Celebration Saturday | Reflections on the Teche

Archive for the ‘Celebration Saturday’ Category

Magical Celebrations

Posted in Celebration Saturday, Gifted Education, Writing, tagged magic, magician, mentors, Michael Dardant on February 14, 2015| 5 Comments »

Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.

This was a week for magic and illusions in my classroom. On Monday, Michael Dardant, otherwise known as Magic Mike (the original), visited my class. Visit his amazing website here.

One of my students has been dedicated to magic for almost 3 years. He did his first magic show for his class in third grade. He is now in 5th grade, and he performed his first public magic show last weekend. I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a passionate interest in any of my students.

I got in touch with Michael more than a year ago trying to get him to visit. Finally his schedule allowed for it, and I feel the timing was just right. As I expected, the two magicians shared tricks and chatter, also known as patter in magic shows. Michael has been doing magic since he was thirteen. He performed at children’s birthday parties when my daughters were growing up. He complimented Matthew and his advanced trickery at such a young age. It was a joy to watch these two together. Here is a quick video clip of Michael showing the sponge ball trick to Matthew. Permission has been granted from both Matthew’s mother and from Michael to post this video clip.

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Winter Chalkabration

Posted in Celebration Saturday, Chalk-a-bration, Writing, tagged chalkabration, gifted writers, winter poems on January 31, 2015| 6 Comments »

Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.

Join the Chalk-a-bration at Betsy Hubbard’s site Teaching Young Writers.

My students love Chalkabration, the genius child of Betsy Hubbard of The Two Writing Teachers. She invites us to celebrate poetry at the end of the month by chalking poems. Because of Thanksgiving and Christmas break, we have not chalked poems for 3 months. The excitement got us in a little trouble.

I used a poetry lesson I had made a few years ago that I happened upon in my Dropbox folder. The poems were quite sophisticated for my little ones, but my instructions were to find words of light and words of dark. I don’t want Chalkabration to turn into fluffy writing. With this work reading high-level poems, their poems were more thoughtful. I especially like that Erin, a third grader, decided to use the haiku form. Our springlike weather allowed us to go outside and chalk up the sidewalk.

By Reed, 6th grade

A haiku by Erin, 3rd grade

By Margaret Simon

It doesn’t snow here, but even so, my students drew snowflakes to symbolize winter.

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Celebrate Blooming

Posted in Celebration Saturday, Writing, tagged amaryllis, Berry Queens, New Iberia Chamber of Commerce on January 24, 2015| 9 Comments »

Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.

The winter can be such a dreary time. I am celebrating today how blooming continues even when the days are gloomy. An amaryllis bulb, a Christmas gift from a friend, is blooming in my kitchen. I have documented it with images and put them into a quick video. Enjoy blooming!

This week the Chamber of Commerce held its annual banquet honoring the Citizen of the Year. Our own boss queen of the Berry Queens, Jerre Borland, was selected. In typical Berry Queen fashion, many of us wore our ball gowns and enhanced hair along with tiaras and glitter to honor Jerre. Her speech touched us all. I wanted to celebrate and share a snippet with you today. I am sure you will be inspired by her words as well.

Several years ago, a little saying popped up that became popular—YOLO: You only live once—a kind of distant blacksheep cousin to Carpe Diem—not just Seize the day: Live like it is your last, but above all and everyone else—live for yourself. Somehow I can’t get behind this sentiment, though we in Berry Queens can Carpe the heck out of the Diem—no problem. Life may be short–but I do not believe it is meant to be spent selfishly doing whatever you want, whenever you want. The richest moments of our lives are spent with others, doing for others—moments of selflessness in which we exhibit the give and take of loving others. You see—Love does. If you love something, someone: your community, your mother, your son, your husband, your friend—you do for them. In this act comes the feeling and the intent of what it means to really love. Love is a verb. It is constant. Love shows up—Love acts—Love does for others before self. That is what it truly means to love.
–Jerre Borland, Her Royal Highness Head Boss Queen of the Berry.

The 2015 Chamber of Commerce Banquet with Cathy M and Farrah T

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Celebrate Teachers Write

Posted in Celebration Saturday, Teachers Write, tagged Kate Messner, Michelle Haseltine, Stenhouse, Twitter on January 17, 2015| 13 Comments »

Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.

Tweet from Michelle Haseltine

I love Twitter Love. Nothing better than having colleagues/blogging friends recognize, honor, and celebrate you. And without you even knowing it! I was traveling yesterday. Presently, I’m in Atlanta for a friend’s son’s wedding. At the end of the long day, I checked my Twitter alerts. Were they really talking about me? I had to read the Tweets again.

Then this morning I received an email from Stenhouse offering a free preview of Kate Messner’s new book, 59 Reasons to Write. It took a while to thumb to page 198, but there I was. I had written a mock letter to myself as a reflection of Teachers Write camp. I must have sent it to Kate, but I have no recollection of that.

So today, I celebrate Kate Messner, Teachers Write, and Twitter Love. If you haven’t done it yet, order 50 Reasons today. You don’t need any more reasons.

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Celebrate Discoveries

Posted in Celebration Saturday, Writing, tagged Diane Mayr, gifted eductaion, IMWAYR, mini microscope, resurrection fern on January 10, 2015| 12 Comments »

Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.

My week back from the break was a full week. School every day (no snow days in South Louisiana) and parent conference day on Thursday. Report cards, progress reports, IEP meetings, etc. I need another break!

