Yes we did. We watched TV all day thanks to our school helping us as a school and saw the President-elect become our newest 44th President. Wonderful way to teach. Later in the day during the parade we made portraits. That was a pretty hard task. In fact I may do another with them tomorrow.
Terrific social studies!
Here is my snippet from President Obama's speech, well, address, today:
You can read it entirely here. I enjoyed Rev. Lowery's Benediction as well.In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted — for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things — some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.
For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.
For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.
For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sanh.
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.
This is the journey we continue today.
Check out the portraits!
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ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. They meant a lot to me.
First Mrs. Wren went to Beach a number of years past. So many great teachers retired. I miss Mrs. Yung, Mrs. Bauman and others...a great deal.
My girls both had her too. Good person.
Good foundation.
She got those kids really ready for 1st.
I wonder if she retired I honestly forget.Good teacher.
Mrs. Katz went to Bard, then she was ill with cancer. Pretty sick. Retired early and I pray ok, she married, and I hope is happy.(I worked at Bard where I transferred 6 years ago and enjoyed seeing her. My husband for a time was her principal. He left the District and is the Superintendent at Mesa Union which is out on 118, kind of in the bend after Rice turns into 118.
Great spot, he is lucky to be at Mesa.
We moved two years to San Diego,5 years back, I took a two year leave and was reassigned back to Hathaway when he came to get that job, not given my Bard job back..... In the last 8 years schools have suffered but schools like Hathaway were beat into the ground.Not funded but punished basically over 2nd language and the issues natural of poverty schools in areas where people don't have the resources others have to have evidentially the clout and funds to get theres. So these schools were made into "examples" in political nightmares where actually doingthings in caring ways mattered not at all.
It is unbelievable how it changed and the morale, to me returning and that's really an understatement. I hope to kids it feels good.... We are now as far away from the days you talk about as it gets. Not that life was wonderful then but now it's just a very different set up.I find it to be devoid of reading, literature, writing, creativity and deep thinking.
That year, your year next door, was so odd really.But quite good in many ways. So much writing... My class had 34 kids. It was so hot that year the portables were like 180 every day because they faced the afternoon sun.No air. You had subs most of that year as Mrs. Katz was struggling with I think illness. One of them an older man had a stroke the last day he worked with you. I am struggling to get his name to mind it was Italian and he was retired. A fine person. Really cared about all of you. We did a lot together to plan. He had made a point that morning leaving as she was returning of coming in to see me, thank me, he was such a good man but he never intended to work that job as long as he did. He told me, among the last things he said was he had done it for his daughter. The stroke I think had started. (She, daughter , was our personnel person.) He told me he felt so ill. And then he died. I was so stricken at the time. Really that kind of made it PLAIN as glass for me what matters and what life is for. He spent his entire life serving kids and he liked that life. I think you should know this.
That year the Principal was difficult to me, he lost his leadership job later...for poorer actions/issues. But I was struggling with my new baby too and he took so much happiness from that time by focusing n me over so many much more obvious needs of his work....threatened I felt by my husband in the district....and was such an unethical being with me. Lost time with my son who is 14 now, I stayed every single day till 6 PM. But I did so much, ah the memories flooding me ( my daughters there to help) just how hard that all was...struggling with the military, older style of the district then.I wasn't used to some of the methodology but from teachers there I did appreciate learning the structures they had that really did teach kids to read and write very well.
It's just it was cut from a cloth of about 1956 and never really got into the stream of the outer universe and I was coming in from much better and more innovative, happier, different, more diverse, interfaces with kids. So maybe in some senses I've never fit in too well here but it was where my husband's job took me.I like to think I contributed however.
So that year, your year, I was there in the 2nd year in absolute shock at what seemed to me a very structured approach with kids. Now I'd say we were wildly creative compared to the push in the last several years!
Saying that...... I have taken all this to you because its often true kids cannot quite put together what they were feeling, school is so many different things to us. Glimpses of kidhood. Confusing, meaningful, invalidating, validating.....It needed to kind of come into a more modern phase but it never really had the personnel and resources up to the tasks.
We have gotten so used to tragic underfunding we don't even tell people how terrible it's been and now it'll be ripped apart in this budget mess. Look at Hathaway sometime. It looks like a million year old thing kept as best it could, like an old old place from the past. Cinder block. Nothing designed for the age we enter.
I hope school served you well, well enough your life now is okay. If you want to visit or to connect I still am there but now in room 5 teaching 1st. I'd like to teach third but the politics of that makes it appear I'll never be allowed it.I soooo loved third.
Now as for these fine thoughts. Thank you. I use art and I try. That year I wrote a lot with kids, it was fantastic. I ran the room, certainly. Our writing filled the samples used in the district to norm writing samples. We rocked!
I may have over done it, it was a very boisterous class but I really, really loved those kids. I bet if I heard your name I'd know exactly who you are. I had and have such good feelings about both of those two groups.Hope the kids do too. I ran into one kid who gave Sylvia a CAT scan in the ER at Community for a kidney stone. I about died he was so grown up. Raymond.Recall him? I kind of took in Katz's kids a bunch.I knew you all. (I swear if this is Nadine's and Yvettes sister Jackie) I'll laugh..
You recall her if not I'm sure.
All you kids were just great....funny, happy.Good.
I had cancer and some catastrophic health stuff...years not so easy Syl's doing great she said she wonders who you are. She was a very bright kid but I think the part I liked about her was how good a kid she was. At CalTech training to do something in neural science. My other daughter Sophia is just getting out of high school.
I wish I'd had you too. I have nothing but love for Hathaway kids and families. I have really loved the kids, my growth as a human there working with you kids, and I see the school struggling with no money and difficulties beyond them...we just are too pooor basically. Stretching like the rubberband and snapping...
Yes, still standing up,I am wave making. But this year I am trying to stay low. Sometimes i act with no brain but actually I know that you kids were worth it. I really have wanted the world to see you for your hearts, talents, potentials and to get for you the chance. Just the fair chance to be who you were meant to be.
I really thank you for these memories. I am currently going through a time when very meaningful, profound things are happening and I am sure this is yet another thing showing me that I have worth...maybe talking to me about what matters.All my best,
Sarah Puglisi
I had to delete the in coming link because it linked out to stuff that couldn't go on here but what preceded my comment was this"Hi Ms. Puglisi, I stumbled upon your blogspot as I was googling up Mrs. Wren. You never had me as a student during my six years at Hathaway Elementary, but as a third grader, I'd always wanted to be a member of your class (most of my friends were in your room, & very much enjoyed the atmosphere).
ReplyDeleteYou see, back in '95-'96 we shared the portable building area with one classroom on each side of two ramps which joined at the center. You had your third grade class to one side & Ms. Katz conducted hers on the other, which I was in.
I remember Sylvia, when you'd have her join your classroom, my friends would be out with her during recess & we'd go out & play foursquare or do something creative in the sandbox. She, was always so intelligent, I think she was about two or three years younger even, & grasped concepts to the comprehension of my own & beyond... So far as I've read, I feel that you've done an amazing job as a mother & teacher, & words can mearly grace the surface of what it is to be that type of role model. I only wish that more people including myself can take affect in building the characters of this world's future, like you've done for counteless individuals, students.
It's nice to know that your inspirational ways continually make waves in the world, even through the internet.
Sincerely,
B."