Isn't this lovely?
However it's just what you deal with.
Isn't this lovely?
However it's just what you deal with.
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Isn't this lovely?
However it's just what you deal with. -
I found this on the net today.
By John Antonik
I'm linking over to the article. I think maybe perhaps I went to school with the writer. This I lifted to sink here, it's so nostalgic for me.
He's writing about the coach that was my life you know. I've known Gale Catlett and his family just all my life. I want to think about him here a minute. In lieu of a hug. This article above does a pretty fair job of telling you that Gale saved a few lives. Turned a few of us into much better people. I like that. It hits home. He made me who I am, when I am worth two beans.
When I was a little girl, really little, we rented a house in Morgantown , West Virginia in a neighborhood called South Park. Lots of old Victorians. We rented the greatest house I wish I owned it. My Dad was a prof. at the University. It was pretty cool because we rented from Freda Vandervort whose husband had owned the Sanitary Dairy in the town, and he was on the Board of the bank, owned a farm, and was Hu, my friend. Mom knew Freda from bridge. I think this was why they figured it out.
The house sat next door to Freda. So I kind of got to be a part of Freda's family life. Years later she took me to my high school graduation, Dad was out of town. She was the one that celebrated with me. Her daughter Anise, a twin, was so good to me. She was married to Gale, pretty, just married then. As we got to know one another I had something children maybe today miss. There was such feeling warm West Virginia good community in my town. Community. It matters to my life.
The Catlett's taught me to swim. They took me all kinds of places. I knew Freda's home better or as well as my own. Freda's azaleas, which were so rare and beautiful, her Lily of the Valley, her backyard garden, was/is as important to me as the air. What can I say, this family was wonderful to me? When Gale had his two daughters they were/are something more precious to me than anyone. I adore them both. Got to take care of them.
One is expecting ( had a little girl!) and I've been a bit busy teaching so perhaps I'm sensing that it could be "anytime" now. WONDERFUL. Now that will be a day. MAN. I'll enjoy seeing Anise and Gale as grandparents. That baby will land exactly in the right spot to thrive.
You know I want to talk about this for a reason.
All I had through this family helps define my attitudes and why I work with children now.
They were always the kind of people that "gave back", in many ways my mom carries that trait in her own very eccentric way too. And as I think about it, as big a pain as he is, my Dad so valued public education, served it and worked his life about forwarding it too. So I did know this in my life. Dad said you couldn't be a child of the depression , living in poverty, and not "get this." Help the human race. Lived that.
I think children really need and deserve what grew in their garden for me. Since this came to me simply through their goodness and altruism, I want to celebrate that too.
I often spent summers with the Catletts, going to Cincinnati when Gale coached there, Kentucky or over to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. They were so generous in this inclusion. Oh I had great times. I sat in Reds games, met folks you might rather be impressed about. Great times. I never saw in all those times together any cross words. I reflect on that a lot.
I'm not saying that my friends didn't have understandings of unfairness or the insanity of politics or the things that were wrong out here in the world, they really get that, but in their relating to each other they were so aware of not doing that. They didn't drink, they didn't swear, they didn't horde. They seemed to find ways to reach out all the time to people. This is who they are. Life affirming. In what I knew/saw they were just so well liked. I so love them. There is no doubt in my mind at all I can thank them for any good qualities I have, including my love of fantastic done up holidays. I don't know I used to think they knew how to support each other.....now I know they do. How to understand that children need so much joy and specialness. Centered on them. I felt that, I liked to give that to their beautiful girls and extend that out to those we knew. If I had asked Freda, and I probably did ask her, to make that really good milk gravy and chicken she'd be making that really good gravy up. ( You need to go try some of her recipes, I'll put them here below and have a five mile post.)
Many years we celebrated my birthday together. I liked Freda's baked beans and coleslaw so she'd make it. I liked Lemon Meringue Pie too, so my Mom made that.
They've remembered my birthdays all my life. Freda died when my son was very little. I couldn't go to her service, in fact my health often keeps me away from things ...
I think sometimes I met the Catletts and re-defined my childhood.
I suppose that's my point. You can help children redefine their childhood by being involved and involving them in who you are. Taking the time to care. In being a presence they get to know. Coaching, teaching, listening, volunteering, being there. I have kids returning to see me all the time from this 27 year teaching life. They give me hope. We're in this job for this reason. Long haul. To help see you into a life.
So they are soon any minute to have a baby. Imagine that. I love babies. Pure joy. The little girl I once rode around all over town in her baby stroller is about to be a momma. Oh my. That's wonderful beyond measure. I'm celebrating that for sure.
So what prompted this piece......????
Yesterday I had to go to the ER again.
I have my own bed there I think. Ventura Community Hospital if we ever get rich we need to do something for them. If not gastro bleeds or kidney stones or cancer...I have a syrnix too that gets me there, but I was there this time for a very bad arrhythmia.
Beating heart going (as Dr. Levy said) way beyond the allowed speed limit. 179 for him, 210 at home. I got some med in an IV that converted it right away, and tests.
I feel really awful now but it's not fast now.
The medicine converted it back. It was funny sitting there because this was bad enough to scare me. I thought of the Catlett's ( and some others too), wonderful times at games, in their life days as part of what I do to calm down.
Imagine someone giving you that.
You visualize your friends to relieve your suffering. I think they taught me early on we are here for each other. Period. No games played. There. The let me know where they are, for all these years.
