Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Amazing Day

I have never named this school I write about in my blogs. But now, everyone knows that this is the same Lacoochee Elementary School that hit the front page of the newspaper today because of the fact that all the faculty will be let go because it has been a D school for three years running. There are a lot of unanswered questions. There is a lot of baggage there, a lot stemming from the previous Superintendent who constructed huge road blocks to progress.

I know that there are a lot of unanswered questions about this school! Why is this school at the top of the list to be restructured in some way? We need more information.

From the point of view from a long time volunteer who has been judgmental (because I have been  a school principal and I think hard about these things), I have been saddened and sometimes outraged about what happens in this school that I love.

So many times I have noticed how unfriendly I feel at this school. Very few "Good Mornings!" Many reasons I can't do this or that.

The students I have in classes are so enthusiastic and bright! They love the creative teaching I do with them. But the administration is hard to get by, to let me actually teach!

It has been a hard slog in this school! The four of us who got a grant and brought a community garden to the place have been barely seen, never understood or appreciated. We thought this would be an exciting and fun place, full of educational experiences about good nutrition and the science of botany.

Most of the teachers have never even known that a school garden was out there (So verdant and green and burgeoning with harvestable vegetables) The kids love being out there in the garden, but there are plenty of teachers whose kids have never been out there to water and pick off the bugs , learn about how to grow things, and take home bags of vegetables. No one but us takes any responsibility or pride in this. Makes me sad. Cooking the vegetables has been hard because there is always the issue of the locked (high security) room where we have our cooking supplies. Daunting.

We volunteers have noticed that so many times that if any kids come to the garden they are accompanied by substitute teachers. Why is this? The actual classroom teachers are in meetings?

The school garden is just an iconic thing about the general health of this school.  No one would ever bother to water the plants or think about what it takes to make anything grow. (Including kids!)

Why is this? It's not because people loathe vegetables or harbor ill will towards us who superintend the garden. I think some of them are proud of this work their students do. Some of them harvest food to take home. People at this school do not have any time! The school has been under state supervision this year so that it could make a better grade than a D. Those kids absolutely must do well on the FCATS or else! So the teachers are constantly in meetings with "the state" or preparing for meetings with "the state" or coaching the kids to be better test takers.  It's hard to find time to teach!

Or else! just happened. Maybe knowing that the other shoe has dropped the folks at Lacoochee can find some time for fun and some joy and a big bite of a fresh tomato.

The current principal tried really hard in a very difficult situation.

That said, I am thinking that in the best possible world a new principal will be appointed. He/she will be enthusiastic and affirming, speak standard English (maybe Spanish). This new principal will be very well educated and open to new ideas, read widely, and be able to guide the staff of teachers to new heights. This new principal will encourage the wild ideas of a creative staff. This new principal will be inclusive and energize the teachers and let them all know how important it is to affirm every parent , child and community member for what they do. This new principal needs to have a sense of humor and fun. And this new principal needs to have a strong support system in their administration - including a strong parent/community person who can seamlessly know what needs to be done. This new principal needs to have a vision of what can be done in this amazing community of mostly hispanics.


And this principal will have the time to lead and inspire a great team.


I am thinking that the best principal will know how important it is to have every single teacher be in his/her classroom every single day!  Pare down those "important" meetings.

This school is inhabited by the best children on earth. They are the brightest and best, like any others in our schools.

They deserve the best.




Thursday, April 11, 2013

Getting Personal

I listen to and watch the news every day. Seems like we have hit the edge when some of those men in suits in our legislatures change their minds about those important issues that have engaged Americans for years. I am glad they do.

Everyone has their price, nothing new. But when one of those legislators has seen their grandchild's body splattered to death by an assault weapon in the hands of a madman, he has to think whether the rifle association with all it's money and support for the next election is ethically worth it.

Interesting, that with less money involved, so many of the "suits" have come on  board for gay marriage. I would bet that there is not a family out there who does not have some gay members. Who could be opposed to these civil rights?

We have for too long swept under the rug the issues of the undocumented folks who do our work so well, have really smart kids who will be the heart of productive America.

For the "suits", you only know that the undocumented folks mow your lawn and clean your houses and do extraordinary work on building your houses. It is easy not to see that these hard workers may actually be engineers or physicians, and are clawing their way up to be part of the American Dream.

But everyone has their price, money talks, and I am disgusted with our current lot of politicians who waft in the wind, try to appease their base and get the money from PACS and the rich who ferry them around in private planes.

What happened to ethics?


Tuesday, April 09, 2013

Fashions for Senior Gals

O.K. I know there is a website out there written by a great guy who loves old ladies of fashion. I am paying attention. But I do not ever want to dye my eyelashes orange (what there are left of them!) At 72, 5 feet six inches and one hundred twenty-two pounds, I am the same as I was at 22. But not really..

I have always wanted to have my own signature style. I imagined kind of flowing garments, Eileen Fisher, sweeping the ground, classic, suggestive. I liked the idea of being able to cover up my wrinkled body, but maybe not.

My hairdresser now knows that I want a short style for my curly hair that I don't even have to brush out after a shower. I am happy with that.

My closet is full of things - the lovely light pink maxi skirt, a fuscia sleeveless top, gold sandals. But everyday I pull out the Chico jeans and a White Stag cotton tee shirt from Walmart, shove my feet into Birkenstock Arizona sandals, put in some colorful earrings and I am good to go all day.

I guess this is my style. Swim suits are problematic. Mostly, I swim in the nude since there is no one there. Actually, I have a huge number of bathing suits - all bad in one way or another. I hate that horrid time of making all those straps and tight criss crosses behave. I will don a swim suit when guests are here, of course. Will I wear that modest polka dot swim dress that takes ten minutes to put on, or will I wear the "cute" boy shorts with that incredibly uncomfortable top?

Old ladies, even thinnish ones as I am, have to think about how we will display our upper arms and thighs in the clothing of today. I have muscular upper arms, no flab. All good. But there are those horrid wrinkles! You can't wear Spanx all day and not be grouchy and touchy. You can't wear a bag over your head!

So, back to the loose and flowing garments. Except that you can't garden or use major tools or hike in those. I guess it's back to the jeans and tee shirts, wrinkles be damned. I am elderly and I will be comfortable. My style.


Friday, April 05, 2013

Clay Night

Last night was Clay Night at Lacoochee Elementary School. As you can see there were about seventy people present. We invited the second grade and the fourth grade classes. The families of these children from grandparents to tiny babies came on time- and actually before.

Their kids have told them about this Ms.Molly and they know how much time and fun I provide in the garden and in other classes. So they brought their families last night. And what a good time we all had!

Maybe two thirds of the participants were the Mexican families. We did our best at translation. Some really beautiful clay objects were made, and afterwards everyone helped clean up and tote the finished clay things to my car. People told me that this was the best fun they have had all week.

No actual parent or community meetings have had this turn out of interested folks. I think how it would be to have clay/art nights once a month and include a pot luck supper from our garden harvest.  Last night there was a lovely feeling of community and family fun. People- moms, dads, families of all kinds, need to play
with each other.

Volunteering at the school, constructing a community garden there, teaching some classes, has been a very uphill endeavor for me and for the other volunteers. I love the kids and get tremendous affirmation from them. The administration often seems unwilling or unfriendly or not caring about our efforts. Hundreds of hours and dollars we have contributed to this school. In some ways I think that these beleaguered folks have all they can handle considering the fear of FCAT.

I do think that common courtesy might motivate them to communicate things to us volunteers. We ask, but it never happens. And, like Lucy and the football, I keep going back.

Clay night was wonderful! We could build on that if only, if only..