What a Day!

My first day back to teaching after the wedding was today. I anticipated a boatload of grading, things to organize, people to talk to, kids to hug, and so forth.

I did not anticipate this:

 A school bus wreck this morning just a few miles down the road from Hershey! Eight children were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. No surprise - the bus plowed through several mailboxes and culverts, then smashed into an old concrete fence corner post.

Look at how much of that post was uprooted by the bus! Wow!

My student, DC, a 5th grade boy, was the most seriously injured of the children. I spoke to him by phone after school and he said he had been pretty scared. He cut his lip badly and loosened a tooth, necessitating a ride by ambulance to the hospital. DC said it happened so fast and that the kids were thrown around as the bus careened off course. Poor guy!

Two other 4th grade girls from my class, MH and SA, were also on the bus but they did not sustain any injuries. Their moms were pretty teary and upset, so I gave them my cell number and told them to text me throughout the day if they wanted to know how their child was doing. Both moms took me up on that.

Below is a series of emails the school office sent out to keep the faculty apprised of the situation. It is interesting to me to look back and reread them and see how the crisis unfolded:

From: Spitznagle, Jackie
Sent: Tue 2/28/2012 9:34 AM
To: Hershey Elementary Building Staff
Subject: Update

As of 9:30am – here is what we know.

Bus 1201, Spot 9, Bev Turner was fully loaded with her kids and headed to Hershey when she had an accident on 300 N.

Mrs. Fields went to the scene as soon as she found out.  The TSC Head Nurse, Laurie Royer, is headed to the scene too.  (She was here at Hershey with our new nurse.)

We have not heard of any serious injuries, just one bloody lip.

The students have not yet arrived to school.

It is possible all students will need to be assessed by our nurse before being dismissed to class.

Will update as we get more info.

Jackie Spitznagle

Secretary

Hershey Elementary School

----

From: Spitznagle, Jackie
Sent: Tue 2/28/2012 9:57 AM
To: Hershey Elementary Building Staff
Subject: update 2

Some students were taken to the hospital.  The rest are here being assessed in the health room.

Running as smoothly as possible.  EMTs are here, nurses, etc.

Jackie Spitznagle

Secretary

Hershey Elementary School

7521 E 300 N

----

From: Spitznagle, Jackie
Sent: Tue 2/28/2012 12:38 PM
To: Hershey Elementary Building Staff
Subject: Update 3

All 4 of the Hershey students who were taken to the hospital from the bus have been released.  No serious injuries or broken bones.

Everyone that was on the bus (with the exception of those who went to the hospital) was brought to Hershey, including ET students and assessed.

Students were either released to class or a parent was contacted to come pick them up for further assessment.

All parents have been contacted. 

 Jackie Spitznagle

Secretary

Hershey Elementary School

--From: Linda Fields

Sent: Tue 2/28/2012 1:29 PM
To: Hershey Elementary Building Staff
Subject: :-)

Hershey Family,

We have heard from the parents of the four Hershey students that were transported to the hospital.  All have been treated and released!  :-)

I cannot thank you enough for the way you pulled together to help wherever needed!  This truly is the best place to be…in good times and in bad.

JEANS DAY FOR ALL TOMORROW!

Linda

Trinity's Birthday

Happy Birthday to Trinity! She's nine years old today.

We were out in Utah for Jessica and Andrew's wedding, but we still found time to celebrate, even if it was a few days before her birthday.

 Here she is at the Whettens' home, wearing the famed birthday hat her mom, aunts, and uncles once wore.

 Zina even decorated the house for our impromptu party in record time!

Catching Aunt Jessica's bridal bouquet earlier in the day at La Jolla restaurant was one of the highlights of the day.

Happy Birthday, sweetie! I love you oodles and bunches! xoxoxox

Colemans on the Train - Day Two

Well, the ride appears to be getting a little long for Sarah and her kids. She sent me the following text:

JC says he "is done with the train, and getting out and walking from Aspen." I told him, "Good luck and I'll race you there."

Then she sent Craig this message:

Sleeping terrible for me. Not great for kids. But scenery is beautiful and roads terrible. We've seen quite a few accidents.

