~Family Time~

What Shall I Leave My Children?

The open sky, the brown earth, the leafy tree,

The golden sand, the blue water, the stars in courses

and the awareness of this.

Birdsong, butterflies, clouds and rainbows,

Sunlight, moonlight, firelight.

A hand reaching down for a small hand,

Impromptu praise, an unexpected kiss, a straight answer.

The glow of enthusiasm, and a sense of wonder,

Long days to be merry in and nights without fear.

The memory of a good home.

Anonymous

I always enjoy seeing and hearing about the family adventures, joys, and traditions that the Room 24 children and parents are establishing. The comfort and stability of the family is talked about by the first graders in my classroom on a daily basis. It reminds me of the precious times I cherish with my own family.

Every summer for the past 30-plus years my husband and I have spent a week of family time ~ hiking, fishing, deep-breath-resting, and relaxation in the mountain town of Graeagle in Plumas County, California. It started with just my husband and I...a few years later we brought our firstborn and three years later our youngest son joined us at 2 months of age! Throughout the years the grandparents, aunts, uncles, siblings, cousins, and cherished friends have joined in. Now our sons are continuing the tradition by introducing their lovely wives to our family retreat experience. Over the years I've come to realize that family traditions truly have the potential to inspire and comfort.

In her book, "The Joy of Family Traditions",Jennifer Trainer Thompson writes, 

"Family traditions do so much more than commemorate a milestone; they can serve as guideposts along the way, helping us to shape our daily lives and foster values—indeed, they can be an oasis in an increasingly hectic and busy world. Traditions can help us grow and flourish; they reflect and inspire the way we parent and how we honor the passage of time, achievement, and meaningful moments in our lives." 

~Happy Thanksgiving from my family to yours~

Ready~Set~Go!

It's 'Cornfest-time' in Brentwood, which means that school starts up just a couple weeks from now. Soon I'll be meeting my first grade class and their families ~I know it's going to be a great year! 

 It is my hope that the families in our school community will be pleased with the educational atmosphere and opportunities offered to the children on our campus as the 2012-2013 begins:

~Welcome to Brentwood School~

Brentwood Grammar School was established in 1879 and was located across the street from the Methodist Church on Second Street in historic downtown Brentwood. A photo of the original school can be viewed on the city's website @

http://www.ci.brentwood.ca.us/service/history/history2.cfm

The school moved down the street from it's original location to 929 Second Street in 1939. Many former students have vivid memories of that charming building with it's indoor corridors and old radiators that clanked down the halls each morning. The comforting warmth in those hallways reflected the calming tone heard in each classroom.

In 1987 my family moved to Brentwood and I started teaching at Brentwood School. The school was still located on Second Street at that time and the town was still small with just over 5,000 residents. There were four public schools in town: Brentwood School housed the primary grades from kindergarten to third, Garin School had the fourth through sixth graders, Edna Hill was the only 'junior high', and Liberty was the only high school at the time.

In 1997 population growth demanded relocation once again. The school moved to a brand new building about a mile away at 200 Griffith Lane. To this day, many fine Brentwood School traditions continue such as a stellar Parents' Club and caring teachers who foster a love for high-interest instruction accompanied by solid academic standards. What a privilege to teach at this community gem called 'Brentwood School'.

Establishing a Solid Routine

I'm currently getting back into a workout routine and, wow, it's not easy! It's a daily struggle but once it's done I have the satisfaction of saying I accomplished my goal. From past experience I know that once this habit is established it will no longer be difficult. It will be a part of my daily routine. With a small amount of initial discipline, I'm learning I can create a new habit and make it stick. Here's some good advice I recently read about creating a new habit:

1. Commit to Thirty Days – Three to four weeks is all the time you need to make a habit automatic. If you can make it through the initial conditioning phase, it becomes much easier to sustain. A month is a solid block of time to commit to a change.
2. Make it Daily – Consistency is critical if you want to make a habit stick. If you want to start exercising, go to the gym every day for your first thirty days. Going a couple times a week will make it harder to form the habit. Activities you do once every few days are trickier to lock in as habits, so make it a daily activity.

This strategy also applies to developing the habit of proficient reading....consistency is critical! May I encourage you and your child to take the 30 day challenge in regards to reading habits? Make reading together a daily activity. At the end of the 30 day challenge, I'm sure you'll both be glad you did it! Your child will be on the road to being a proficient reader and you will have the satisfaction of bolstering your child's literacy efficiency. Keep up the good work, dear families!

Happy New Year Trails to You!

As we enter 2012, my first grade students will be starting a language arts unit that fits the new year theme. It's called 'Journeys'. A journey is another word for trip, vacation, or excursion. It may be a hike, voyage, stroll, flight or car ride toward a destination. I'll be asking them, "What journey did you enjoy most in 2011? What made this journey special? Where did you travel to? Who did you go with?" To help them answer these questions, I'll ask them to please bring in an object for 'Show and Tell' that reminds them of 'Journeys'. Some suggestions include a drawing or a photo of a favorite destination, or an artifact from a place they've visited. ...or perhaps they will look to 2012 and beyond and tell the class about a place they hope to journey to in the future. Either way, it will be great to hear all about their journeys!

I fondly remember a song about enjoying the journey when I was growing up. It was the theme song of a television show starring Roy Rogers and his wife Dale Evans Rogers called 'Happy Trails'. She and her husband, Roy Rogers, would sing it while riding their horses off into the sunset. It went like this:

Happy trails to you,until we meet again.

Happy trails to you,keep smilin' until then.

Who cares about the clouds when we're together?

Just sing a song and bring the sunny weather.

Happy trails to you, 'till we meet again.

Some trails are happy ones,others are blue.

It's the way you ride the trail that counts,here's a happy one for you.'

Here are a couple more quotations about this theme by two twentieth century American authors. I think the kids in Room 24 will understand these quotes and the adults in their lives will appreciate them.

"The road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.” -Don Williams, Jr.

“Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.”

-Greg Anderson

Happy New Year to my first grade students and their families!