If I called them tonight, needed something, they'd be there. That's lasted a lifetime. I think of these bonds I make teaching in terms of lifetimes. I'm not so sold on this notion I see bounced around in cyberworld about these advantageous temporary "hook ups," these friendships of cyberness, as we are evolving into this newer and greater thing. I'm kind of convinced kids need us for a lifetime. We need that too.
Not all of them, all the time needing, in some draining sense, not in a predictable way. Not written in a code or mandated. I just know that kids get things like this from teachers, from communities. I'd like my students to know people like Anise and Gale. Good people. I'd like a less boundaried, rich /poor world. I'd like to simply say that here.
Once Anise and I were in a car off a highway in the middle of the night going over to Cincinnati. They came over and picked me up for 6 weeks of summer salvation. Gale was ahead of us, we were driving two cars. Her daughter was maybe 4. The car stopped. Ours broke. It took awhile before Gale figured that out, then he rode off to get us help leaving us in the car. I still laugh at this. We were approached by some really awful things. Anise dealt with them. Oh my it was awful. She had to deal, she was the adult. After we got through it we laughed all night. We laughed for years. We'd laugh now. In fact I am laughing at the things we said. I'm laughing at the fear because first off we made it and second I still enjoy thinking of her "talk" with Gale later. We all stayed together in a hotel room that night. Gale saying the beds were lousy. It was fun. Gale could take anything and make it fun. I once saw him put on a coat a poor soul made him I think out of basketballs and he made that fun for her. But when I need to laugh I think of sitting in that car in the middle of nowhere in Ohio wondering if we were going to "meet Jesus" part of her "talk" that still gives me giggles. I'm sorry I think kids need us to help them laugh too. At stuff that makes me cry inside most of the time. The kids I teach need a lot.
I was picturing this morning Gale coming into that ER and asking me what was going on exactly and me stammering through "Yes, sir"...just would be funny.
He'd know what to ask. Get you feeling better.
I'm not so sure he's taking care of himself however. I think he ignores his own health.....do you know any iconographic people? Do they ever take care of themselves?
I think Anise told me he had mowed the back 40 in Hedgesville and then noticed chest pain he finally admitted.
After leaving coaching....no wonder, coaching is stress. "On" everyday it's stress. I saw him help so many kids. He was so subtle in this. You just find this in some people. You don't even realize what they have done.
So...I think of teachers....I'm suffering health issues (FROM THE JOB I think partly sure) ...I know teachers at my work, same. One friend to the ER last week for chest pain, another feeling that too. That's three of us. Another with a heart attack a few weeks ago in our District. I listen to how the last few years has beat us up. Nationwide. I resent it, it's a disgrace. I do put that at the feet of this President. Sorry. Accountability is his word, be accountable for what you did to teachers. Me. I listen to younger teachers talking about working for future, "working smarter," I listen, read and know how much I do. Look at what I'm paid, what I buy, what hours it takes, and how inadequately funded my state was in education...it's just beyond me to articulate feelings held as I do right now.
You know I have a lot of friends, too many we deeply need, that left this teaching job because doing it right was more important than being forced to do it wrong.
Gale met that wall in coaching for reasons I'm not going into. I don't need to, and neither did he. A life's work shone through to speak for itself.
Teachers need a new kind of day. They need to be respected. I don't agree this is about evaluating them or putting rich or Standfordized systems of really good teacher accounting in place, though I do like things said by Linda Darling Hammond et al generally on poverty and education. I think actually until we do longitudinal studies on all our kids, track them all through time and incorporate that in our "knowing" I'm not sure what we "know."
One thing for sure poor kids need folks.
I look up to see my friend in chest pain there for them, her students, as she writes plans in the ER ....through time watch her giving heart.... we surely missed the point.
But even more importantly I have to look more from the "me."
I'm one person, making a life trying to go into a hood and do the right thing.
Trying to give to kids so they might know what I knew as a child. People to help you redefine your childhood, to make your life what you would like it to be.. I'm completely disappointed with the things the last 10 years wrought in teaching for kids in poverty through some politics in a game format....because I don't see the closed "gap." But I'll work to improve what I do. Even if I know that should be done in an atmosphere that values the lives of these kids and my life too . But it's a community effort. I thank God I came from that.
When Gale left coaching I was very sick trying to write up my teaching life....for my kids...I thought I was going really fast. A gastro bleed and other issues with the cancer (then unknown) convinced me I needed to try to say a few things. I got a bit upset because things in my town were said about him that were unkind. So I wrote this to our local paper...I'm putting it here again for my kids. I think they read here once in awhile too. Hope so.. I know the world understands these moments. When we just need to get something off our chest. For me today, feeling kind of sick...I'm just thinking of the value of those that mentored me, changed my life and all they gave to me.
So my letter...I think from 2002. It was published in the Dominion Post. I'm proud of that too being a West Virginian always myself.
Dear Editor of the Dominion Post,
Years ago I set out on a task which today I'd find daunting, to capture in symbols and form my county for a county Seal contest. It was a good thing I was so young, because I had the optimism and enthusiasm to think it was possible for me to do it. And indeed I did create a design that embodied some of the place I will always consider home.
Home is different for West Virginians, just as love of the hills is kindred, a Mountaineer is always free and always loyal to the struggles, beauty, and feel of the place we call West Virginia. And so it is some years later I would like to write about someone as dear to me as the place of my birth that shaped my childhood and life and was "A True West Virginian". And once more such a person is hard to capture in words and yet something in me, just as it did years ago with the Seal, wishes to try.
