Drums Cymbals

Triangle Xylophone

Maracas Chimes
Tambourine Castanets

Gong Timapani
 Rio Grande River

The Rio Grande is one of the principal rivers in the southwest United States and northern Mexico. The Rio
Grande begins in south-central Colorado in the United States and flows to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way, it
forms part of the MexicoUnited States border. According to the International Boundary and Water Commission,
its total length was 1,896 miles (3,051 km) in the late 1980s, though course shifts occasionally result in length
changes. Depending on how it is measured, the Rio Grande is either the fourth- or fifth-longest river system in
North America.
The river serves as part of the natural border between the U.S. state of Texas and the Mexican states of
Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo Len, and Tamaulipas. A very short stretch of the river serves as part of the boundary
between the U.S. states of Texas and New Mexico. Since the mid20th century, heavy water consumption of farms
and cities along with many large diversion dams on the river has left only 20% of its natural discharge to flow to
the Gulf. Near the river's mouth, the heavily irrigated lower Rio Grande Valley is an important agricultural region.
The Rio Grande is one of 19 Great Waters recognized by America's Great Waters Coalition.
 Editorial
No homework? No problem for younger students

When people declare themselves to be knowledgeable on an issue or subject, they have claim to have done
their homework. Whether this homework is beneficial in the pursuit of knowledge depends on the validity of the
information and data researched.
Simply doing homework does not necessarily make a person more knowledgeable, especially if that person
is in kindergarten. Highland Park Elementary School in Amarillo generated a little buzz this past week with the
announcement that there will be no assigned homework this school year for students in prekindergarten through
fourth grade.
A similar no-homework policy for second-grade students at a class at Godley Elementary School near the
Metroplex has resulted in national attention, including a recent segment on Fox News. According to
recommendations from the National PTA and the National Education Association, students should have a maximum
of 10 minutes of homework each night for each grade level. For example, a first-grade student should have a
maximum of 10 minutes of daily homework, all the way to 60 minutes for a sixth-grade student. In other words,
students in prekindergarten and kindergarten through first grade are not missing much by having no assigned
homework, according to these guidelines. And it is debatable if homework is all that beneficial for younger grade
school students.
Lets be realistic the curriculum and workload for younger students is not that challenging. While
education should be challenging, there is ample time to prepare students for a more rigorous workload as they
become older and more able to understand their assignments. Are we advocating for the removal of all assigned
homework in grade school? No, not at all. A reasonable degree of homework is preferable for older grade school
students (third grade and above), so perhaps Highland Park ISD eliminating assigned homework for all grade school
students is a bit of a stretch.
However, there is not a pressing need for assigned homework for students during their first two to three
years of education. And there is the benefit to younger students who might be struggling. Without assigned
homework each night, such students have more time to focus at home on subjects and/or schoolwork that are
more difficult. And the earlier a student can master a troublesome subject, the better for learning as the student gets
older. It is an interesting educational concept the elimination of assigned homework aiding students. For younger
students, they will not miss much by missing homework.