A Very Special Wedding

The wedding I attended on Saturday was for someone who is very dear to my heart.

I was Madeline's 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teacher and needless to say, when you spend three years with someone, they become almost like family.

Her sister, Meredith, was also in my class. A year younger that Madeline, she was with for me for 2nd, 4th, and 5th grade. (I taught the 2nd/3rd grade Gifted class for one year and then moved on to the 4th/5th Gifted class for the rest of my career.)

I've known these two ladies since they were 7 and 8 - lucky me!

Brooke, Madeline's best friend and matron of honor, was also in my class for three years. Needless to say, seeing these young women again was very special to me.

I sat down Sunday and went through old blog posts on Teachinmama, my original blog. Here are a few of my favorite photos with the girls.

Both girls were accomplished ballet dancers and I went to many of their performances.

A highlight of my Christmases for years was attending their annual performance of The Nutcracker Ballet and seeing their roles change as they grew more and more accomplished in their ballet training.

In 2011 I had both knees replaced, and they came to see me while I recovered at home. As a treat, they made ice cream for me from eggs that their ducks had laid. (If you are ever offered duck egg ice cream, say YES!! It is so rich and creamy!)

I retired in 2018, and with my principal's blessing (and to my surprise), years of former students descended on my classroom one afternoon in May and surprised me with a retirement party.

Madeline and Merry were right in the thick of things. What a lovely thing for all those former students to do for me and what a way to close out your career by celebrating with kids (many of whom were now adults) that you loved and still held close in your heart.

I didn't stay retired for more than a few months - due to illness, a teacher suddenly needed to retire during the school year. I was asked to finish the year as the class's teacher.

There was also a teacher's aide position for that class to be filled. Madeline was a studying Elementary Education at Purdue and I asked her to apply for the job if she was interested. She was, and was able to arrange her class schedule and take the aide position.

She did a wonderful job and it was really, really fun to have her as a colleague. (She is now in her fourth year of teaching 4th grade.)

Bumping into Brooke and Madeline at The Feast of the Hunters' Moon in 2021.

Congratulations, Madeline and Joe, and I hope you have many happy years together! And thank you for including me in your wedding day. 

Love always,

Mrs. I./Lynn

 

The Nutcracker Ballet

This year, the holiday theme in my classroom was "Children's Classics Expressed in the Fine Arts." Even though I wasn't there to teach it, the sub taught the kids about how classic books not only are made into movies, but into operas and ballets, too.

As part of the unit, we did a winter learning trip and went to a performance of The Nutcracker Ballet this afternoon. Since it was a Saturday, it wasn't an official field trip, and parents had to come with their children. Jessica Albrecht, another teacher at Hershey (and a ballerina herself) brought her class along with mine, and we had about 80 people in the audience.

My mother and sisters, Leslie and Jenny, have made this a tradition the past couple of years and attend the Saturday matinee with me. And, since every year the ballet company change costumes and dances, it is always new.

Three former students and one current one danced in the production this year.

 Me, Kathleen Loftus (a 4th/5th grader currently in my class), and Caroline Loftus (one of my 3rd/4th/5th graders, now a 7th grader.) Kathleen danced as a soldier and in Trepak (the costume she is wearing in this picture.) Caroline played Fritz, Clara's naughty brother. In three years in my classroom, Caroline NEVER, EVER did anything except her best, so it was fun to see her pretend to be naughty! She also was on toe as a snowflake, and then played an angel (her costume here.)

 We asked her to show off her wings - her dad teased her and called her the goddess Athena!

Me, Meredith Roberts ( a 2nd/4th/5th grader who is now a 6th grader at East Tipp), and Madeline Roberts (3rd/4th/5th, now a 7th grader.) Meredith performed as a mouse in the battle and then in Trepak (the costume she is wearing.) Madeline played one of Fritz's friends, a soldier, and finally danced in Chocolate (her costume here.) Madeline only began dancing two years ago, but she seems to have some real talent.

School's Out! (Again)

School's out, and I have made it through my five weeks as the teacher for the middle schoolers at the alternative school. There were lots of ups and downs, tears, and frustrations on my part, but we had some good moments, too. My goal was to get them back in school, and for ten kids, that is going to happen. 

I began with thirteen kiddos, expelled two due to gross violations of the rules for being in the program, and a third left of his own volition. Of the remaining ten kids, I have hopes for them to be successful next year, but it is up to them. 

One of the very best parts of coming out of retirement is that I had a former student of mine working alongside of me.

I was Madeline's teacher for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. She is now studying to be a teacher at Purdue University, and so when they told me I could have a classroom assistant, I invited her to apply for the job.  What a treat to work with her! And she is going to be an excellent teacher herself.

