Tag Archives: school

Aug5

to look forward and not back, to look out and not in, and to lend a hand. -edward e. hale

Posted on by
Standard

wi,

this past weekend i took part in a ‘shop with a cop’ event

sponsored by

mott children’s hospital,

the  county sheriff department, local police departments, state troopers,

u.s. marines, and the university of michigan police department

everyone volunteered their time

to take underserved children and their families

 back to school shopping at a local meijer store.

it was beautifully organized

we all met in the morning at the stadium

set up food, games, drinks, tables

met our law enforcement partners for the day

families arrived

we shared a meal with our family and created our shopping team

loaded up on university busses

accompanied by motorcycle cops with lights flashing

the kids were really excited.

when we arrived

we descended upon the store

 masses of uniformed officers and children

must have caused some shoppers to wonder

but everyone got right to work

helping the kids find the things on their lists

along with lots of  extras

at checkout everything was covered

headed back to the stadium

for kona ice, more food, build-a-bear projects, face-painting

checking out the team locker room and playing on the field

by the end of the day

we had shared our stories with each other

learned so much

everyone had bonded

no matter their age, rank, or status.

people were tired and smiling

as they walked out the door

ready for school

headed for home

happy to know

people in the community support them

as a volunteer

this day

was also a gift to me from my community.

“there isn’t anyone you couldn’t love once you’ve heard their story.”

-mary lou kownacki

 

 

 

 

Jun12

the time of my life.

Posted on by
Standard

what a wonderful retirement celebration

with sweet surprises galore

very kind words from friends/colleagues

comedy, a musical serenade, lunch together

 songs i wrote with our music teacher made into a beautiful book

a fab dance act from my favorite movie

an explosion of glitter

book of words, poems, haiku, photos, glittered pages, memories, hopes

and of course

so many wonderful pinatas

you can never have too many

filled with special things for my journeys ahead.

they know me so very well

thank you one and all

i had the time of my life.

 

==

“always surround yourself with people who inspire you to be a better person.”

-d. denise dianty

 

Apr18

small cheer.

Posted on by
Standard
a pop-up restaurant appeared in the cozy corner of our classroom
everyone was welcome and helped in the restaurant after their meal
so many delicious foods
made with care
no one left hungry 
people came and went and shared plates and talked and laughed
it was a feast for the senses.
—
“small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.”
-william shakespeare
Apr11

kinder-garden.

Posted on by
Standard

jane

today the kinder saw the space where they will create their garden.

 

—

“why try to explain miracles to your children when you can have them plant a garden?”

-*janet kilburn phillips

*Janet is a gardener who found that she had to employ a growth mindset when she moved to the United States from England. She had previously been creating English cottage gardens but encountered challenges when she tried to grow them in a drastically different climate and in heavy clay soil. After experimenting with her gardens she created a CD called English Cottage Gardening — American Style. She adapted and persevered and found a new way to succeed at something that she loved.

 

 

Apr6

here we go!

Posted on by
Standard

“april hath put a spirit of youth in everything.”

-william shakespeare

 

Feb12

paper cut.

Posted on by
Standard

at the store in aisle seven

looking over things for my classroom

  this came into view

let me double check,

no,

guillotine not on my wishlist.

 

—

“ever since my childhood, i was haunted by the search for perfection.

an imperfectly cut paper literally made me ill. i would guillotine it.”

-hans arp, french-german sculptor, painter, and collagist

Jan24

reports.

Posted on by
Standard
*frank the 6-month-old puppy with his report card that hailed him as the “life of the party.”

—
spending the recent past writing report cards
for the kinder
 always a fascinating trip down memory lane
seeing how far they’ve come already
an unlimited distance still to go
the good, the bad, and the unexplained
all the good hearts, dramas, tears, and laughs
each their very own person
learning as we go.
all of us.

—

*more of frank the puppy’s report card:

“We sent him there because he is truly the most energetic puppy I have ever met,” his mom told Newsweek. “Our older dog needed a break,” she joked.

When Frank came home with the report card, she was in stitches. “I thought it was hysterical when I saw it because I can only imagine that Frank is probably the class clown that’ll do anything for a laugh and that’s definitely his idea of the best time,” she said.

Described on the card as the “life of the party,” the report also says that Frank loved wrestling with his buddies.

“It makes my heart so happy to know that he has so many pals at preschool,” said Spahr. Working on etiquette skills in his preschool class, the report also told Frank’s owners that his best friends are Daisy, Cooper, Vader, Hudson, and even a dog named Angus Beef.

—

“my report card always said, ‘jim finishes first and then disrupts the other students.”

-jim carrey

 

—

credits: newsweek magazine uk, alice gibbs

Oct19

choose wisely.

Posted on by
Standard

no matter how tired you are 

when coming into the faculty room

to grab a cup of coffee

at the start of another day

 look closely at the flavorings offered

  choose wisely. 

what will it be today?

caramel? chocolate? or bleach water?

—

“once you make a choice, you have no choice.”   

 -anna chin-williams

 

—

photo credit: c. hull – thank you!

Sep9

i need to go now.

Posted on by
Standard

she remembered off and on

throughout the afternoon

why she needed to leave school and go home

she tried calling on the old wood phone

told us she did not need to be here

told us her mom misses her

gave us so many, many reasons

and finally

she came up with my favorite:

“i need to go home…….to fix my hair!”

well, why didn’t you say so in the first place?

of course you do

we reminded her that mom would be back pretty soon

and in the meantime

we marched around like big dinosaurs

laughing and playing

ate applesauce and ran around outside

on a cool almost fall day

hair flying in the wind.

—
“home is where somebody notices when you are no longer there.”

-aleksandar hemon, the lazarus project

Sep7

firsts.

Posted on by
Standard

“i’ve always loved the first day of school better than the last day of school.

firsts are best because they are beginnings. “

-jenny han

 

 

 

—

art credit: *sharon france, ‘the old schoohouse,’ acrylic on stretched canvas

*artist’s comments: this painting is from my imagination of an old white schoolhouse in a quiet county setting. these old schoolhouses once dotted the countryside, close enough for children to walk to in most weather.