Students' Performances by Ma'am Reneè

01/09/2026

The summit of Everest is made of ancient seafloor.

Right at the top sits the Qomolangma Formation, limestone packed with the remains of sea creatures that died in a warm ocean around 470 million years ago.

That water was the Tethys Sea. Then India slammed into Asia about 50 million years ago and shoved the seabed straight up into the sky.

Climbers standing at 8,849 meters are standing on a graveyard of marine life.

The highest place on Earth used to be the bottom of one.

08/02/2026

Good morning, gentle readers 🌻
{PS}

08/02/2026

This quote is about how big, world-changing ideas never start off feeling reasonable or safe. To do something everyone says can't be done, you first have to let yourself consider the idea that everyone says is crazy. That "crazy" idea is the spark. It's what wakes up your imagination and pushes it to start working on a solution.

08/02/2026

This quote says that money acts like a moral mirror for a society. It shows what the people in that society truly value and reward. If most wealth is earned through honest work, creating useful things, and fair trade, then the reflection is good. It means the society values virtues like productivity and responsibility. The money itself is just a tool that proves these good qualities can lead to success.

However, if most wealth is gained through lying, stealing, or using political power to take from others, then the reflection is corrupt. It shows the society rewards bad behavior instead of good. Therefore, the way a society earns its money is the best indicator of its real moral character. The quote argues that money does not cause corruption or virtue, but it clearly reveals which one is present.

08/02/2026

In 1961, C.S. Lewis, famed author of 'The Chronicles of Narnia' and close friend of J.R.R. Tolkien, nominated Tolkien for the Nobel Prize in Literature. At the time, Tolkien had already published 'The Hobbit' and 'The Lord of the Rings', works that would later become cornerstones of modern fantasy literature. Lewis’s nomination was a gesture of deep respect, recognizing Tolkien’s imaginative scope, linguistic invention, and mythic depth.

However, the Nobel committee rejected the nomination, stating that Tolkien’s storytelling lacked the literary quality required for the prize. Their internal notes, later made public, criticized 'The Lord of the Rings' as “not comparable to works of the highest quality.” This dismissal reflected the literary establishment’s skepticism toward genre fiction, especially fantasy, which was often seen as escapist or juvenile rather than serious literature.

Ironically, Tolkien’s influence only grew in the decades that followed. His work reshaped global storytelling, inspired generations of writers, and became a cultural phenomenon through adaptations, scholarship, and fandom.

{PS}

26/09/2024

26/09/2024