Heroes

This morning, my husband sent me this picture from his phone to mine. Will Smith, the actor, visited the school where my husband teaches. Apparently, some of the students knew who he was and were pretty excited. The other teachers certainly did, and I guess some of the female teachers were all atwitter over having the celebrity at their school.

Now, I've never seen a Will Smith movie, so forgive my "Bah, humbug!" attitude. But, as the kids and I sat in our family room reading this morning, I couldn't help but be underwhelmed at the significance of the surprise visit to the public school. Now, granted, Smith, in town to promote a new movie, didn't have to visit the school. He didn't have to give them $2,000. But the fact that we, as a society, go so ga-ga over entertainers really bugs me.

I sat there, reading about ancient Greece, and thought about who I'd like our children to see. The veterans who were at the Veteran's Day program last week came to mind. How about someone who can build a house from the ground up? What about having a missionary stop by for a visit? A rancher. A farmer. A pastor. A fireman. An abortion clinic protester. A believer who worships clandestinely in a country where Christianity is forbidden. These are some of the heroes I want my children to learn from and look up to.

Do Hard Things

Last week, our local newspaper had its weekly column where respondents are selected arbitrarily and asked a question. "What do you most look forward to after graduating?" was asked of a local high school's seniors. Three of the six respondents answered, in some fashion, "Getting out of my house." The other three answered with a variation of, "Going to college."

Our son is nearly 14, and entering high school (at home) in the fall. I know he may very well be singing a different tune four years from now. But this past weekend, he spent time helping at the Rebelution conference in Denver. He was setting up, tearing down, checking bathrooms after the breaks, etc. He enjoyed the 90 minute sermon by Mr. Harris. He took notes during part of the twins' talks. He started reading their book, Do Hard Things, on the way home in the car.

It is my fervent prayer that our son continues to grow in his faith. That when he graduates from high school, he will be eager for the next step in his life. But it is also my prayer that he will have good memories associated with his home and won't feel the need to tell anyone that he can't wait to move out.

(photo is of our son, in the middle, with Brett and Alex Harris)

The View From Our Schoolroom Window--Part 2

Here's the latest in technology at our local government schools. Paid for by our tax dollars, of course.

This year, three schools in our district have a new machine that reads the magnetic strip on one's driver's license. (I didn't realize we HAD such a thing on our licenses until I just looked.) Every visitor that enters the building must have their license scanned to check for prior criminal status, including that of being a registered child, you-know-what offender. If the person passes muster, they receive a visitor badge, complete with a photo of themselves, their name, and the room to which they are going.

We've got a way to keep criminals out of our school, too. It's called a discerning mommy, a locked security door, and a dog.

The View From Our Schoolroom Window

Today was the first day of school for the neighborhood government elementary school, and as is usually the custom, many parents escorted their children to their classrooms. Living 1/2 block from the school, our street ends up as an overflow parking spot.

Our little schoolroom overlooks our front yard and the street. This morning we had an SUV parked out front as parents walked their children to school. I was getting ready for our own school day and saw a young couple standing by the vehicle about ten minutes after the school's tardy bells had rung. They were hugging and the male appeared to be consoling the female.

Now, those are the facts. What I can only conjecture, but believe to be true, is that this woman was distressed over taking her child to school. Perhaps it is her child's first day of kindergarten. Perhaps she has accepted as "normal" that you take your child to school when they are five.

But what her heart told her was something quite different entirely. Leaving your five year old child in a large brick building with a stranger and lots of other little strangers isn't normal at all.

The Constitution--Part II

This is an unretouched e-mail sent to all teachers and principals in a nearby government school district. The words in boldface were originally sent that way. I have not highlighted that myself. All I have done is remove the listed resources and the identifying information about whom to contact which were at the end of the e-mail. Please note which other observance occurs near Constitution Day, and of the two, which observance should be celebrated on the actual day.

SENT ON BEHALF OF THE CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER


Please share this information with your principals and teachers. Thank you.


September 17th is Constitution Day!

As of last year, there is a new federal law in effect requiring us to teach about the Constitution of the US on or near September 17th.

On May 24, 2005, the U.S. Department of Education released a Notice of Implementation (for the full text, visit: http://www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister/other/2005-2/052405b.html), announcing that all educational institutions receiving federal funding must provide an educational program pertaining to the United States Constitution on September 17 of each year. This date in history marks the actual signing of our Constitution. However, when September 17 falls on a weekend or holiday, such as this year, programming must be held during the preceding or following week. In order to avoid a scheduling conflict with programming for September 16th, Mexican Independence Day, we recommend that elementary schools observe Constitution Day any time/day during the month of September. The intent of the law is to help our students gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of our Constitution. Teachers can choose to use any of the resources listed below, the materials they currently have and/or the activities that they will receive in school mail. If you have any questions, contact......