How do we know the recession has ended? What are the indicators? What is a personal benchmark for you?

“When banks stop failing” MG
“Housing sales increase.” TB
“When you start to see stores return to all of the empty strip malls.” JH
“Unemployment would decrease.” RF
“People would go out and shop.” BF
“My house would sell for more than I paid for it.” NG
“More money in my pocket.” LD
“Less unemployment.” MM
“Unhappiness decreasing, smiling increasing.” CM
“Starbucks would quit raising their prices.” LL
“When prices go down.” KS
“More jobs.” AK
“When employment is not at a record high and jobs return.” PG
“When I can go from coach to first class seats.” JM
“My neighbors would have jobs, houses would sell.” DK
“There wouldn’t be a Cash for Gold store on every corner.” MA
“The prices for rent in Chicago would increase again.” CT

Let's hear from kids and adults. What is an indicator for you that the recession is ending?

How to Feel Better in this Horrible, Cold, Weather

By Maddie
This weather is terrible, this weather is horrible, but I think we can still have fun. We can throw a huge party inside our school class rooms that reminds us of the beach. We could put the heat up high, sweltering, so we are sweating, just like the summer. Everybody would wear shorts or a bathing suit. We could drink smoothies in colorful cups and use a straw with a little umbrella. We could put on beach music and somewhere in the building we could set up a miniature golf course.
Can you think of other ideas that we could do to make this a beach party exciting?

Haiti

By: Maddie

Haiti has had an earthquake. It was 7.0 on the Richtar Scale. IT'S THE BIGGEST EARTHQUAKE THEY HAVE HAD! They're running out of food. How can we help them? Maybe we can help them by setting up a fundraiser. All of the ones I have heard about were a big success. We could raise tons of money. What ideas do you have to raise money? Please respond.

Why Can't Students Change Some Things in School?

By John

A change I would like to see is…
a day where students plan the day.

Another change I would like to see is…
to bring chocolate milk back!

And another change I would like to see is…
that we could check out more than two books from our school library.

And yet another change I would like to see is…
to bring back "those inflatable things" on field day!

And one last change I would like to see is…
more and more recess.

Let me know how you feel about these changes or others.