Teen Reads

When my kids were little I could stay on top of what they were reading but as they have grown up and their books have got longer, other than the Harry Potter series which both Allan and I read, I have not been able to make sure what they were reading was appropriate nevermind literary!

Having Lindsay's kindle linked to my Amazon account means I can still read a brief description of what the book is about.  However Lindsay has developed her own sense of reading style much different from my own.  I read one of her picks below and was scarred for life and then a couple of weeks ago I was out of books (again) and she lent me a couple of what looked like "teen girl lite" and I was so pleasantly surprised by the the clean, emotionally appropriate, real stories I decided to ask her to write about her top picks.

Below is her Teen Summer Reading List.......Thanks Lindsay!

Lindsay's Top Reads  (in no particular order)

Divergent Trilogy (second book: Insurgent) By Veronica Roth

This book is not so far off base from the Hunger Games trilogy in many senses. It's a post apocalyptic novel in which the protagonist (Beatrics/Tris) is faced with many challenges in going through her teenaged years in the dysfuntional and chaotic society they live in.

This is not a light reading, it's more of a 'up-until-2-am-because-I-can't-put-it-down' kind of book. In addition it's also pretty gory and graphic in a few areas and if you're anything like my mom, you may have nightmares after reading it. I on the other hand found it thought provoking. Lots of what Tris deals with is the same lessons and experiences teenagers in this century have just blown up and put in a vastly different context. If you liked the Hunger Games I'm fairly certain you'll enjoy these, although we are still awaiting the third book!

Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. 

'nuff said. If you haven't read them, I don't know why, but please....just read them!

Ophelia by Lisa Klein

This book is basically a re-telling of Hamlet but through the eyes of Ophelia. It is so different! It's a historical romance written in a combination of modern and old english so personally it was a challenge to get through the language barriers but in the end it was so worth it!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I'm not entirely sure how to classify this book. It mixes fiction with photographs to give the reader a more rounded mental image.  It definitely has a historical component that is quite prominent as well as some horrow/sci-fi. I LOVE this book. I like the mystery and the suspense and the fact that it is so unpredictable. It's worth a read!



Delirum (second book: Pandemonium) by Lauren Oliver

Also a post-apocaplyptic novel, set in North America it's easy for me to visualize. The North America in the book is much much different than the one we live in today, understandably. In the world Lena Halloway Love is a forbidden and feared thing. But she sees it so differently, it's a fight for her own opinion and control over her own life, something I believe a lot of us - teenagers especially - go through at some point or another. There are more books rumored to be in the making!

All books ever written by Sarah Dessen

It's clean, appropriate (teen) romance novels with a life lesson thrown in between the lines. I've read them all over and over, my favorite being 'lock and key'  and I still love them. They make awesome gifts too :)

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

Another post-apocalyptic novel that is a reality not too off from our own, and yet terrifying to imagine. It challenged me to think about how we're living our lives and how much we revolve around technology. At what point does it become too much? As much as it is thought provoking there is a romance aspect to keep it a little lighter. Definitely worth your time if not for the story, then for the thought provocation.


Hope these books find their ways into your hands this summer :) enjoy!

Wordless Wednesday - Summers Past

2008

2009

 2010

 

 

2011

Bellevue

We had promised Lindsay a "south of the border shopping trip" for her birthday in May and this was the first weekend free after the craziness of June.

I thought it would be fun to do an overnight so we had a less rushed time.

We have a "usual" Seattle hotel and list of things we do.

I thought it was perhaps time to change things up a bit and having heard many extol the virtues of Bellevue (A little east of Seattle between two lakes) we decided to eschew the I5 and head down the 405 to trendy, modern and mall-full Bellevue.

We did not see this view as the misty, rainy weather that has marked the start of Summer did not abate.

We did find the malls.

We shopped for several hours getting most everything in Lindsay's List and others getting a few things too.  I enjoyed shopping for some of the little peeps in my life.  World Market yielded up some perfect gifts to send with my Dad to the family in South Africa when he goes in August and I thoroughly enjoyed my first (and most definatley not my last) forays into both Crate&Barrel (opening soon at Oakridge - oh.dear.me) and The Container Store where my Dad bought my Mom and I this ingenious device...

It is a phone bungee - never will my iPhone be lost in my purse again!

A tasty dinner at PF Changs was a nice end to a long and busy day.

We stayed in an Embassy Suites which we usually love and this would have been a great location had it not been at total capacity....and no hotel does its best when stretched that thin.  The arrival of the famed Red Sox baseball team to play the Seattle Mariners had brought baseball fans by the thousands to the area and our hotel was overrun with many young boys and their increasingly inebriated parents.... never ceases to boggle my mind how people will behave in a hotel.

It was a noisy night and an early morning and not our best experience.

Sunday arrived with more rain and mizzle so we headed North via a crazy busy outlet Mall and our beloved Trader Joes and an quick and efficient border crossing during which the usually surly and unchatty border guard said "Welcome Home" as she handed our passports back.

Indeed - welcome home on Canada Day!


We came home and unpacked and enjoyed the brightening skies and sun as we ate a quiet dinner on the patio and enjoyed an early quiet night in our own beds.

Farewell

 

 

“Farewell," they cried, "Wherever you fare till your eyries receive you at the journey's end!" That is the polite thing to say among eagles.

"May the wind under your wings bear you where the sun sails and the moon walks," answered Gandalf, who knew the correct reply.”
 

