Where Were You?

Where were you on November 22, 1963? The answer for most of you is "I wasn't born yet." I have vivid memories of that horrible day when our President was assassinated. It doesn't seem like 50 years has passed.

I was 8 years old and in third grade in a tiny school in a tiny town in central Texas. Our teacher, Mrs. Sheldon, told us the terrible news and arranged for a radio to be set on the window ledge of our classroom so that we could hear the news reports. We were a lively, active group of students and I'm sure we didn't fully grasp the implications of what had just happened in Dallas but I recall that we sat in stunned silence. We probably didn't get much work for the remainder of the day.

Then I went home and found my parents glued to our old black and white television set. They were stunned, too. My memories include seeing Walter Cronkite, a nationally known and respected newscaster, shed tears on live t.v., of seeing Lyndon Johnson being sworn in as President, and of staying at home on the day of the state funeral in Washington. I was mesmerized by the pomp and ceremony of it all and touched when the young son of JFK saluted his father's casket. It's a day I'll never forget.

It mattered not whether one had supported JFK in his bid to become President or not. Our nation was saddened to lose our leader in such a violent and tragic way.

What lessons did we learn? Well, we learned that more should be done to protect our national leaders. We learned that our nation is not immune to violence. We learned that we must teach our children that the ballot, not the end of a gun, is the best way to affect the political climate of our country in a positive way.

Have we learned those lessons? Perhaps. I hope we have. But I see, hear, and read a lot of vitriolic comments regarding this politician or that politician or this policy or that policy and I sometimes wonder.......

Let's teach our children to respect our leaders whether we agree with them or not. Let's teach our children to express their opinions in positive ways. Let's teach our children to pray--for friends, family members, government officials, and even those we consider enemies.

ThanksGIVING

This first semester of the 2013-14 school year has been one fraught with worries for my family and me. There are several health concerns among various family members and it is sometimes hard to stop and realize that there is MUCH to be thankful for. One of the true blessings of my job is that I get to spend time with our junior high students each day. They are few in number but they are truly wonderful people. They have caring, sharing hearts. I have seen them stop to help one of our little people without being asked and they are always willing to help the teachers and each other. They don't complain, they don't moan. They just do it--cheerfully. They've spent a lot of their spare time in the last couple of weeks preparing some gifts for the residents of one of the local nursing homes. And tomorrow they are going to deliver those gifts as well as perform a skit. I got to watch a dress rehearsal this morning and I was charmed and amused! Below are some pictures from that rehearsal. Thank you, students. You are the absolute BEST!!

Teddy Bears Picnic

Thursday, November 14 was National American Teddy Bear Day. And it was a day for a field trip to Royalty Pecan Farms. It was a cool, crisp fall day and we all had a good time riding the trailer to see some of the 13,000 pecan trees. Afterward, we returned to town and had a picnic in which we invited teddy bears. We even had a three generation group--student, Mom, Grandmother, and their teddy bears. And look carefully and you will see a USMC bear, too! It was a nice day for all and I thank the parents and grandparents who took time from their busy schedules to accompany us.

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Washington on the Brazos State Park

Thanks to parents and grandparents who accompanied us to Washington on the Brazos on a chilly fall day.

Waco Mammoth Site

It was a privilege to take the junior high students to visit the Waco Mammoth Site. They received a well taught lesson on the science of Paleontology and had some fun in the process. Each student was able to participate in research project involving picking the fossilized remains of sea creatures from material that came from both North Carolina and Florida. The paleontologist on site explained the project and how they helped with the research. Best of all, they got to keep what they found! Most of them found shark teeth but a few found things more exotic--like a piece of whale bone and even shark poop (it no longer smelled!). The tour went a bit longer than anticipated but not one student complained of hunger or tired feet. It was exciting to see the bones of those ancient creatures and to learn of the reason for their demise and the things that scientists have learned and continue to learn about God's wonderful creation. Thank you, Mrs. Perry for driving and to the moms and one grandmother who went along with us. It was a good day.

Picture Day

Mr. Dabbs came today! He has been coming to First Baptist School for thirty years! Mrs. Becky Z. and I were here that first year and have been here all the subsequent years! Although we only see him twice a year we all look forward to his visits.

He is an amazing photographer and he is SO good with our children. He puts them at ease with his positive manner and welcoming smile. And he calls them names! Funny names. Things like Papa Smurf and Popcorn and Cookie Monster and Gummi Bear. And the kids love it!! They remember what he called them last time and look forward to what he will call them this time. How he remembers so many silly names is beyond me but he has quite a repertoire.

He has photographed all three of my children, two of my three grandchildren, and no telling how many students over those thirty years. His skills are unmatched. FBS is very fortunate to have such talent visit our school. Thank you, Bobby Dabbs!!

Picture Day also means a disruption in our daily schedule. We all do our best to be flexible but sometimes it is a challenge! For instance, today my first graders had to stay in the classroom while my seventh graders came for their History class. And they had to be super quiet because I was giving a quiz. Kudos to both groups for behaving in a respectful manner. As a result, there was some free time at the end of class and the little kids got to play with the big kids. Honestly, I don't know which group enjoyed it more. I'm so glad that our students have such opportunities!

Pumpkin Carving

Thanks to Janna J. for coming today and sharing an object lesson with my children using a pumpkin. Basically, the lesson was that the love of Jesus changes us on the inside

. My students enjoyed helping scoop out the seeds and especially enjoyed eating the toasted seeds.

Showers of Blessings

We were blessed over the weekend with clouds and rain. Especially rain! Our state has struggled for the last few years with a shortage of rain and while most ponds in our area are okay, many of our large reservoirs are still way below normal levels.

First grade has been watching, observing, and recording the weather for the past week. It was a real treat to walk outside this morning and see that there were clouds and a light mist falling. Rainy weather makes me want to curl up in my recliner with a good book and read. Economic necessity requires that I go to work each and every day! But it's more than necessity. I have a 'calling' to do what I do. Some days are easier than others and I know that there are some days when I'm a bit grumpy. But every day that I set foot inside my classroom I receive showers of blessing--from the children I teach and the people with whom I work.

Please continue to pray for rain. Please continue to pray for our school. Please continue to pray for me! And thank God for every shower of blessing He sends your way!

First Grade in Pictures, October 7 and 8

First Graders collected weather data from our weather 'station' in the prayer garden and also practiced being cartographers as they drew maps of the school play areas.