I will have the sign up sheets at the table next Thursday for performances or you can call me any time. If you are interested in attending a professional development workshop, please let me know so we can cover them all. They are our ticket in as well as a great way to learn new ideas to take home.
Well, yesterday I walked through history and I so wished all of you were with me. Actually a third grade class was behind me for some of the way, nipping at my heels. I started at Munroe Tavern in Lexington in front of the green where 77 of Captain John Parker’s militia had gathered to meet over 800 British Regular troops all decked out in their bright red uniforms. The Redcoat muskets were loaded and their bayonets attached. As they formed up about 50 yards from the militia, the British officers in the front on horseback ordered the militia to lay down their arms and disperse. Of course, no colonist would abandon his gun! Captain Parker recognized how outnumbered they were and ordered his men to disperse and not to fire.
As his men began leaving, a gun shot suddenly rang out and mayhem began. Who fired the first shot is still a mystery, but the Regulars opened fire and in a few minutes, eight of the colonists were dead and nine others wounded. It was a moment that called men to action. If they were uncertain about their loyalty to the king or their view about taxes, when their neighbor or their brother was shot on the green right in front of them, they were forced to take a stand. In the tavern I saw a hole made by a musket ball in the conflict and looked out the tavern door to the house at the end of the green where Jonathan Harrington had dragged himself to die in his wife’s arms on their doorstep. The events seemed so immediate.
After looking through Munroe’s Tavern, I walked to the Hancock-Clarke House, the parsonage where John Hancock and Sam Adams were guests of the Reverend Jonas Clarke on April 18th, and where Paul Revere and William Dawes were sent to warn of the advancing British troops. The Clarke family had many children, so I can imagine the confusion and fear of that night. Jonas Clarke, Jr., who was 15 years old that night, accompanied Hancock and Adams to Woburn, Massachusetts, where they could be safe from the British. In the morning he rode a horse to Menotomy (Arlington) to make sure his cousins were safe in the parsonage there. After the battle at Lexington that day, he joined Captain Parker’s militia as the fifer.
I have many stories to tell all of you, but this is getting rather long. I will shorten it up. After walking around Lexington, I went on the road that the Regulars traveled to Concord, where they were going to confiscate arms they believed the colonists had stored there. On my way to Concord I stopped at the Minuteman National Park which had an informative multimedia show about that day. I asked for an audio version so I could play it for you, but was told that all American kids should see the east coast in person. Yes, I agree, but sometimes that isn’t possible. I’m thinking perhaps we can create a reader’s theater/multimedia show of our own this year. What do you think?
A few miles down the road I stopped at another tavern and listened to a local man dressed as a patriot tell everything there was to know about shooting a musket. And he did it several times! It was so loud! So many expressions from our language are part of our colonial heritage. “Flash in the pan” is one of the them. It’s when the powder flashes in the firing pan but doesn’t light off the powder in the barrel to shoot a ball. I knew that but was amazed at how many idioms came up during my day yesterday that had roots in the colonial period.
Finally, I ended up in Concord at the bridge where there was open fighting. It is such a peaceful place now. The loudest sound is the cacophony of crickets. The immense trees that surround the place were not there at the time of the battle. It was open farm land, divided only by the stone fences that are everywhere. All those stone fences reminded me of how long it took to clear fields for farming. When I was in Alaska, we used to have “stick pick” nights where we all walked across a field together and picked up sticks and rocks to clear it so we could plant. At the time it seemed like a hundred thousand toe touches. I can’t imagine lugging those big rocks out of the fields.
I will be bringing each of you an Educator’s Handbook describing more fully the performances available this season, however here are the offerings by discipline. It should be a fun and exciting year!
DANCE:
• Russian Seasons Dance Company
• Carnival of the Animals
• Korean Classical Music & Dance Company
• Arte Flamenco Dance Theatre
• Pilobolus
MUSIC:
• A Celtic Christmas
• Disneyland Band
• Korean Classical Music & Dance Company
• The Prospector
• A Whisper in the Desert (Sierra Room-Limited Seating)
THEATRE:
• Journeys to the Past
• Franklin’s Family Christmas Concert
• Captain Louie
• Tales of the Ashanti
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
• The Color of Justice
• Junie B. Jones
• Smokescreen
• If You Give a Mouse a Cookie & Other Story Books
• The Last, The Very Last… Butterfly
• Alice by Whoopi Goldberg
• Leo Lionni’s Swimmy, Fredrick, and Inch by Inch
I will get sign-up sheets to the learning center next week that will indicate dates, descriptions of performances as well as suggested grade level appropriateness.