When I was young I lived in Morgantown on Maple Ave. South Park was my neighborhood. We rented a home from Mr. and Mrs. Hu S. Vandervort, long known to the city for Sanitary Dairy and many connections to the town. Living next door to them as a five year
old I came to know Anise and Gale Catlett, and grew up intertwined
with their family. Gale and Anise taught me to swim at Marilla, they
visited town and I went bopping next door to visit and share the
kindness and love always extended to me. I knew through many years that they would be there for my birthdays, listen to my thoughts, go places with me. It was an extension into a family that means more to me than I can ever express. I watched and knew Coach Catlett as he became a head coach, had his beautiful daughters and lived his life.
When he came back to West Virginia I can recall the time like it was
yesterday. Those days past rapidly through time. It meant something more that it was Gale coaching because the state of West Virginia, his family meant so much to him. And I can see his mother-in –law tuning in the games on the radio or TV ready to support the team that he came to lead. Often I think of exactly what Gale meant to me. He gave me a sense of belonging beyond my own family. He was exciting and energetic. He was positive, good and true. He was one of the most decent people I ever met. Gale was exactly what West Virginia is at its best. He was dedicated, caring, hard-working and always a friend.
And he made my life richer and more meaningful. What I saw knowing him was essentially more than a coach, he was a leader and he was doing his job by giving young people direction. He did this for me and he did this for others. Gale's children and his wife lived a life of great kindness to those in their community through these years, as teams played and won and records were set and recorded.
It is so sad to see a coach leave the school. It feels like the passing of an era. Often I wonder if the loyalty, endurance and beauty of the spirit of the state remains as it was once. Things change, values alter, times rush us away from ourselves.
I picture the children in my classes long ago and can see youngsters
whose families worked so hard to survive in those hills. I can see in
my mind's eye the quiet dignity of my home state. And I can find there in my mind's eye my image of the Mountaineer Spirit. A person who dedicated a career and life to bring so much to so many in a sports program to celebrate West Virginia and the era from which he had come.
I want to thank Gale for his love of the State and his dedication to
his program, his successes were many. He brought so much to so many. And for me his place will always be amongst those mighty Mountaineers who were loyal and true and did what they set out to do.
Sincerely,
Sarah McIntosh Puglisi
My seal....side one
Here are some Freda recipes....
Tomato Aspic
Tomato Aspic
1 sm. box lemon Jello
1 c. boiling waterMix the Jello and water well. Add the following: 1 1/2 tsp. vinegar 1/2 tsp. salt 1 tbsp. horseradish Dash of Worcestershire sauce 1 c. chopped celery 1 c. grated carrots(fine)Place in round ring mold- hollow mold or 9x9 pan. Refrigerate
I think this is Freda's...I think
It's not like I had it anywhere else
where does one get ground ham?1 1/2 lbs. ham loaf mix (1 lb. ground ham, 1/2 lb. ground pork)
1 egg
1/2 c. Italian bread crumbs
1/4 to 1/2 c. milk to moisten
sauce:1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. dry mustard
1/4 c. vinegar
1/2 c. waterMix ham loaf mix, egg, bread crumbs and add milk to desired moisture. Form into loaf. Baste throughout cooking with sauce. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.Freda's Sugar Cookies
I think this maybe from her sister Julia Tutweiler from Kiser, West Virginia. Though Freda lived in Morgantown west VA on Maple Street .
Long story, greater cookie….
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup butter
Cream them well.
Add:
1 egg (well beaten)
Sift together and I sift, measure then sift:
(as we learned to do at our mom's knee and I guess in Home ec. Too)
4 cups flour
1 tsp. Soda
Add that in alternating it with 1/3 cup milk
Then add 1 tsp. Vanilla.
Chill in refrigerator several hours or overnight. Roll thin(very) just a little dough at a time using flour and I use a wooden board, cut in shapes with a cookie cutter. Sprinkle with colored sugar. Bake at 325 for about 6 min but I find I take out when edges are just turning but not all over cookie brown. You get a feel for them after a few times .
Only use real butter….hey she was a dairy lady all the way and lived a 98 year life free of almost every illness except a stroke at 98. But that was partly due to home grown veggies and pure living.
I promised hearty so here is that one...
FREDA'S COLESLAW
Freda Vandervort would make this for my birthday.
Use a big grater, Grate cabbage not too fine (tho I thought of it as fairly fine) . Add celery salt. Very little celery seed. Sometimes some celery leaves if you have good ones.
Homemade dressing:
egg beaten
1/2 cup white vinegar and a bit of water
Add two tablespoons of sugar.
Add 1/4 tsp. salt
Little piece of soft butter
1/2 tsp dry mustard
Add 1/2 teaspoon flour Add a little half and half. Cook until thick (I mean is this cool or what)
Put 1 tablespoon sour cream , mayo (she used Miracle whip)and this dressing on the cabbage. Now mix and fridge.
Savory Squash
10 to 12 large yellow squash sliced
1 large onion slices
1 (8oz) container sour cream
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar
2 cups corn flakes crushed
Cook squash and onion in boiling water (she says small amt) just to cover 20 minutes , drain well, press between paper towels to get dry.
Stir together squash mixture, sour cream, salt and pepper, Spoon in a lightly greased 13 by 9 by 2 inch baking pan. Top with cheese. Stir together corn flake crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 8 to 10 servings
(or with kids like mine endless amounts for guests)
Freda's Macaroni
This she showed me.
