What do you do at school?

The twins have started pre-school and have been going for a while. We were visiting and so I asked full of curiosity, "What do you do at school?" My follow-up was going to be "How do you like it so far?".

The twins are two rambunctious little boys who love to tear around and they never seem to sit down. However, I was surprised by their answer, which was, " We sit." Their mom reacted very quickly and showed us all of the stuff they were doing. And she talked about how they really like school. The boys did say they liked what they were doing, and they enjoyed playing with their new friends.

I found it interesting that when asked about school, they both responded with the same idea. "We sit." Part of the reason for young children to attend pre-school is to help them socialize and learn skills that they will need in Kindergarten, through to grade 12. One of the first rules is that you cannot run around as much as you want to, you have to sit.

They have learned the first lesson, I wonder if the teachers realize that is what the twins understand about school. School is important and we there is evidence that pre-school is important for the preparation of students when entering grade 1. Socialization is important because in pre-school and kindergarten we learn the rules of life and how to get along with people outside of our immediate family. We also begin to expand our worldview as we see others behaving in ways we may not have been aware. 

A few years ago there was a book called “All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum. Here is an excerpt from the book, All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten

ALL I REALLY NEED TO KNOW about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate-school mountain, but there in the sandpile

at Sunday School. These are the things I learned:

·       Share everything.

·       Play fair.

·       Don't hit people.

·       Put things back where you found them.

·       Clean up your own mess.

·       Don't take things that aren't yours.

·       Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

·       Wash your hands before you eat.

·       Flush.

·       Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

·       Live a balanced life - learn some and think some

·       and draw and paint and sing and dance and play

·       and work every day some.

·       Take a nap every afternoon.

·       When you go out into the world, watch out for traffic,

·       hold hands, and stick together.

·       Be aware of wonder.

·       Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam cup:

o  The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.

o  Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the Styrofoam cup - they all die.

o  So do we.

·       And then remember the Dick-and-Jane books and the first word you learned - the biggest word of all - LOOK. 

·       Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.

·       The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.

·       Ecology and politics and equality and sane living.

·       Take any of those items and extrapolate it into sophisticated adult terms and apply it to your family life or your work or your government or

your world and it holds true and clear and firm.

·       Think what a better world it would be if all - the whole world - had cookies and milk about three o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankies for a nap. Or if all governments had a basic policy to always put thing back where they found them and to clean up their own mess.

·       And it is still true, no matter how old you are - when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.

Back to school can stretch your budget

My thanks to retire happy for this idea. As a retired teacher I used to pay attention to this time of year, because I would be returning to work. Students are returning to school and for parents hard pressed to pay the bills, the start of school is an extra burden. Take a look at the following image.

I think that too much money is spent by parents getting their kids ready for school. So here are a few quick tips and thoughts on how to deal with back to school spending

• Set a budget –Averages can be very misleading. Now some people will say that the above average is high, while others say the above average is low. Whatever the case,  at the end of the day, spending is personal and it’s important to spend the number that makes the most sense for you.  Set a budget and do your best to stay in that budget.
• Only buy what you need – On similar lines, make sure you make a list of what you really need.  Impulsive buying is always to greatest key to overspending because retailers really know how to get you to spend more than what you intended.  The key is to make a list and do your best to stick you only what you need.  Go around the house to see if you have some items on the list that can be used without buying more.  When I was teaching I would see students coming to school with way more than what they needed because the family did not buy what you need. Many school supplies can be purchased throughout the year and do not need to be purchased in Sept.
• Some sales are not great deals – Staples was advertising their Staples brand paper was a super back to school sale price.  While it was slightly cheaper than the normal price, they neglected to advertise that the HP brand of paper was actually a better sale.  Some stores are great at packaging deals where you get 2 for $5 but if you just bought one, it’s $2.50.
• Are brand name supplies better?  In some cases, the answer may be yes but many time, the answer is a clear no.  
• Involve the kids – I think back to school spending is a great time to involve kids and use it as an opportunity to teach them about not only money but also to reinforce the relative value of money and that spending a little more here and there can really add up.