We leave in the morning. It will be interesting to see how our ride compares. In the meantime, Sarah, JC, and Trinity only have a few hours left today until they pull into the Provo, Utah station.

Let the Festivities Begin!

Sarah, JC, and Trinity hopped the Amtrak this evening in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. They arrive in Provo, Utah tomorrow night for Jessica and Andrew's wedding!

As Sarah wrote, "Yea for train stops!

And so the wedding week of festivities begins! 

All aboooooooaaaarrrddd!

And How Does That Relate to Math??

One of my 4th grade boys is brilliant academically. Unfortunately, he'd rather get his work out of the way and move on to things he prefers to do.  "Don't rush" and "Check your work!" are frequently written at the top of his graded papers and his scores do not reflect his academic capabilities.

Today he quickly completed his review for tomorrow's Math test, then expected to be allowed to read or play a Math game with the remaining time. "Use ALL the time to study," I told him. He was disappointed and spent some time flipping the pages in his Math book, then was back at my side with a proposal.

"Can I have a partner and use white boards to study together?" I knew this was a thinly veiled excuse to mess around, but I decided to give him a chance and so I agreed. He trotted off to find a partner and settled down to "work."

A few minutes later, I checked on what he was doing by peeking at his white board. He looked embarrassed (as he should.) There was a figure of some sort drawn on the board, and then an odd message, "ulan bator" written below.

My suspicions were aroused, and I wondered if he and his partner were either writing something in code or  maybe even some inappropriate words that I was not immediately recognizing.

"What is that you've written?" I asked.

"Oh, that's just the capital of Mongolia," he said nonchalantly.

(What?? Yeah, right, and even if it is, what does that have to do with Math?)

"It looks more to me like a code. Does it mean something inappropriate?" I asked.

His eyes widened. "No, no! It really is the capital of Mongolia. I may not have spelled it right, but that's what it is."

"Really." I stated in disbelief.

"Yes!" he insisted. "It is! I may not have spelled it right, but that's the capital of Mongolia."

"So, if I googled it, I would see that listed as the capital of Mongolia?"

"Yes, you would. Really, that's all it is."

I decided I had made my point, instructed him to get back to work on MATH, and a little later, I checked  "Ulan Bator" out online.

By golly, it is the capital of Mongolia! And he'd spelled it correctly! (Another accepted spelling is Ulaanbaattar.)

Why would he be spelling out the capital of Mongolia during Math? I have no clue. But I can tell you that this boy was the runner-up in a very difficult Hershey Geography Bee, and he correctly answered some uber tough questions during it, including at least one that none of the teachers present knew!

Just one more example of some of the off-beat interests and behavior my students can exhibit occasionally!

Be Mine - for Three Years

It's Valentine's Day, a day when I get to hark back to my own childhood and hand out valentines to every student in the class (as well as receive a bunch, too!) We have a party in the afternoon, open our valentines, eat cookies and sip punch together - a pleasant way to spend part of the afternoon.

A week ago today I wrote a blog post entitled "Success" and talked about fourth grader JM and how, after a tough transition from a general education classroom to the gifted one, he had become an avid reader in just a few months. He made me smile then, and he made me smile today when he gave me this:

He made this valentine himself, and the ink is Illini orange and blue. But what he wrote is what made me become teary. He says, "P.S. Hold me back in fifth grade please." That's a joke in our classroom, especially among the fifth graders. Sometimes I mock threaten to flunk them on minor or imagined charges and keep them with me for a third year. When I tease them about that, what it really communicates to them is how much I like them and that I will miss them.

And so now through his valentine to me,  JM, a fourth grader, is saying that he is comfortable in the class, enjoying being a part of it, and that he is no longer "deer in the headlights." Quite a transition for JM, and it warms my heart.

The Cartoonist versus the Teacher: A Sunday Morning Tradition

(All cartoons are shown with Dave Sattler's permission.)