Cook and drain macaroni noodles, she always used about 4 or 5 cups-so I guess she started with a cup or so of noodles and she got them soft, drain
She may have used a double boiler...but in saucepan
melt 1 stick butter
Add in 1 cup milk (sometimes a bit of cream if you have it or half and half)
About a cup of Velveeta cut up in chunks she added and mixed in noodles. Put in pepper and salt.
Simple.
Butterscotch Brownies
1/4 cup butter or soft shortening
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
3/4 cup sifted flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup chopped nuts
Heat oven to 350 degrees
Melt shortening over low heat. Remove
Stir in sugar till blended. Cool.
Stir in egg.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.
Add vanilla and nuts and stir.
Spread in well greased square pan. Bake about 20 minutes . Cut while warm.
Potato salad
(this Freda and I sat and wrote up one afternoon tho I am not a good maker to this day)
6 or 7 medium potatoes
Boil potatoes with jackets on.
Let get cold. Let them stand and sprinkle 1/2 cup white vinegar over them for several hours.
Peel/dice then add diced onions (she said about two good sized onions)
Add 4 or 5 sticks celery, chopped fine.
add 1/2 teaspoon celery seed. add 6 hard boiled eggs sliced. (Add radishes to top). Salt and pepper to taste.
Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip mixed with mustard is mixed in with this .
In typical Freda fashion she left this amount to my figuring. Freda gave me A LOT of credit for brains I do not have.
White Cake
1 1/3 cup shortening(1/2 butter)
2 2/3 cup sugar
4 cups sifted Soft As Silk Cake Flour
6 tsp baking powder (which I always think I copied wrong so check with Anise, remember Freda spoke these recipes to me)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 cup thin milk(and I ask you-what is thin milk?)
1 !/3 tsp. vanilla and lemon mixed
8 egg whites
Cream shortening and sugar.
Add flour sifted with baking powder and milk alternately. Fold in egg whites.
Pour in three layers greased and floured.
Bake 40 to 45 minutes at 350 degrees.
I think I always half that baking powder as I fear it....
Baked Beans
I got this from Freda again her talking me through it..
2 1 lb. cans pork and beans about 4 cups
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp dry mustard
6 slices bacon browned nicely and chopped
chop up a small onion
1/2 cup catsup
Empty 1 can of beans into a 1 1/2 quart casserole combine the brown sugar and mustard and sprinkle half over the beans, put in some bacon and onions. Top with the other can of beans and sprinkle the remaining brown sugar mixture, the chopped bacon and catsup. Bake uncovered in slow oven (325) 2 1/2 hours.
Lemon Loaf
This is an Anise Catlett specialty and it is delightful
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lemon rind grated fine
Combine ingredients and place into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 degrees.
Pour the juice of 1 lemon plus 1/4 cup sugar(I swear I thought she used powdered sugar -ask her)
over bread while warm. Punch holes in the bread so the juice will be absorbed.
Zucchini Casserole
5 medium large zucchini
one medium onion
one container sour cream(2 cups)
Use a shallow casserole
1 1/2 to 2 cups grated cheese (cheddar I think)
Parboil zucchini with onions
Layer and put cheese on top
Bake a bit
I know it's really a loose description and I just recall it one or two times.
Lemon Squares
1st layer
1 cup sifted flour
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter
2nd layer
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. sifted flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
2 eggs slightly beaten
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
icing
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp melted butter
Combine 1st 3 ingredients, cut in butter. Press into a greased 8 by 8by 2 inch pan. Bake at 325for 15 minutes.
Mix sugar, flour, baking powder , salt, eggs, lemon juice and lemon rind. Pour over baked layer. Bake at 325 degrees for 25 minutes. Cool.
Blend remaining ingredients till smooth. Spread over baked layer, cut in squares. (cool in fridge)0Add a comment
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Oct23
And Children We Know That the Sun Gives Us HEAT.........Exploring Time and Space Observation Number Two
Oh....it's 98 in my classroom.When was the last time you wore a medical mask to school?
Her mom is sending in a "class set" tomorrow. It's presently "cool" in our classroom.
Oxnard.....hot, dry, itchy, eyes burning, throats sore. And we should hold our breath.
I'm glad I stopped this morning going to work to teach my 1st graders at 6:30 AM and bought two boxes of Dora The Explorer pop sickles. They really help the throat. 48 of them were gone in an hour, so tasty cool. Tomorrow I'm bringing water bottles and fruit pops. Prepared. Perhaps we will try ice cubes.....I'll get a bag of that too. It might make sense to find spray bottles and mist ourselves. It is so very dry.
I'll try to think what we can do with ice and science, it's my son's birthday tomorrow.
The children cannot go outside of course. So finding ways to get comfortable inside a heater is a challenge. If they were in school in Temecula they'd send them out. I found that out with my own kids a few years ago in the Cedar Fire.
No AC for us in our hood. But we are trying.
Southern CA is like nothing I've seen in my 20 years in CA. I'm looking at Rancho Bernardo on TV in horror, Sophia's dance teacher for Highland dance four or so years ago lives there. I am praying her house is still there. It's an awful thing to see their damage and to know I've sat exactly there in my car reading a book many, many Thursdays where this is so burned, going to the mall around the corner for pasteries and going to the bookstore. Frankly I'm just sick for our friends.