Today the new season for the Performing Arts Center was announced. My hope is that more parents will attend the professional development workshops this year. When I meet with you at our monthly meeting, let me know what performances interest you. Like other years, the performances feature dance, music and theater, and many use aspects of all the disciplines. Each performance states a target audience age.
A major change in policy is that the center is asking that we not bring children under four if they are not able to sit through a performance. This is so wiggling/talking/crying will not disturb anyone else. I guess there were times when this was a problem last year. Perhaps we can share babysitting so the moms of little people can go to some performances.
Like last year, if our attendance numbers are different than the number of seats we reserve, we will be charged for the ticket. The point is that they want to fill the theater, so please don’t sign up if you don’t intend to come. The center pays $5,000–$10,000 for these artists to come plus travel and overhead, so please honor the gift that someone is giving so we can attend free.
Tomorrow I will put up the schedule of performances with descriptions.
The first one to leap in the water was Tosh! Not only did he (and mom) read the blog, but they established their own site and Tosh wrote about his trip to the Wild Animal Park. Notice all the rich details in his writing. I could see some of the animals, especially that enormous, blubbery grandpa gorilla. And I could almost taste that yummy dinner, but was annoyed by the buzzing bees. I wonder what sounds were heard when it was night in the big tent? And going up in a hot air balloon that goes higher than the Statue of Liberty? How fun! I can just imagine how tiny everything on the ground appeared. I’m going to try that this year.
You can find Tosh’s entry easily at the right of the screen under Learner Blogs. That’s where I will put all that come in so you can easily respond to other students. I think to respond to anybody you just have to log in first (after you have established a learnerblog).
With the anniversary of 9/11 tomorrow, I imagine you will have many opportunities to discuss this important part of our history. You know your child best and can discern the best way to pass on your impressions and values. Part of why you are doing this is to have a stronger impartation in the character piece, so take advantage of the day.
Mid-learning period visits start on Monday, so I will see all of you in the next two weeks. Have a great weekend!
Many of you have done interesting activities this summer or taken trips to new and different places. Or maybe you did the same vacation that you do every year that you remember and there is something extremely special about that for you. My family used to go to Clear Lake every year when I was a kid and I loved the excitement of coming around the bend in the road and seeing the lake after hours and hours and hours of hot driving. My brother and I had a little boat (a little bigger than a bathtub) with the tiniest motor, but we were allowed to drive around the slough on our own. We went fishing for blue gill with kernels of corn (not messy like worms), and brought home frogs we gigged for my mom to fry at night. We even waterskiied in the slough behind our little boat (both of us were lightweights). Anyway, did you get a little picture of my childhood summer vacations? Think about what you did this summer and see if you can describe it. I’m waiting to hear from you!
There was an enthusiastic buzz at the learning center today with Ms. Carla and Ms. Julie as students greeted old friends and made new ones! It will be fun to see the projects that come out of these art and science classes. Melissa Sena is the new coordinator, so direct any learning center issues to her. She will be happy to help you. All of your wonderful kids made the first day successful!
Don’t forget to check the Julian site for field trips. The next one coming up is Butterfly Day at the Monarch Facility in Encinitas, Wednesday, September 20. Details are on the web site.
This is a great supplemental for our earliest math learners. The author takes familiar picture books and gives suggestions for connecting them to interesting, hands-on math awareness activities. While this Scholastic book sites grades 1-3, most of it is more appropriate to very early learners. It is available in the Anaheim library system.
Claire Allsbrook, one of our Orange County Julian students, hit the big time on the front page of the Orange County Register today. For the last several years she has raised money for AIDS relief in South Africa. She initially started baking and selling dog biscuits on the Seal Beach boardwalk, studying math, economics and geography in the process. This year her fund raising expanded with donations from Katella Deli and Mimi’s Cafe supplying people food. She raised $1300 for the nonprofit Global Lifeworks. Way to go, Claire!
As I read this Newberry Honor book during the summer, I kept thinking it would make a great read aloud for a family as there is so much to discuss: relationships, history, science, economics, authority and submission, fantasy and reality. Three stories are woven together in this well written tale: the life of Whittington, the scruffy tom cat who wants to be part of the barn community, the 14th century legend of Dick Whittington and his cat told from a cat’s point of view, and the story of Ben, the orphan boy, and how he overcomes his reading obstacle. If you liked Charlotte’s Web, you’ll love this book. Talking animals aren’t my favorite (except in Narnia), but this book hooked me. I’d be interested to know what you think.