Lafayette is fortunate to have its very own editorial cartoonist. For forty plus years, Dave Sattler, a lifelong local resident, has been drawing wonderful cartoons for the Sunday newspaper that comment on (and sometimes skewer) the ins and outs of life in Indiana. Opening the Sunday paper and reading his weekly cartoon is something I very much look forward to. (You can see them on Friday if you go online for a sneak peek, but I always wait!)

Dave is married to Nancy Sattler, a friend of mine who teaches at Hershey in the classroom next to mine. One day a couple of years ago, she was talking at lunch about their diabetic cat, Boo, who required daily shots of insulin. A fellow teacher asked in a derisive sort of way, "Why go to all that work and expense? Why not just put the cat to sleep?"

And Nancy drew herself up and responded frostily, "Because that cat allows my grandchildren to put diapers on him!" (He willingly acts as a baby when they play house.) She then proceeded to tell us some of the things patient, loving Boo tolerates from her six grandkids. Later, Nancy also told me that Boo kept Dave company in the early hours of Friday mornings when he works under deadline to draw that week's cartoon. Apparently Boo follows Dave down into the basement and hangs out with him by the drawing board while Dave creates.

Who wouldn't love a wonderful cat like that? I have been a Boo fan ever since.

Dave occasionally included a little black cat in his editorial cartoons. Sure enough, that was Boo, Nancy confirmed when I asked. Seeing Boo in the cartoons was a treat, and I began finding myself disappointed when Dave did not include the kitty.

One Boo-less Sunday, I decided to email Dave and, in a tongue and cheek manner, protest and tell him how disappointed the President of the Boo Fan Club (i.e. me) was that her favorite kitty had not been included in that week's cartoon. I said something along the lines that, if deer could be on campus, certainly Boo could be, too.

Dave responded quickly, telling me that Boo was in the cartoon and hiding behind the newspaper box.

And that started a nearly every Sunday correspondence between the two of us. On Sundays when Boo was included, I would comment on Boo's activities for that week. When he wasn't there, I would "protest" and ask Dave to reconsider.

Recently, on the second Sunday in a row without a Boo sighting, I emailed Dave "complaining" about another Boo-less editorial. Dave replied, "Look closely." So I pulled out the newspaper and did:

 The Boo Fan Club President hung her head in shame when she saw that she had overlooked her favorite kitty in the lower left-hand corner. "Okay, Sattler, game on!" I thought. "You won't fool ME again!"

 The following Sunday, I again had to look hard, but I spotted Boo in the passenger seat of the car. Those two little black ears were tiny but unmistakable! (Apparently Nancy asked him why Boo was in the car, and Dave responded that he knew I would be looking for him.)

Today's comic was very, very clever. Not only is Boo himself hidden, but he is present in another way, too. (The background on this cartoon is that a family is suing a local school district. Their 13 year old son was asked to remove a "Save the Boobies" wrist band that he claims is in support of breast cancer awareness and the family claims the school district is suppressing his right to free speech. I am with the school district on this one!)

In addition to the cat hidden in the hair of the character on the right, see Boo's name all over the place? I wrote Dave the following email:

Boo barrettes! What a concept! As fan club president, I should have thought of that one myself!  

I am not sure about using the BOObies bracelets as fan club memorabilia, though. The teacher in me shies away from that one. ;-D

As always,

Signed most respectfully yours,

Lynn, Boo Fan Club Prez

Here are some of my favorite Sattler cartoons (many without Boo, but that's the way it goes!)

I like this one because Boo plays a central role and actually gets some dialogue:

It is in response to a community art project where artists (including Dave) signed up to humorously paint dogs under the theme "Dog Days of Summer." The dogs were displayed all over town. Boo got his own 15 seconds of fame! (Not sure who his friend is.)

 The girl-geek in me LOVES this one:

Downtown by the courthouse is a statue of the Marquis de Lafayette. Apparently his sword was broken off the statue. Dave suggests replacing it with a light saber! (See Boo?)

And being married to a teacher, how could Dave not reflect on some of the things that happen in education? 

Most Indiana educators are appalled at what our governor, Mitch Daniels, and state superintendent, Tony Bennett, have done to education. This cartoon is hanging on the wall in the Hershey librarian's office.