Right now I'm watching something floating in the air like I pictured in my 4th grade imagination in olden volcano days.......but the risk to our lives just breathing is a very serious issue. And I would hope to find some humor, but I'm not so sure.....
One of my students was apparently admitted for asthma last night, (a stop on the way home to give the child a gift on my To Do It List). I'm so very thankful his mom got him to the care. (And that they had space too.) This is the worst weather for asthmatics breathing. I hate to say you have no idea because many reading know exactly how this is having experienced it. It might be better to say I had no idea and I've been through a few very serious fires. This is worse. Much worse.
That 98 in the room helped me teach the thermometer today and it's VERY hot for 1st graders, starting at around 9AM it was very heated. The fish tank was way cooler something I'm not sure I understand and our bird spent the day on the floor of the cage. I knew today was a bit like a battle. There is this odd need for folks to have things appear "as normal." So my husband is out tonight running a Migrant meeting. I wonder why, but I guess this is what we do. We "go on."
Unfortunately some of my kids today thought of it as "me against them." Yeah, not good.
I try on that, but they are really not too interested in what I am up too....I'm not too interested either. We cannot open the one window that does open or the door due to the smoke in the air. It is so dry. The winds are high. We are agitated. Every child has spent a good deal of time telling me about every OTHER CHILD's indiscretions. And frankly I agree with them. YUCK, everyone. I bet a study would show a correlation between extreme irritation, smoke and children finding nothing/no one to their liking. And teacher's talking too much.
Dr. Puglisi came over today. I almost fell over thinking maybe someone was sick or worse but he was there he reminded me (rather PUT OUT too) to work on our join Space and Time Project.
Now this is funny because just right now I have a VERY different relationship to space and time.And I think perhaps generally very affluent Southern CA is rapidly developing a different awareness of time and space from all of this as well. From the desert to the sea we are all re-evaluating what matters, what we need and what matters to us today, tomorrow and it looks like clearer than glass ....love, children, friends, safety, caring, helping and things like reaching out to others is the real meaning of America. As we revolve through our seasons, through our days you realize that time shared, our reactions in our time define us.
It would seem we can recall our national charter.
We are in a state of emergency, bringing to it our hearts and our meanings.
Not to get too teary but you have to experience the feelings of going out with a class to measure the sun knowing that the children are so very, very vulnerable. What has happened in just a week. Amazing. Keep a thought in your time and space for all of us in this time and space. And we will do the same.
Anyway, on to our project........to measure and watch the sun through a year.
This is our second day(every Tuesday 11AM) observing/marking the shadow cast from a tether ball court pole (gnomone) so that through the year we can measure the shadow cast and watch how that alters/moves as the weeks go by.
Today the children acted out orbiting the sun and tried to understand what the earth does as it circles the sun before we went out.
Before they went out today we charted their birthdays
(which I forgot to photograph with my "photographers")
as we are creating a large solar calendar from this project thanks to Steven C. Clark. Here he models it at Mesa School with their children. If you look it is seasonal and on it are the months and birthdays arranged. Mine's coming soon. We can't wait.
That "birth data" needs to be on the calendar. Of my 19 Sheltered immersion children only 2 knew their own birthday in either language! Most said their birthday is TOMORROW.
So that was interesting. It might give you a STARTING PLACE notion. Of their time and space.
Mr. Puglisi came over because we are documenting this project with children photographers and I'm teaching them how to do this so just right now I need help. They are learning how to download shots, work on "our blog" at "How Beautiful You Are" and I might be teaching how to dry tears. (mine)
It may seem easy on the surface, blogging with children this age, but it takes a lot of work. Just keeping the camera off the ground a bit of a trick with the cord wrapped around wrists and lots of, "NO, No, No" moments. But, okay, it's hot, dry and I'm not as cheery as I could be. Or not cheery at all. It was a blistering awful day.
So at almost 11AM the time globally we go out....we went out in heat, wind, smoke and as fast as we could.The moment approached. There was LAST WEEK marked and here came this week. Can you see?The magic moment at 11AMDr. Puglisi describing what we are there to do.......The adoring crowd..My favorite photoAnd like all good documentation we FORGOT to photograph the spot AFTER we painted today's mark. So ...yes...we have to work on the photography.
One of my students got this:Good one.
Dr. Puglisi2View comments
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I can't think of what to say. From Southern CA.
Ahoy Mate-y?
It's disgustingly hot. The air quality in Oxnrd is awful. Yesterday looked worse. My head has been pounding. My students endured a day in 98 degree heat, no AC of course and that the temp.
My room like an Easy Bake oven, one student's asthma so bad his mom who has no health care insurance opted reluctantly to take him to an ER. It's just awful. We are breathing air really from several fires.
Here was the sun in the morning. Not that exciting to look at.
It's been grey and awful.
Winds from the Santa Ana's blowing my students around like leaves.
You know what you think about. You know what we teachers are thinking about?
We are thinking how vulnerable we are, our kids are. Today we sat uncomfortable, unsure at lunch, waiting the few minutes to let the kids get food and blow our way back over to the dirty, filthy dusty classes and we all just looked at each other. Recalled a few other times we've faced some hard moments together. Here we are. In a fire storm from hell breathing stuff and choking. With children.
If you live in Southern CA your life is an orange haze and a breathing nightmare that is being defined by our winds. Our neighbors are burning. Places I know and have lived in are blazing. Friends under terrible stresses throughout this area. My husband's district may well be an evacuation center by AM from Fillmore and Moorpark. It is so very difficult.