JRR Tolkien

For Allan - 

Who says "Farewell" today:
to a job well done and well loved, 
to colleagues who have been mentors and some who have become friends, 
to students whose lives have been changed and who enriched his teaching...... 
to a place he lived and worked his vision and values and passion.  

So proud of the man and the teacher you are.
 
I love you.

Wordless Wednesday - My Day Today

My office

My view

My view today

The walk through the park

This guy plays music and the lady sings chinese opera everyday

My lunch dates - 2 special ladies

Just my luck

Checking in - it may be an obsession

Coffee - always coffee

A great report card from David

Best way to end the day - dinner with the Hofs - 2 beautiful girls

Curiosity

Good evening fellow Instructors, Program Administrators, Families and our honoured guests – the ECE class of 2012.

I am delighted to be here to share this momentous evening with you.  A moment in your life that you have worked hard for, made sacrifices to accomplish and are rightly anxious to celebrate.

As someone who has walked parts of this journey with some of you, I rejoice in the ways you have embraced your learning, have asked hard questions, have thought deeply about philosophy, best practices, curriculum ideas, guiding and caring……. The ways you have learned to dance and sing and tell stories and set up learning invitations for children, how to work with families, how to observe and record, how to be safe and serve good snacks.

When we think back through all the courses, all the individual classes your dedicated instructors developed and delivered to you, it forms an impressive list of topics.  Add to that the hours you have spent with mentors in the field doing practica and all the things you learned in those placements….another set of impressive checklist of topics covered.

As your teachers and mentors we may stand back and feel a sense of accomplishment ourselves.  That we were able to impart sufficient knowledge to you such that you stand here tonight to proudly graduate from the ECE program.

BUT

BUT it is nothing more than a long list of pre-requisites and assignments and observations and workbooks and evaluations ….. a whole lot of head knowledge that will perhaps start you on your journey as an ECE.

Very soon you may come to a dead end, an unsatisfying and dull place, a place of rules and rigidity, a place of boredom and frustration……

UNLESS

Unless you take from this program a deep and profound curiosity.

A curiosity about yourself. About what it will take for you to be that extraordinary version of yourself that changes lives. Changes your own life by your deeply reflective thinking about your work, your relationships, your vision and your values.

A curiosity about your work.  About what it takes to be an educator who delights in the daily gifts offered up to you by the children and families and colleagues you work with.  A curiosity that sees around barriers, that seeks to see strengths before dwelling on weaknesses, that seeks creative collaboration and reflective dialogues to grow your work.  A curiosity that leaves you hungry to go deeper and be more present and raise the bar for best practice.

A curiosity about families.  About their hopes and dreams for their children.  About the treasures they bring to you in their different cultures, traditions and celebrations.  A curiosity about how to nurture their children together in a supportive partnership of respect and communication.  A curiosity that allows you to wonder with them about the joys and the challenges they face and we face together.

A curiosity about children, about a child.  A deep curiosity about what a child is thinking and feeling, about their theories, their questions, their strengths.  To be curious with them about the world, their world.  It’s a big and complicated world and for you to be their trusted adult and guide to authentically wonder about the world with them is a gift, a joy, a sense of profound safety and a way to grow and learn.

The course work is necessary.  It had to be done.  There is “stuff” to know and remember and do.  But if in that work you have not learned to be deeply curious or, worse still, you have buried or lost your curiosity in course work and assignments….. I urge you in the days and weeks ahead to find it, to rekindle that fire in your heart that pointed you in the direction of this course.  Reconnect your head with your heart and then connect them both to the work of your hands and feet.

This is important work you have chosen, work that changes lives, work that could and should change yours.

Do this work with all of yourself and remain forever curious……and that will make you an extraordinary educator and the world will be blessed because you came to this place and did this work.

Congratulations ECE Class of 2012.

Last Monday

This is the last Monday of elementary school for David so it was not surprising that his emotions where a little high this morning.

He has done such hard work on his social/emotional self over the last year and does so much better in managing his anxiety and fears but when a lost earphone rubber pad sent him to tears this morning as I was headed out of the door I knew I needed to stop and connect.

We stood on the front path way and in the front hall acknowledging that leaving elementary school is a big step.  It's exciting and sad at the same time.  It's ok to feel sad.  He choked back the tears and we talked about what to do when you feel your cup is full and overflowing.....how to manage those strong feelings.  He gets it.

 Add to this that Grade 7 has been David's best year....by far, by so so far.......it makes the leaving all the harder to do.

What a hard decision it was to pull him out of Grade 6 early and move him to a new school for Grade 7.

What a right choice.

We didn't know school could be like this year has been for David.  Nourishing, rich, engaging, caring, exacting, demanding, creative, fun, innovative......everything we could have wanted for him (wish we had had for both our children all the way through!).  He has flourished and all the negative labels imposed on him before have not only vanished but actually never presented themselves in the new school setting.

 In parenting one wonders about nature vs nurture...... there have to be some similar question in teaching environments....whatever they may be.......we sure lucked out with the school, the Principal, the teacher, the classroom, the vision and values of a learning community evident throughout the building.

So as we walk through last Monday, last Tuesday, last Wednesday and finally Graduation on Thursday we will focus on the gift we were given of a great year - a great transition year to highschool but I am pretty sure David and I will need a handy supply of kleenex come Thursday at 11am as we walk out of the doors at Homma Elementary for the last time.