The next cartoon actually happened at Hershey as well as at several other schools in the state. After a LONG list of mandates as to how the ISTEP tests MUST be administered, and in-your-face comments bordering on accusing teachers of cheating... (the state of Indiana actually counts erasure marks on a test - too many, and the teacher is accused of cheating. Happens a second year in a row? Your name WILL BE PUBLISHED in your local newspaper. Even if you did not cheat. I kid you not. Some of us were in tears over this.) ... there was a SLIGHT problem.

After following ALL the mandates, familiarizing ourselves with ALL the rules, ensuring that EVERY child was assigned a computer, and that THEY WILL NOT use ANY OTHER COMPUTER for the duration of the testing...

 ... the test itself proves faulty, and children are kicked off randomly throughout the testing period. It was a HUGE fiasco and the state had well-deserved egg on its face. Dave memorialized our frustration at the double standard to which we were being held. (Teachers must be perfect; the state, not so much.)

One of the cartoons that touched me most:

 That's Dave and Nancy standing in front of their home. The original cartoon was published the Sunday after 9/11; Dave reprinted it on the tenth anniversary this past year.

Craig had a question about this one: "Does Nancy know that Dave wrote about her?"

 Yes, that's Dave and Nancy in the new Mackey Arena, and yes, she knew he'd written about her. (Not sure she was super excited about it...)

And finally, my most favorite of all. The one that I clipped when it came out Father's Day, 2009, and is taped to the computer in my office:

 For me, that last panel reflects the joy we feel when our kids call us. Whether it's early in the day, afternoon, or evening, whenever the phone rings and it is one of our children, that happiness is the emotion. Dave captured it perfectly.

I told Nancy about my feelings for this editorial, and she laughed and said that Dave had gotten tons of comments about it. She then told me that he had struggled that week to find a topic, and that he felt this one was a bit lame. He was surprised to discover just how many people, like me, connected with it.

So, as I said earlier, Game On! I cannot wait for next week's editorial cartoon to be published.

An Odd Encounter

This morning I was out running errands. During the night the temperatures had dropped and we'd had some sleet and then snow. Needless to say, streets and sidewalks were a bit slippery.

I was heading into Marsh to get some groceries for Sunday dinner, and was feeling elated - for the first time in several years, the snow and ice was not intimidating me! I am not saying that I wasn't being careful, but I was not scared of falling nor was I creeping along inch by inch, testing each step before moving forward. I was actually moving at a reasonably good clip. I felt like "me" again instead of a middle aged woman who cautiously poked along, frightened she might fall at any moment.

A car was parked on the curb by the store with a woman sitting in the front passenger seat. The driver's seat was empty; obviously the driver had run in to grab something, leaving her to wait. As I stepped up onto the curb near her car, she swung her door open and called me over. Thinking she might need help, I walked over to her, still feeling excited about how easily I was moving. Such a contrast to the past couple of winters! How wonderful!

"You need a grocery cart to hang onto!" she called.

What? What did she mean by that? I was entering the store, not leaving. I hadn't had the chance to get a cart nor were there carts in the store's parking lot.

She smiled and then proceeded to give me a lecture about the ice! She went on about how it was very icy, that I needed to hang onto something, that this and that that, grab a cart, and ice, ice, ice, be careful....

Whew! I honestly did not know how to react. I gathered my wits as this was not what I was expecting her to say. Thinking fast, I decided that she meant well and perhaps was just a bit confused and/or nervous about the ice herself. She had seen me coming along the icy parking lot and sidewalk, and I was the vent to release that anxiety, perhaps in a way she thought was helpful.

"Thank you for your concern for me," I said and smiled. She smiled back and shut her door, while I continued walking into the grocery.

How odd that I was feeling so good, so confident about my new knees and being able to walk without fear, when someone else saw me doing just that and felt enough anxiety to warn me to be careful.

I still don't quite know what to think about the encounter. But I can say (and say quite happily) that I continued to be able to handle the ice and snow well as I completed my errands!

Success!