Until the wind stops I cannot imagine. A good thought kept for our firefighters.
My class of Sheltered Immersion 1st graders found the energy to play....
My class. In the morning I had 6 students out. And an obligation to make the day seem like things will be fine. But also a little time for them to talk about it. And they had a lot to say. Drew some pictures. Lots of fire in those. Did you see our sky yesterday? No wonder.
October 21, 2007 Oxnard, CA
And I had a headache today so I went off script. I'm sorry, Theme two with it's "Pigs in Wigs" will not be finished "on schedule."
It will be at least a day late. And I am not caring. Pacing is a great idea that i'll leave for these younger folk that "love it." Me, I decided to write to the feelings. So we recorded "what we knew." Then looked at the News awhile. And then went for silly.
I pulled out Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head.
And as absurd as it seems here is what they wanted me to photograph to stand for the day....
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In the PM we made Chihuahuas to decorate our door for Red Ribbon week. It's Red Ribbon Week. We are teaching our Drug Free Program...I asked them and they wanted to make little Chihuahuas. Well.......ok.
So we decided they could say some drug free slogans but I forgot to take pictures....tomorrow.4View comments
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I can't think of what to say.
It's disgustingly hot. The air quality in Oxnrd is awful. Yesterday looked worse. My head has been pounding. My students endured a day in 98 degree heat, no AC f course and that the temp.0Add a comment
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Oct21
Hot, Dry and On Fire in Malibu....(and recalling fire)...Hurricane Force Winds....Pray for Southern CA, (editing as the day grows worse in Oxnard)
Waking up today I'm reminded of teaching several years ago when we were down in San Diego and fire came a mile and a half both to our home in Temecula (in the second big fire) and to the School District at Warner my husband ran in the first( Julian Fire) fire.
I worked there too up on the highest peak in San Diego servicing kids from two reservations and nearby farm lands and trailer parks and "camps". Actually I'm also remembering meeting my wilder than any class I ever saw group. Named by one the "Lord of the Flies" group... coming to school out of this fire.....which burned some of their lands... when I worked a year and aged a good many.
His first week on the job the Julian Fire bore down on them...we learned the ropes up on those mountains in a hurry, where he not only dealt with a fire that burned to the door, but also one of the days got my evacuation to a road from the Warner Ranch ( been there since the time of Teddy Roosevelt and has a golf course with big sulfur pools and horses and trails-overall nice if not ablaze especially if you like to ride-long term holders of cabins) where we were "staying" temporarily. They yelled "get out" that was pretty much it. He had the car. So I walked away with my suitcase in hand, as they dealt with all the horses boarded there. Trying to get them out, horses freaking in the confusion and wind. Awful. Awful, not enough trailers, trying to call to find safe ranches to take them. I was insignificant for sure. The people at that Ranch some nasty folks in a fire. well up on that hill are nasty folk. One a board member working the desk one of the meanest women I ever saw, at least under the pressure of that pending possible disaster. She kicked me to the street. Or long country road. Never saw her the rest of the time behaving like a human.
Jack was to preoccupied to worry much, answer the cell phone or recall getting me, not thinking all day about going and getting his wife but on relief stuff, how to get the school protected, getting info. and who knows what all. So I walked with embers blowing. You just have to experience it to appreciate it. Not a good memory. I could see the fire cresting the ridge about a mile or two away. Quite awful. I flagged a kid in a truck finally that took me some of the way as dragging my suitcase was bothering me. It was pretty much downhill from there.
I learned that too. In fire some people freak so badly they are wickedly difficult.
He had to lead and coordinate and start a school year with severely traumatized kids. That fire blazed awhile.
Me starting class too, failing to find another interviewing around in the area, my students all from fire areas. I had a "temp" job that year as a 3 to 6th grade teacher. Not so easy to find another job as we went in pretty close to the year starting but a job was open in Jack's district. Let me tell you it was a very rocky road for them, for us, not a place that understands civility, it sets people on fire to test them. That year rather literally as it happened. That fire proceeded the severe one in San Diego by about a year after we were settled living in Temecula and commuting 2 hours a day. That second fire turned our lives again. Not pleasant thoughts. I sent my girls and son to school several times in Temecula then, with this San Diego fire going on, in smoke so thick you could not see a foot in front of you (because they feared missing work and in Temecula even if you have a doctor's note they still lower your grades if you miss school in their nightmare test driven joke of a program which is so scripted they might as well hire robots) and the school made them in this severe warning weather that you would never go out in, eat outside, such was their fire safety "preparedness" and teacher's sensitivity to the situation, my Sophia so ill from asthma I'll never again assume that any system can react to things "as they are." I feel for their teachers, they allowed that system to roll all over them. Nothing reminded me of a "good thing." Big fund raisers however, fancy teacher lounges.
We had to pack our things and evacuate home. Expensive, confusing. And my grandma was dying in the middle of all of it, was dying but held on good while longer so I could not go to see then her funeral. Awful. . Although the wind switched in the middle of all of this as she held on unexpectedly so connected it was very odd in the coincidence...so it was ...well it was a time i lived.
The wind is high today and it feels wrong. I walked downstairs this morning to hear the news on...and it's not good news. Brings this back.