It was a proud teacher moment for me when Madeline taught the students origami - something that I introduced her to when she was in my classroom.

The students were absolutely riveted and for many of them, it was an opportunity to be successful at something in school.

Some even took the origami to different levels, experimenting with various sizes of paper as well as making other shapes besides the cranes that Madeline taught them.

The very last day of school was the roughest we'd had in the class for at least a week. The kids were DONE with school and their behavior reflected that. It was a constant juggle all day long, and my patience was stretched as thin as I think it has ever been stretched before. One student became so angry at me that I was actually afraid that he was going to hit me at one point as he raised his voice and yelled at me. (I called the principal for help at that point.)

 My desk and things, all packed up for the end of the school year.

As difficult as those five weeks were, I did come to love the students. There were moments when the tough outer exteriors dropped for a few moments and I could see them as simply kids. We even had some laughter - the morning class had a running joke about always being hungry (none of them ate breakfast and so would be hungry an hour into the school day.) It became a fun joke of them begging for food or threatening to use their phones to order something and have it delivered to school. One boy even googled, "What to do when your teacher is starving you" and showed it to me, and we laughed and laughed over that one. So some good moments, some glimmers of who they could be if they would take the chance being offered them and change their focus to better things.

I wrapped up the last day by packing and closing down the classroom after the students left. I am exhausted and drained, and my emotions are mixed. Did I really make any kind of difference in those kids' lives? There was some progress - ten students will be back in school this August, their language was much improved, and they ended the school year far more respectful than they were five weeks ago when I arrived. 

Tough as it was, I'm glad that I took the position. I hope that perhaps the kids saw a different side of life and know that I cared about them. My fingers are crossed that they will find better success next year than they did this one.

It's now up to them.

Duck Egg Ice Cream and M&Ms

The Roberts family came to visit me and see how I was doing. They are another of my 5 year families - Madeline was in my class for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade (she's now going into 8th grade) and Meredith for 2nd, 4th, and 5th (She'll be a 7th grader at East Tipp.) It is the first time I've ever had siblings in my classroom, but it worked out well. The Roberts family is wonderfully grounded.

They love in a beautiful 100+ year brick farm home out on the Wabash near Delphi, and they have chickens and ducks. Krista made me some homemade vanilla ice cream with duck eggs - was it ever rich and creamy! They also brought me three kinds of M&Ms - plain, peanut, and peanut butter - as a get well present.

 Madeline plays on the player piano.

 Then Meredith oversees Matthew's turn.

Mama Krista with Madeline, Matthew, and Meredith.

It is really nice to have families I have grown to love over the years stay in touch.

Super Bowl Sisters (Third Post of the Day)

This afternoon Madeline sent me this picture of herself holding a Green Bay Packers cake and her sister, Meredith, with a Pittsburgh Steelers one. I am sure they baked the cakes themselves for today's Super Bowl.

These two were in my first Hershey class when I taught the 2/3 gifted class (and then I had them both for two years in the 4th/5th class). Madeline was a 3rd grader and Meredith in 2nd grade when I first met them. I still remember Meredith, who was one of the cutest 2nd graders I have ever seen,  telling me she could be very grumpy. "Oh, surely not!" I responded. Madeline looked at me solemnly, raised her eyebrows, and nodded assent that, yes, Merry COULD be a grump. That memory still makes me smile.

Thoughtful Former Students

The R girls - some of my all time favorite students. Both were in the 2/3 my first year at Hershey, and both moved up to the 4/5. Lucky me - three years with these sisters.

(When I first met them, Merry, the 2nd grader announced, "I can be grumpy!" when I asked her to tell me about herself. "Oh, surely not!" I said, looking down at that sweet little face. I turned to look at her  older sister, Madeline, who had raised her eyebrows and was nodding sagely. "Oh, yes, she can!" she declared. But, in all our years together, I never, ever saw Merry grumpy.)

Merry sent me an email Thursday night. "Look around your door in the morning - elves came!" They sure had - those "elves" had decorated my classroom door! When? My guess was the previous evening during the Hershey Choir party. The girls' brother is still at Hershey and sings in the choir.

 Shades of many years ago when those girls helped our class make 1,000 paper cranes!

 Merry and Madeline made four out of gum wrappers. (So, the two of them and their parents all must've been chewing gum while their brother sang.)

 Two were on my Zeus welcome plaque. The larger crane says, "I miss you, Mrs. I. Love, Meredith."

Another two, also made out of the program from the evening were on my mailbox. "We flew high with Mrs. I...  Madeline" is written on the larger one.

