Today is Halloween. For the second year in a row I have decided to dress in a costume for the day. Most of the teachers on campus don't dress but I have seen some nice outfits on the ones that did.
There was a witch of course, actually a couple of them. One of the English teachers wore his kilt. One teachers wears a grim reaper every year. It is seriously creepy. One of the science teachers wore a doctor's outfit.
Last year I donned a 50's outfit complete with poodle skirt in red with a black poodle, a little black sweater, red scarf, saddle shoes with white socks and even a class ring worn around my neck. It was very fetching but the black net crinoline was difficult to sit in all day. This year I decided to dress as a house painter. I found, after two attempts, a company that sold white overalls on the web. I found a little white cap, and dug out my old white sneakers. I already had a white t-shirt that had paint on it from a summer project so that was all ready. I took acrylic paints and splashed different colors on the overalls and hat and shoes. But it's all in the details. I stuck a big paint brush in my side leg pocket, a pair of rubber gloves in my bib pocket, a purple bandanna in my back pocket and hung a roll of painters' tape (the old blue brand) where the straps connect to the bib. Pretty cute, I think. and the best part about this costume is that it is comfy to wear all day!
This is the first year I have not visited the pumpkin patch at Avila. I was planning on going but it was so hot last weekend that I just was not looking forward to the heat and crowds. The weekend before Halloween is the worst time to go and I had had other things to do the previous weekends. So last Friday night on the way home I stopped at Von's to get a couple of things. They had beautiful, large pumpkins for $6.99 a piece. So I bought 3. I also bought a white pumpkin for $7 (I think I'm going to do something different for my mantel this year), 3 small speckled ones for $1.49 each (not the tiny ones about the size of an apple but ones 7-8" across) with nice curly stems. And I picked up a couple of pounds of apples, all different kinds, also for my fall mantel; I have a wooden compote that Doug's grandfather made that I think they will look very fallish in. And I got all of this for under $35. I usually don't get out of Avila for under twice that amount. and I didn't have to battle the crowds or the heat.
My pumpkin will be cut today after school and will be ready for trick-or-treaters tonight. And this weekend I will take down the Halloween mantel decorations and put out the Thanksgiving ones. And they will look just fine, even though I broke the long standing tradition of pumpkin patching and saved myself a bunch of money in the process.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Rally Schedule
Today we are on a Rally Schedule at our school. It is Home Coming tonight and the student population gets the opportunity, during this rally to see the candidates, after all their campaigning, and decide who will be the Home Coming King and Queen. In all things we, as educators, try to bring our students into the current times, stressing technology at every turn. But this is an old fashioned comfort I am glad they have not done away with. It harkens back to the high school days of long ago for me. Yes, my high school days were very long ago, almost 40 years to be exact, for I was a graduate of the class of 1973. Wow, does that make me sound old! Anywhooooo... I think it is nice that some traditions still exist. And sad that some have gone by the wayside.
In our school, for reasons not quite clear to me, school spirit figures into very few occasions. Not many kids come out for the games (of any sport), yearbook sales are so low they are always in danger of being discontinued all together. School dances get cancelled due to low ticket sales. One can blame the economy but I don't think attendance at these functions would be high even if the students got in free. Which is really a shame.
So, today, on rally day, all the students will go and participate. See the funny sketches put on by each of the four classes. (Seniors usually win.) Get a look at the candidates for King and Queen, do some cheers with the cheerleaders, listen to the band do the "Boomba! Hey!" one of the few traditions dating back to the 50's. One class yells Boomba! A different class yells Hey! And so it goes as they try to out-yell each other. It will be a fun time mixed into the middle of our day. But I really think the kids would rather just go home early. Such a shame. Where did school spirit go?
In our school, for reasons not quite clear to me, school spirit figures into very few occasions. Not many kids come out for the games (of any sport), yearbook sales are so low they are always in danger of being discontinued all together. School dances get cancelled due to low ticket sales. One can blame the economy but I don't think attendance at these functions would be high even if the students got in free. Which is really a shame.
So, today, on rally day, all the students will go and participate. See the funny sketches put on by each of the four classes. (Seniors usually win.) Get a look at the candidates for King and Queen, do some cheers with the cheerleaders, listen to the band do the "Boomba! Hey!" one of the few traditions dating back to the 50's. One class yells Boomba! A different class yells Hey! And so it goes as they try to out-yell each other. It will be a fun time mixed into the middle of our day. But I really think the kids would rather just go home early. Such a shame. Where did school spirit go?
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
6 Word Stories
It all began: Ernest Hemingway was challenged to write an entire story in 6 words. What he wrote: "For Sale: baby shoes. never worn."
I teach 6 word stories as part of my "outside-the-box" unit, after poetry and Ttranscendentalism, to my American Literature classes who are juniors. We discuss the ideas and images that Hemingway creates with those simple 6 words. And then I have them create a 6 word story of their own. I give them 15-20 minutes to do this and most of my students not only write one but several 6 words stories. In these stories I get a very realistic view into their life. These 6 words give me more information than the introduction essay I have them write at the beginning of every semester.
Some of the stories from years past:
Everything would be better without me.
Holly, sit, sit, good job mamas!
Wishing, running, flying. No more restrictions.
Like stealing, I get it free.
Marco Polo, where are you now?
I will continue school at college.
God called me so I went.
Music. It changed me, It's life.
More school, more knowledge, more pay.
Hot sauce, like salsa, makes dance.
Happy family. Next thing, it's broken.
I did it! Proud of me!
I need to go to sleep.
Heroes like family: there for me.
First blur, then view, finally lust.
We were going to grow together.
My greatest burden is my gift.
These and many more are put up on a wall in my class room. I add their initials to them as a tribute, and am careful not to put them up until the students have graduated, because I encourage them to write from the heart, and they do, but they may not want the people in their class to know who said what.
I have a whole new batch waiting to be put up next year from last year's students and another batch from this year that I will wait for two years to post. But all my students are fascinated by these stories, these glimpses into their peer's lives.
6 Word Stories. 6 words. So simple, yet so powerful.
I teach 6 word stories as part of my "outside-the-box" unit, after poetry and Ttranscendentalism, to my American Literature classes who are juniors. We discuss the ideas and images that Hemingway creates with those simple 6 words. And then I have them create a 6 word story of their own. I give them 15-20 minutes to do this and most of my students not only write one but several 6 words stories. In these stories I get a very realistic view into their life. These 6 words give me more information than the introduction essay I have them write at the beginning of every semester.
Some of the stories from years past:
Everything would be better without me.
Holly, sit, sit, good job mamas!
Wishing, running, flying. No more restrictions.
Like stealing, I get it free.
Marco Polo, where are you now?
I will continue school at college.
God called me so I went.
Music. It changed me, It's life.
More school, more knowledge, more pay.
Hot sauce, like salsa, makes dance.
Happy family. Next thing, it's broken.
I did it! Proud of me!
I need to go to sleep.
Heroes like family: there for me.
First blur, then view, finally lust.
We were going to grow together.
My greatest burden is my gift.
These and many more are put up on a wall in my class room. I add their initials to them as a tribute, and am careful not to put them up until the students have graduated, because I encourage them to write from the heart, and they do, but they may not want the people in their class to know who said what.
I have a whole new batch waiting to be put up next year from last year's students and another batch from this year that I will wait for two years to post. But all my students are fascinated by these stories, these glimpses into their peer's lives.
6 Word Stories. 6 words. So simple, yet so powerful.
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