This morning here in Oxnard the wind is blowing so strong the panes are rattling in windows as if they might break and if you stand outside you feel as if blown over.As the chairs fly out of your yard and the neighbors greenhouse destructs and flies. And then a giant piece of a palm or eucalyptus blows by and you get inside. To avoid a blow.
I like to drive down PCH, Pacific Coast Highway to see the incredible views in Malibu and go to Zuma beach for lunch. Down Pepperdine way. This morning that drive would be impossible the roads closed and fire in several structures. The wind and the dry conditions make this a very awful situation. I'm watching two students that are there....in that University..on TV talking right now. Thinking about my daughter down in another city. Then recalling the feelings we went through in the San Diego fires.
When San Diego caught on fire my daughter was at a band competition down about two miles away they drove kind of through it at about 1 AM. On a bus. It was very ticklish getting her home, when winds reversed then the fires came our way in Temecula. The thing I learned from this. Fires are erratic, firefighters are amazing, and
Santa Ana's (winds) are just awful, especially today.
And from all I hear when the TV is working, it's a very bad situation in Malibu.
We've lost our power many times the AM.
I remember in the Warner fires trees would burst into flame from the heat....other fires are burning too in CA, one up Piru way threatening the condor preserve. One in LA county.
Just awful.
What news I see...High Winds and Fire Equal Trouble for Malibu
Fiery Wind Fueling Malibu Blaze
As I sit and watch, so of course it brings thoughts to me. We have experienced the Loma Prieta Quake living 35 miles from the epicenter, fires, floods. I recall one year lifting children water to my knees in my portible teaching so they could be carried to the cafeteria for lunch and safety. That when my 18 year old was 6.
My father came out once when severe mud slides had sent a good bit of Malibu under mud...My kids little then.
Today, California has a big, big problem in Malibu. It is such a beautiful area. Awful.
Winds gusting 80 MPH and low humidity, in mountains up to 100MPH. With this prognosticated for several days. Not good. My daughter awoke ill with asthma as she does. Not good. Week will be a hard one.
I was so traumatized in san Diego I made a file of fire photo's largely from the new stations. I had great ones too, but can't locate them. For some reason I'm going to put them here....though they are from my past. I suppose for the days when things were experienced. Friends of ours then went through some awful experience.
Keep good thoughts.
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We drove to Pasadena to see my daughter, a freshman at CalTech ,where she reports the classes are hard. There was a moon up on the drive at 4 or so in the afternoon
and the smog going in was awful. LA smog is lousy.
When we got there it was a quick dinner at a good French restaurant with her roommate and another friend. And then back home. Syl pointed out a Praying Mantis, which I do not think I have seen one since living in West Virginia. They LIED and said it was "endangered" and I wanted to take it home to live in my class.....I'm still suffering this actually. And it was sitting on the CalTech Directory. So...I got pictures of him and the dead mouse that was by the car as I went to go. Courtesy of my cats. They like to give me these kinds of presents.
It's not so easy getting back in the car and leaving your daughter to her life in college.
But I saw her....
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Today we headed out at EXACTLY 11 AM to our tetherball court observatory.
As I said in my last post, Exploring Time and Space, we have started a project connected to other schools that originated with the Mesa School District and Steven C. Clark where we are watching the rotation of the earth by looking at a shadow cast by the pole of the tetherball. All the info. on how to do this so you can even JOIN us..is on this site.
Or EMAIL smpuglisi@gmail.com
Every Tuesday we go out at 11 AM and mark where the shadow is hitting .
("See teacher right THERE")
(Eventually we will be creating the analema but let's just let that evolve...and looking at what is observed in different places on the earth)
My Sheltered Immersion First Graders were really ready this time going out. Really ready. They knew we needed the light source,sun,a Gnomon, the paint, brush, and careful work.(A little bit of the hamhock in these kids )
In time we will measure these distances and will generate more math from this than you will want to read....data tables, applied measurement, calculations...leading us to many science and math concepts, discoveries and eventually into a calendar and clock which are the basis of some of my Standards.Sun
But for today our goal was simple. Reiterate the vocabulary, mark the spot, watch the shadow move through the afternoon and then to do a connected art activity with shadows and chalk.
At around 1:30 PM I took out two boxes of sidewalk chalks and the students got on a line where I took a few photos and I asked a few questions about shadows. Just to review. They knew SO MUCH.
Then we got partners and traced each other "very carefully."Some kids thought of funny poses.Then in a delight filled activity they drew themselves and colored in the shapes.
In awhile I noticed how cross talk and a kind of purposeful play took over.We were then free of arguing, of "telling," of all the negatives.
It was a kind of force...and community work sprang out."We made it."Someone drew a house.Then some more, then a cute lane. Someone drew a chariot.
Someone else drew a sun, a fish tank.
Then children drew all kinds of things that seemed to fit their feelings and their dialogs.
The talk was so rich I was kicking myself for not filming it.
Best negotiating and shared dialog I've seen yet.The children stood back and looked. We got back on our original spots.Sure enough they said the shadows would be moved over, and they were.YES
The earth has been rotating.One child said, "Why don't we fall off?" Another yelled out, "Gravity." I kind of stood there. Then they looked at me looking at them.
Yeah. I said we need to study that too.
Yeah they said , "We LOVE to find out how things work."
Yeah. Me too.
We came in and all had a popsickle to celebrate. Dora the Explorer Pops. Yummy.
And then a dad brought me a case of strawberries and raspberries as a way to say thank-you.
That made me cry actually. a long time, actually. It was just so nice.