Is it any wonder that I love these girls? Rather, these young women who are in 8th and 9th grade and yet still check in occasionally?

A "Hillbilly" of a Student

I got this email today from Madeline Roberts, one of my three-year students.  I have always loved Madeline's sense of humor and she is full on in this email for sure!

(When you read this here email, read with an' Ozark twang....)
  Heeeyy, you'll never guess what I've been up to.  So, I got cast in this play, called Beverly Hillbillies. Y'all should come, Matthew n' I be in it. I'm Cousin Pearl n' Mrs. Stokley-Symthe an' Matthew is gonna b' Mr. Turner n' Mr. Oglethorpe.
  Beverly Hillbillies is at Civic Theatre an' runs April 11-13. If yore goin't go you should buy tickets now cuz there sellin' em lickty split . :)

Matthew and I would shore appriciate it if you came!
Thanks,
Madeline Roberts

Gonna git myself on down and get me a ticket or two!

The Nutcracker Ballet

Seeing The Nutcracker Ballet has become a tradition for me - and every other year I bring my students along to see it. (Like this year.) A real plus is that I have former students who dance!

Meredith Roberts and me.

"Merry, Merry, Merry, Meredith" (her nickname) is one of my three year students as she was in the 2/3 class and then the 4/5. She's now a sophomore in high school, and dances en pointe. She danced several roles today - the housekeeper, a snowflake, a flower, and as the soloist in Trepak.

As I watched her dance, I thought back to when she was a second grader and I was meeting her for the first time. Her sister, Madeline, was also in the 2/3 class. I don't remember all of the conversion, but I was getting to know the girls and Madeline was talking about Merry. "She's grumpy!" she declared. I turned to look at Merry and she looked up at me very solemnly and nodded in agreement with her sister. I had a tough time not bursting into laugher.

Eight years later (and with no sign of grumpiness), Merry still makes me smile, whether she is pirouetting across the stage or giving me a hug after her curtain call.

A Surprise Party

Thursday after our Chess Challenge with the 2/3 class, 

 I walked into my classroom...

 ... and was stunned to discover...

 ... that the classroom was already full.

Who were these people??

Former students from my years as a Hershey teacher!

Kathleen Loftus handed me a container of her mother's famous "Loftus Fudge...

 ... and then gave me a big hug.

 I was so stunned, I did not know what to do or say.

There were former students everywhere, mingling with my current class!

Tim Schnepp was with us (he was in on the surprise) and he ended up helping me get my current students out to the buses at dismissal so that I could stay with my formers. (Thanks, Tim!!)

There were so many people, I did not know who to talk to first.

So I just jumped in!

So many people who have been dear to me over the years.

When you spend two (and even three) years together,you become very close.

Caleb Biemfohr squeezed in his visit between school and a track meet.

Albert Quigley, Jessica Gregory, and Katy (Katybug) Olson.

 For old time's sake, they wanted to go out to the playground (even though some of them are college students!)

 This is one of my favorite photos from the day.

Mrs. Olson, who helped Katybug organize the party, had the idea to take photos by the year the students were with me.

 Fromt row: Katybug, Albert, Sophie Anthony, Jessica Gregory. Back row: Lilli Tordil, and Angelina Poznanski. They are finishing their sophomore year at Harrison.

 Nikki Campbell, Lauren Smith, and 6'3" Zach Kelly are freshmen in high school.

 Ben Anthony and Merry, Merry, Merry, Meredith, who were in the 2/3 class with me and so were with me three years,  just finished their freshman year at Purdue.

 Harrison seniors Emily Blanchard, Kathleenie Loftus, Grace Bowen, Ellen Bowen, and Jon Hillery.

Chris Page, Daniel Campbell, Jay Thoennes, and Erin Smith are juniors in high school.

Carobou (Caroline) Blanchard and Madeline Roberts will be juniors are Purdue this August and were part of the original 2/3 class and thus with me for three years.

After our "recess time," we went back inside. I saw Jon Hillery looking through my book collection and wondered what he was doing.

 Turns out he was looking for a book he had gifted me seven years ago!

 And he found it! (I cannot believe he remembered that gift all these years later.)

The party wound down and people began leaving around 5:00. Several of the kids asked to have one last picture together. I was happy to oblige.

 Carobou and Emily.

 Sophie and Ben.

 Albert (who told me that seeing me again was the highlight of his whole school year) and Katybug.

 Jon and Ben.

 Madeline and Merry Merry Merry Meredith.

Laura Hess, Katybug's mother, who helped put the party together.

 I am blessed.