

Adato, Nathan Edmund 2nd Honors

Cho, Sun Kyung 2nd Honors

Daniel, Joshua Milton Ernest 2nd Honors

de Haas, Jonathan Scott 2nd Honors

Wenger, Jonathan Alan 2nd Honors

Eleventh Grade

Canabal, Raul Javier 1st Honors

Chege, Nigel Kamande 2nd Honors

Culver, Beth Abigail 2nd Honors

Dang, Anh Hoang 2nd Honors

Ezekiel, Monica 2nd Honors

Gilman, Holden Ellis 2nd Honors

Hale, Alyssa Nicole 2nd Honors

Hayes, Tanner Steven 2nd Honors

Herndon, Beth Hannah 2nd Honors

Jennings, Grace Virginia 2nd Honors

Okoye, Ifunanya Rosemary 2nd Honors

Patterson, Jonathan Luke 2nd Honors

Taylor, Ishmael Rakim 2nd Honors

Tignor, Lucy Elizabeth 1st Honors

Zhong, Yucheng 1st Honors

Twelfth Grade

A two-meter long octopus dressed like a fashion icon is both surprising and bizarre, and blanket octopuses are incredibly elusive. Very few videos exist, and not much is known about their biology. To help spread the word on these lovely creatures, here are six reasons why blanket octopuses are unique creatures designed by God. 1) The blanket octopus is stylish. The blanket octopus (Tremoctopus) spends its entire life in the open ocean. Between the arms of the blanket octopus are long sheets of patterned flesh. When threatened, the blanket octopus extends these fleshy curtains to look like a disco icon. 2) Blanket octopus females are 10,000 times bigger than males. For many animals, the male is the bigger and flashier sex. But not so for the blanket octopus. The females are large and elegant, reaching up to 2 meters (~6.6 ft) in length. The males, on the other hand, are the size of your thumb.. 3) Blanket octopus “dudes” are very romantic. When a male finds a lady he likes, he doesn’t try to convince her that he’s the right guy. Instead, he fills up one of his little arms with sperm, sticks it to her, and breaks it off his own body. She keeps it, and can use it if she wants to. He is very patient like that. He’s all about making her happy. He probably dies afterwards. 4) They have weapons. Young female blanket octopuses literally rip the tentacles right off Portuguese man-o-war jellies and use them like little octopus nunchucks. Octopuses hold onto these tentacles with their suckers. These tentacle weapons may be more than just defensive. Blanket octopuses may actually use these tentacles to stun or kill prey. 5) They look like superheroes. When a blanket octopus is threatened, it unfurls its fleshy bat cape and swoops into the night. 6) The ‘blankets’ of blanket octopuses can break off. This may be accidental, or a way to distract predators. Occasionally, these blankets are spotted by divers as just a beautiful scarf of living flesh, floating in the middle of the ocean.

--adapted from http://www.deepseanews.com/2015/05/six-

Blanket octopus. Image from Tree of Life Web Project. Photograph by Cassandra L. Cox.

Creation by design

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Students Explore Masters of Art

AP Art History spent the day in Washington, DC at the National Gallery to view Vermeer

and the “Masters of Genre Painting,” an exhibit of Dutch paintings from the Golden Age. There was a bit of a line, but it was

worth the wait as they saw nearly 70 beautiful paintings by these Dutch masters,

including Vermeer's Woman Holding a Balance, which is in the class image set.

After viewing the exhibit, the students toured the rest of the gallery, where they

saw incredible artwork by masters such as Monet, Rodin, Warhol, and many others. After hours of walking, the class enjoyed fellowship over dinner at the Hard Rock

Cafe.

The class of 2021 went to the Richmond Ice Zone for their annual class party on December 15. It was a

"cool" way to celebrate the end of exams.

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VISITING? All visitors need to report to the front office to sign in and receive a visitor badge.  The badge must be returned to the front office to sign out prior to leaving the premises.  In

the event of a fire, the "Visitors’ Log" is taken outside, allowing us to account for everyone in the building.  If you have not signed out, we will send a firefighter in to search for you.  Thank you for your assistance.

BANNER CHRISTIAN SCHOOL • 1501 S. PROVIDENCE ROAD, N. CHESTERFIELD, VIRGINIA 23236 P: 804-276-5200 • F:804-276-7620 • WEB:WWW.BANNERCHRISTIAN.ORG

LOST & FOUND The Lost and Found rack is inspected at the end of school each Friday and items such as clothing. lunch boxes, water bottles, etc. that are not marked with a student's name are either donated to Banner Bridge or to charity.  Unclaimed papers, writing utensils, and food are discarded.  PLEASE be sure your student checks the Lost and Found rack for lost items during the week.

Dear Parents, 

FACTS and Renweb have merged their

accounting systems! What this means for

you is as follows: 1) Non-tuition charges,

such as aftercare, lunch, sports fees, ACSI

competitions, etc., will appear in FACTS on the

10th of each month 2) These charges will be

withdrawn from your account on the 20th of the same month. 

Also, any change to your FACTS account must be made in

writing.  Email is the best method of communication to request

a change to your account.  Requests must be made at least

three business days in advance.  If you have any questions

regarding your account, please do not hesitate to contact me

at swolf@bannerchristian.org.

New

FACTS

Process

Contributing to Global Warming? We’ve all learned in school that matter cannot be created or destroyed. So when you burn off body fat, where does it go?—Matthew Bundy, Kankakee, Ill.Matter can’t be created or destroyed, all right, but it can change form. When your body metabolizes fat, you get energy, carbon dioxide and water. You radiate the heat, you exhale the carbon dioxide and you dispose of the water in urine, sweat and other body fluids. And which of those three (energy, carbon dioxide or water) accounts for most of the weight loss? Surprise! It’s carbon dioxide. So now you have an excuse to fall off your diet: You don’t want to contribute to global warming! --“Ask Marilyn.” Parade. 1/14/2018