Berries and cream in the morning for sure.
Raspberry Tears. Isn't our fruit here beautiful?
We live in berries in this part of the country, in Oxnard, CA, where kids love science.
People think that I'm silly but where on earth would you rather be but here accepting a case of delicious berries like this on a beautiful day... full of the sun, your friends, the love of your children finding out about it all together measuring the sun to see your planet gently spinning you through space. Do you know the song "This Pretty Planet"?
Oh, it's a perfect end to this day. Tuesday.
Let's teach about the earth to kids...as early as we can.1View comments
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On Friday my class initiate joining a project that is called Exploring Space and Time.
Created by Steven Clark originally when we worked together in Greenfield, CA.
It is fully described on the Mesa Union School District Website. Along with a very good description of another fascinating project called...Profiles in Science in Action. The links for the project are here:
My daughter narrates the video so we are pretty happy with it.
Friday I began introducing the project to my class by looking at shadows.
We went outside with a box of chalk, a globe and gathered near the tetherball court.
It was, fortunately, a good day to initiate discovery, which this first day really is all about.
It was Columbus Day and we had just sung our new song, Pumpkin Head. With cupcakes to celebrate the life of my student the one who survived being hit by the car. On the big road.
It was a cupcake for his being there with us. And seeming fine.
So let me take you into the start of one of my projects. Visually.
You can read at the links above for the objectives and the basic reasons to become involved with schools around the world in this project as we look at how shadows look globally at 11 AM on Tuesdays. With visual sharing and data tables and lots of thinking about it.
We gathered around the tetherball pole on a circle painted there.The kids were not sure what was going on. We were out there to look together and make some meanings. My husband, Jack, leading this activity.He selected a student and told him to mark an X exactly where the end of the shadow hit. This X mark is VERY IMPORTANT.
I'm not sure at this point my students realized exactly what, why, but they were watching.I absolutely love this photo.Every child is trying to figure out what is going on here.
So far an X is marked at the end of a shadow cast by a pole in a tether ball court circle.Marking right here Jack asks them what is being marked.ball circle.
Lots and lots of guesses. It takes awhile and then we hear the word "Shadow". Good.
Do you know what we are watching?I start to photograph something interesting....
Our shadows!Still talking about the pole shadow I'm still taking great shadow photographs.They make another X at the end of the tetherball pole.
It is IN A NEW SPOT.
We wonder about why?????
We wonder?????
Okay kids everybody in a line......Now everybody is a tetherball pole and every head gets an X in the shadow right in the middle of their head, at the end.
A few words about the SUN shining down.Everyone is now holding still for 5 minutes...Almost everyone is perfectly still.Time to mark again....oh the marks are moving...
what?And look the marks moved at the tetherball court too.
What is going on here.....LOOK.One student says....
"Mr. Puglisi I think the earth is moving and turning."
Wow.Sun, rotation, object, shadow, time.
We have created a "record" of something. Something we can mark everyday. And look at through time.Five, Ten Minutes.........Fifteen........and then perhaps we see how the blacktop becomes a kind of clock. One student says, "We can make a clock."
Interesting.
In brief the next week we will be going out to trace our shadows, observe in intervals of thirty minutes and to notice things about shadows at different times of the day, different positions of the sun in the sky.
We will be marking at the tetherball court as practice.
Then we will join a weekly marling system and graphing, griding system to observe the way the shadow changes marking at 11AM on Tuesdays and marking on the blacktop for the rest of our year. As we explore the calendar, time, and what we can do to expand our notions of space and time.
Watch the video.
It's cool.
For a 1st day a nice initiation into one of several of our projects in science.
Our photo log.....inside students are keeping journals, with little pictures based on what they "observed" and sentences to describe our work. A little step each day.
Got it.
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Over the past 6 weeks as I drove to school (and then with the 1st grade children) we have been taking pictures at about 7AM.....a part of looking at the sky, looking at weather, looking at light, looking at a visual journal of our days.Understanding the movement of the earth, rotation. I am "mandated" to teach time, clock, past, present, future among many other things. And I'm creating contexts, coat hangers. Little bit everyday. Light, change. These are things we are "observing."
Seeing color and light quickly change. Lots of things to "notice'. To make scientists i must make observers, and people, little people that ask questions and feel valid in noticing their world. Things I should be more articulate in explaining.
But this is just a quick...impression, no?
I've been working on pasting these pictures into a grid with dates. And then as we look it will be "organized", Flickr randomized these actually.
But I'm probably lucky just to get them onto Flickr from all my messy files.
Fortunately I can stay up till 3AM this "Columbus" Discovery Learning Day and think about it ...as I organize myself for teaching next week. We began our Space, Time shadow project today with my "Discover Looking" theme, measuring the movement of the shadows from the tether ball pole. I'll get that written up right behind the mini-ecosystem in our (still not entirely balanced) Pink Aquarium project, and a great color, light. physics project that's kind of blossoming. Ah...let's just look at the mornings. And relax tonight.
Home at Last. Yeah. I'll discover that.And if you recall this is our inspiration: "Landscape is nothing but an impression, and an instantaneous one, hence this label that was given us, by the way because of me. I had sent a thing done in Le Havre, from my window, sun in the mist and a few masts of boats sticking up in the foreground....They asked me for a title for the catalogue, it couldn't really be taken for a view of Le Havre, and I said: 'Put Impression.'" Monet0Add a comment
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