1. http://www.decodeunicode.org/en/data/glyph/196x196/25AA.gif
    It is that time of the year again. My class has completed our design for the 2013-2014 Red Ribbon week door, slightly ahead of schedule.
    The door looks awesome as always. Really great.


    And the best part is my iphone allowed me to blog it instantly after I put it up.

    This year my school is not sponsoring a Red Ribbon Door Decorating Contest for the first time in my 30 whatever years. In fact I am hoping people do them anyway to encourage healthy, drug free lives. There is no time like the present to teach children to think about a life free of drug and alcohol dependency. There is hope always for those that need a drug to cope. Children can learn early on better ways to be!
    Our school links the Red Ribbon Week to our Pillars of Character program, so this door was inspired by thinking of CHOICES- or picking and hence the pumpkin patch- what we want our CHARACTER to say about us.
    We have 6 PILLARS and each represents a virtuous course.
    Which would you choose?
    My students (and myself) each chose a color we most identify with and made a PUMPKIN (just because it's a great place for a FACE) and designed a character. Next week they will each write an essay voicing that character as it describes the Character Trait and how you can best exemplify it.
    Can you tell which one I am?

    A hint: I am not quite as dumb as I seem.

     Each day we will wear the colors of the Pillars of Character-in this program the District promotes.
    It has been an important foundation in our work.
    Long ago when my husband was a Principal I was so proud of his newsletters to his school which promoted character traits. I see this as the precursor to this program.


    Last year we did fantastic work as well.

    Zip me an email, or drop a line for why I am not showing the designs last year or why I have a square on my page.  its smpuglisi(at)gmail (dot)com

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  2. http://www.decodeunicode.org/en/data/glyph/196x196/25AA.gif

    Today after everything was through, I sat in my third grade classroom when  15 young children came to the door to say goodnight. One or two of my students had also remained to clean and straighten the room as they always do. One child noticed a white hair on my black pants saying, "Oh you have a white hair on your pants."
    As you know hair is something that we all have-but it is very different when your blond hair has faded to a grey and you are 54. It embarrasses me for some reason. Especially if it is on my clothes! So sometimes my students want to take a good look at my hair. She carefully took a look at this hair while  I was trying to stuff it  into the garbage can. She was interested unbelievably. And so I said self deprecatingly, "Oh my hair is so grey, and I have these wrinkles and aches and pains-growing old is such a bother."
    One child looked at me seriously, a long time, and then they all nodded looking at my hair.
    Then the child that originally found me shedding asked me to go on YouTube from the computer on my desk.

    "I want to show you something but we'll look at the English version first."

    So she put this on:



    All the while my group was listening, laughing, enjoying, singing, most knew this song. Sharing about this and other things as I realized what she was giving me.
    Then her sister, who joined us, suggested I listen to it in Tagalog-the way they sing it at home.
    And so she put this version on:




    She carefully explained that this is sung by two singers from Germany that know Tagalog. I asked if they thought we could learn it. They looked at me, "In Tagalog?" both giggled. "Sure," I said.
    Well they thought that was funny. And impossible.

    I think we can do it.

    And I also think this was a wonderful way to treat a teacher trying to cope with growing old.
    Don't you? One of the sweetest examples of the decency and basic goodness in my class. I would honestly say the gift of this song at this moment is truly spectacular.

    Here is the original version I found looking after they went happily home.



    So here are the lyrics she had a connection to from my white hair:

     Kahit Maputi na ang Buhok Ko - Rico J. Puno
    (Even when my hair is white)

    Kung tayo’y matanda na (When we are older)
    Sana’y di tayo magbago (I hope we won't change)
    Kailan ma’y, nasaan ma’y (Anytime, anywhere)
    Ito ang pangarap ko (This is my wish)

    Makuha mo pa kayang ako’y hagkan at yakapin ooh (Could you still kiss and hug me?)
    Hanggang pagtanda natin (Until we grow older )
    Nagtatanong lang sa `yo (I am just asking you)
    Ako pa kaya’y ibigin mo (Will you still love me?)
    Kung maputi na ang buhok ko (Even when my hair is already white)

    Pagdating ng araw (The day will come)
    Ang `yong buhok as puputi na rin (Your hair will also become white)
    Sabay tayong mangangarap (We shall reminisce together)
    Ng nakaraan sa `tin (our memories of the past)

    Ang nakalipas ay ibabalik natin ooh (We shall bring back the past)
    Ipapaalala ko sa `yo (I will remind them to you)
    Ang aking pangako (My promise)
    Na ang pag-ibig ko’y laging sa ‘yo (Is that my love will always be yours)
    Kahit maputi na ang buhok ko (Even when my hair is white)

    Kahit maputi o wala na ang buhok ko (Even when my hair becomes white or gone)



    Isn't it amazing that she connected to this song and asked me if it would be okay to share a song?

    I'm going to enjoy her bringing this to our class. Each day we sing, because music lyrics are powerful ways to teach reading-for one thing, and I think our learning Tagalog will be powerful too!

     All of this reminds me of a poem. It has always been a dear friend to me.

    When You Are Old

    WHEN you are old and grey and full of sleep,
    And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
    And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
    Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
    How many loved your moments of glad grace,
    And loved your beauty with love false or true,
    But one man loved the pilgrim Soul in you,
    And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
    And bending down beside the glowing bars,
    Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
    And paced upon the mountains overhead
    And hid his face amid a crowd of stars.


    I can only hope that I am able to reach out with my heart to do the same.For those I love.
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  3.  http://www.decodeunicode.org/en/data/glyph/196x196/25AA.gif
    Allow me to begin the introduction. Meet Diane Ravitch.
    I have realized that she appears unknown to many of my peers.
    Here she is promoting her new book, listen-to satisfy Common Core- listen deeply.:



    After this, try reading her book, Reign of Error.

    While you are happily engaged in your teaching work, consider her remarks-her level of education alone ought to prompt your interest-then sit back and process your work. Try her blog.
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I'm a public school elementary teacher from W.V. beginning my career in poverty schools in the 1980's. (I have GIST cancer-small intestinal and syringomyelia which isn't what I want to define me but does help define how I view the meaning of my life.) I am a mom of 3 great children-now grown. I teach 3rd grade in an Underperforming school, teaching mostly immigrant 2nd Lang. children. I majored in art, as well as teaching. Art informs all I do. Teaching is a driving part of my life energy. But I am turning to art soon. I'm married to an artist I coaxed into teaching- now a Superintendent of one of the bigger Districts in the area. Similar population. We both have dedicated inordinate amounts of our life to the field of teaching in areas of poverty hoping to give students opportunities to make better lives. I'm trying to write as I can to the issues of PUBLIC education , trying to gain the sophistication to address the issues in written forms so they can be understood from my teaching contexts.I like to blog from daily experiences. My work is my own, not reflective of any school district.
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