Remembering life as we start 2012--To the high school graduationg class of 65

Time magazine published an article entitled "Don't Worry, There's Life After High School."

The article got me thinking as we approachthe New Year that life 47 years after graduating from Nanaimo Senior High School is different than when we were seniors in high school, but its still life in the Boomers. We didn't know it at the time, but we were at the forefront of the Boomer generation, and we would change the world as we travelled through life. We continue to impact the world.

William Shakespeare in his play “As You Like It” has one of his characters Jaques, in Act II Scene vii compare the world to a stage and life to a play. In that speech Shakespeare catalogued the seven stages of a man's life: infant, schoolboy, lover, soldier, justice, pantaloon second childhood, "sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything" While the Bible in Psalms 90, vs. 10 defines our life span as, "The days of years are threescore years and 10 and if by reason of strength they be four score years yet it is soon cut off, and we fly away."

Forty Seven years after high school, we may be in our bonus years of life and we belief we have to hasten to complete unfinished dreams and plans. Thinking back to 1965, we have memories of the many changes that have occurred during the past 47 years. Yesterday we saw ourselves as young, strong, smart, and good-looking seniors in high school. Yesterday is history and we must live with who we are today. Yesterday I had a head full of dark wavy brown, (too wavy for me:-) hair but now while my hair is still too  wavy, it is no longer dark brown, and I no longer have a head full but what I have is silver white.

What a trip life is; full of challenges and constant changes. Boomers are a blessed generation, more good opportunities came to us than bad ones, most of us acquired a mate, a home, children, vehicles, a good job, friends, etc. Challenges and changes also caused us fear. Fear of fear, fear of getting old, going broke, having a stroke, getting fat, going bald, losing our job, fear of dying, etc. and the never-ending question of "why are we here"?

Songs and Music helped me to deal with my fears. Music and song helped calm my fears, gave me hope and helped me sleep throughout the night. I remember that I learned to listen late at night to my transitor radio. I learned the words and music coming over the radio and slowly learned to appreciate the words and stories that the songs told me. Over time I learned what those sweet, sweet, sounds and words and meaning meant and how they helped shape my world Words of one of my favorite songs are: "Summertime and the living is easy, fish are a jumping and the cotton is high, your daddy's rich and your maw's good looking, SO HUSH little baby don't you cry. One of these mornings you're going to rise up singing and you'll take your flight to the sky, but until that morning nothing can harm you with Daddy and Momma by your side."

These songs contained sweet melodies and offered calm assurance to me so that I knew that I and the world were going to be all right. Knowing that I could live one day at a time and that today's problems can be dealt with! Wiht music I believed that we could face our problems one day at a timeand I also believe that Yes I could!

I have no musical training, can't read music notes, can't play a musical instrument and cannot sing! But listening to music I feel emotions rising from within, the sound of hope, freedom and peace moving free through the air. When fear and doubts come upon us this emotion deep within us can burst forth in a song that will help us overcome our doubts and fears.

Today's music may be foreign to our understanding, however, we have learned our songs from the world's best teachers, the voice of experience that we have acquired through the trials in our lives and the blows and hardships we have overcome. It may be more difficult to learn "new tricks" but we can and we can also share with others what we have learned from experience. What is more important, what is more valuable than a proven old friend?

Most of us can recall when we were young children and being held when someone was singing to us. A time of comfort and security when our imaginations were set free and we could ride on a rocking horse, we could see a spider going up the waterspout, we could see the twinkling little stars, and sometimes we would catch a glimpse of an angel fluttering over us. Magic moments, smelling a sweet fragrance, feeling a power of sweet love all around us and then the singing would stop, the magic moments would disappear, but we would be left with memories that would last a lifetime.