When JM was added to my classroom this school year, I wondered about the wisdom of moving him from a general education classroom to a gifted one. He was "deer in the headlights" the first month, and seemed positively overwhelmed by all he was asked to do. His parents approached me about pulling him out and going back to a regular 4th grade class, and I honestly thought that might be the right decision. But, I asked them to give him a few more weeks to see if things might change.

JM assessed VERY low in reading - barely at a 3rd grade level! I knew he would not survive in my class reading at such a low level, so I spoke to his teacher from last year who had recommended he be tested for entrance into the gifted program, hoping she could offer some insight into this child.

 She assured me that she felt he was placed right, and then said something that surprised me. "He hates to read," she stated. "He does not like to,  and so he does poorly in reading. But, he CAN read and just needs to be pushed. I know you do classics and I was hoping that might spark his interest."

After thinking about what she had said, I eased the bar a little higher for JM. Very subtly. And he has made good progress. But, had he begun to LIKE reading? I got my answer today.

JM selected Charlotte's Web this morning as his next Book Club choice. He had to figure out how many pages a day to read in order to complete the book by the deadline, and then started reading his daily assignment. When reading time was over, I asked the children to put their books away and prepared to move into another subject. JM came up to me, clutching his book which was opened to the page he had been reading.

"Mrs. I," he said with a shy smile. "I went beyond today's assignment. I just can't put this book down."

You should've seen JM's teacher smile....

Tears in the Classroom

Sometimes Craig teases me at the end of the day and asks, "How was your day? Did you make anyone cry?" We laugh because he knows I never want to make a child cry, but that sometimes when they have done something they should not and I have to speak to them about it, the tears flow.

Tears can be a sign of true sorrow and regret for one's actions. But, they can also be a sign of frustration over an assignment, and those are the tears that make me feel just awful inside. So, when I looked up and saw CP with a blotchy face and red rimmed eyes during Math today, I immediately stopped what I was doing and went over to him.

Now, CP is a GREAT guy. I like him very much - he comes into class smiling and with a cheerful "hello" for me, and leaves with the same frame of mind at the end of the day. He's honest and kind to others. Brilliant. Highly gifted academically, plus clever with words. (He enjoys double entendres and word games with me and with his classmates.) He's going to be an absent-minded professor (stereotypes are often rooted in truth, and that one is typical of a fair number of the gifted kids I've taught over the years!) and has had to work hard on remembering things, but he takes direction with his usual smile and good spirits.

(As an aside, something I will always remember about CP - during silent reading times, if he is reading a humorous book, he will chuckle to himself as he reads. It's not disruptive because he laughs quietly, oblivious to the rest of his classmates who are also reading to themselves. I love watching him enjoy his books!)

Anyway, I patted CP on the back and asked what had happened. He looked up at me, his trademark smile gone, and replied with a note of despair in his voice, "I just don't get it. I don't get this Math."

CP is in the accelerated Math and is working a year ahead of his grade level. His Math instruction is done online with other children, also a year ahead of their grade, from around the school corporation. They have an instructor who teaches via a Skype-like link. Pretty cool to watch, BUT... I don't teach 6th grade Math and Math is not, and never has been, my strong suit.

I took a breath and asked CP to show me what he was working on while hoping I could remember how to do that particular skill. He was changing fractions to decimals and then to percentages and back again. Thank goodness - I knew how to do that, and as I watched him show me how he was trying to solve the problem, I could tell that he could easily be straightened out and put back on the right track.

And so I worked some problems with him, showing him how to approach the problems and figure them out. At first CP kept shaking his head and telling me he didn't understand. I would pat his back and encourage him. Finally, after about five minutes, the light dawned, and that wonderful smile of his slowly spread across his face.

"I think I know what I was doing wrong," he told me. I asked if he was sure. "Yes, I get it. I don't know why I found it so hard, but I see how to solve these now." And CP bent his head and resumed working. Clearly my cue to go back to the other kids.

I observed CP from a distance for the remainder of Math class. No more tears made an appearance, and he was himself again, confident in his work and in good spirits. The dismissal bell rang shortly after that, and CP left with a smile and high five.