It was great to see everyone back and ready to learn after vacation. The next eight weeks are going to be very important to us here in Room 202. It is a valuable stretch of time during which we all need to learn as much as we can and work as hard as we can! Are you up to the challenge? I KNOW you are!

Today, as a spring board into our work on the American Revolution, the children arrived and were greeted by “Queen Holly”, the ruler of Colony 202. Each student chose a slip of paper that named his/her job. Jobs included Parliament members, tax collectors, farmers, coopers, blacksmiths and teachers. All colonists were subject to the taxes imposed by Queen Holly to pay for the debt that she incurred during past wars. The tax collectors collected these pre-established taxes and the “pence” were given to Queen Holly who kept most but did give a portion of the taxes to her Parliament. Some new taxes were added at the whim of Queen Holly in the hope of raising even more money to pay off her debts from war! Some colonists opted to try and find a way around some of the taxes (standing or sitting on the floor instead of paying a chair tax!) and all were quietly mutinous as tax after tax were added and their pile of “pence” dwindled. Tomorrow each colonist will receive 20 additional pence for his/her work in the colony but I suspect that Queen Holly may have some additional taxes up her royal sleeve! Check back tomorrow for an update!

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