Forty seven years after highschool and I am still remembering the magic moments and angels in my live. I remember and pay respect to our many departed teachers and classmates and departed friends. I imagine many of the present members of the class of 1965 have lost their parents, friends, husbands or wifes, some have lost children and other family members and favorite family pets. In spite of these loses the precious memories still linger and we are able to grasp and recall some of yesterday’s blessings.

Members of the Class of 1965 are the leading edge of what is described as "The World's Greatest Generation" and 47 years after high school, life is still good.

Most members of the Class of 1965, I think would agree that the spring and summer of our lives have past, autumn is almost gone, and winter and snow is soon coming.

The writers of Psalms and Summertime uses "flight" and the poet Frost uses "walk" to describe our Earthly endings. Hopefully we like one of Frost's poems have miles and miles to go before we sleep.

My wish for all people and especially for the members of the Class of Nanaimo Senior High School and all others who graduated in 1965 is that we all continue to have our own music, and that it is always, "Summertime and the living is easy."

There is life 47  years after high school, and my hope is that for all of us in the class of 65 life continues to be good!

How things change over time

HIGH SCHOOL -- 1957 vs. 2010

Scenario 1:

Jack goes quail hunting before school and then pulls into the school parking lot with his shotgun in his truck's gun rack.

1957 - Vice Principal comes over, looks at Jack's shotgun, goes to his car and gets his shotgun to show Jack.

2010 - School goes into lockdown, FBI called, Jack hauled off to jail and never sees his truck or gun again. Counselors called in for traumatized students and teachers. 

Scenario 2:

Johnny and Mark get into a fist fight after school.

1957 - Crowd gathers. Mark wins.  Johnny and Mark shake hands and end up buddies.

2010 - Police called and SWAT team arrives -- they arrest both Johnny and Mark. They are both charged with assault and both expelled even though Johnny started it.

Scenario 3:

Jeffrey will not sit still in class, he disrupts other students.

1957 - Jeffrey sent to the Principal's office and given a good paddling by the Principal. He then returns to class, sits still and does not disrupt class again.

2010 - Jeffrey is given huge doses of Ritalin. He becomes a zombie. He is then tested for ADD. The school gets extra money from the state because Jeffrey has a disability..

Scenario 4:

Billy breaks a window in his neighbor's car and his Dad gives him a whipping with his belt..

1957 - Billy is more careful next time, grows up normal, goes to college and becomes a successful businessman.

2010 - Billy's dad is arrested for child abuse. Billy is removed to foster care and joins a gang. The state psychologist is told by Billy's sister that she remembers being abused herself and their dad goes to prison. Billy's mom has an affair with the psychologist.

Scenario 5:

Mark gets a headache and takes some aspirin to school.

1957 - Mark shares his aspirin with the Principal out on the smoking dock.

2010 - The police are called and Mark is expelled from school for drug violations. His car is then searched for drugs and weapons.

Scenario 6:

Pedro fails high school English.

1957 - Pedro goes to summer school, passes English and goes to college.

2010 - Pedro's cause is taken up by state. Newspaper articles appear nationally explaining that teaching English as a requirement for graduation is racist. ACLU files class action lawsuit against the state school system and Pedro's English teacher. English is then banned from core curriculum. Pedro is given his diploma anyway but ends up mowing lawns for a living because he cannot speak English.

Scenario 7:

Johnny takes apart leftover firecrackers from the Fourth of July, puts them in a model airplane paint bottle and blows up a red ant bed.

1957 - Ants die.

2010 - ATF, Homeland Security and the FBI are all called. Johnny is charged with domestic terrorism. The FBI investigates his parents -- and all siblings are removed from their home and all computers are confiscated.

Johnny's dad is placed on a terror watch list and is never allowed to fly again.

Scenario 8:

Wally falls while running during recess and scrapes his knee. He is found crying by his teacher, Nancy. Nancy hugs him to comfort him.

1957 - In a short time, Wally feels better and goes on playing.

2010 - Nancy is accused of being a sexual predator and loses her job. She faces 3 years in State Prison... Wally undergoes 5 years of therapy.

How things change over time...