This week was also full of discoveries. My husband bought my students a gift, a mini-microscope. I passed it around in the package which was covered in foreign characters, no English. Then we took out the little blue plastic thing. They tried the switches, put their eyes to the view hole, and guessed flashlight, magnifying glass–microscope! Jacob’s reaction to the discovery, “Ew! My hand is covered in fish scales.” Fun discoveries.

What is this?

My students are loving the white boards that a grandpa made for them. Here, Erin’s lemur friend tells how to make the best Monday, What are you Reading? post. Look at the creative spelling of genre.

My online writing group is driving me in so many ways. I posted a section of my WIP with “draping oak.” The question, “Do oaks drape?” On a Sunday afternoon walk after a huge rain, we came to this draping oak covered in resurrection fern. I posted it on Facebook asking for help in describing this in writing. Diane Mayr responded with an image poem. She didn’t know what resurrection fern was, so she researched it. More discoveries.

Live oak tree covered in resurrection fern.

Image by Diane Mayr

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Celebration Resolution

Posted in Celebration Saturday, Teachers Write, Writing, tagged Gae Polisner, Linda Mitchell, OLW, Reach on January 3, 2015| 16 Comments »

Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.

I chose Reach as my OLW for 2015. The recent gift of an Amaryllis bulb reminds me daily to reach. It has quickly grown about 2 inches in 2 days, reaching up to be a blossom.

I am reaching out to other writers, sharing my work and encouraging theirs. A recent writing partner was introduced to me by Gae Polisner of Teachers Write and the author of two YA books, The Pull of Gravity and The Summer of Letting Go. Linda Mitchell and I have been exchanging poems for a few months. She is not blogging yet, so when she told me she had chosen her OLW, I asked her to write a poem about it. Here is her poem about the word Nourish. Love this word because you can nourish yourself as well as others. Her writing and advice nourish me.

New Year Resolution 1.1.2015
The women residing in me– but not limited to:
Daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend,
teacher, student, poet.

Whereas limited time is granted daily
by our creator and selfish choices;

Whereas desire to express meaning
is hindered by our ability to grasp
the essence of the language;

Whereas our attention and focus
is worn away and eroded
by frivolous pursuits;

Whereas our hope is to achieve
peaceful and mutual understanding
with our world;

RESOLVE, THAT the verb and action nourish
fortify all work, play and spiritual activity
January 1 through December 31, 2015.

And as such,

Be it resolved that we commit to:

Promote growth

Provide sustenance

Train, build and raise up

Ourselves, our loved ones
and our communities
beginning with prayer,
contemplation, word,
silence and
meaningful action
whenever and wherever
possible.

–Linda Mitchell, all rights reserved.

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Bridge Picture

Posted in Celebration Saturday, tagged celebration, cousins, memories on December 27, 2014| 6 Comments »

Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.

Simon cousins 1995

When my father-in-law was alive, he was an amateur photographer. He and my mother-in-law would go on birding trips, she with her binoculars and he with his camera. Years ago he had a darkroom set up in the laundry room. His 85th birthday would have been on December 21st, the winter solstice. He died ten years ago this November.

Papa would annually pose the cousins on a small wooden bridge over the creek (or coulee in South Louisiana) in their backyard. My children being the oldest cousins remember this fondly. My youngest daughter announced on Christmas that she wanted a “bridge picture.” Two of the cousins are missing, but five of them (my three and my sister-in-law’s two) lined up on the bridge for a 2014 photo. Today on this Celebration Saturday, I celebrate the memory of Papa and the love of family, especially cousins.

Simon cousins 2014

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Looks Like Christmas

Posted in Celebration Saturday, tagged Berry Queens, Blue Dog, Christmas, George Rodrigue, The Shadows, tree on December 20, 2014| 6 Comments »

Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.

Last Saturday, New Iberia commemorated artist George Rodrigue with a day of festivities and a Christmas parade. George Rodrigue (1944-2013) is a well-known Louisiana artist who created the iconic “Blue Dog.” He grew up in New Iberia. The whole downtown is colored blue with blue lights and blue decorated windows. My Berry Queen sister, Cathy, made us matching blue dog poodle skirts to wear in the parade. We all word blue wigs. The streets were lined with festive parade-goers.

Blue Dog Berry Queens

The Shadows always looks beautiful. Our final day of performance was Monday. My student Erin, dressed as Harriet Weeks, looks out dreamily to the gardens below.

Harriet surveys the Shadows

I caught a nasty cold and spent Thursday afternoon on my soft sofa with Charlie at my side. Even though it took illness to get me there, I was grateful for the quiet time to watch the twinkling Christmas tree.

My view

Jack, the lemur, became part of our origami Christmas popper making. Vannisa set up a “photo shoot” with him among the wrapping paper. Together we wrote a Christmas poem for you. Merry Christmas everyone! Celebrate!

Jack the lemur wishes you a very merry Christmas!

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Celebrate this Week

Posted in Celebration Saturday, Solomon House, Writing, tagged satsuma salmon, Solomon House, The Shadows on December 13, 2014| 8 Comments »

Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.

Every week when I sit down to write this Celebration post, I am amazed at all there is to celebrate, even with the stress of the season settling in. My stress started when I slept a whole hour late on Tuesday morning. I managed to get where I was going in time, but it set a hurried tone to my day that was uncomfortable.

Yet, there is much to celebrate.

On Monday, my students performed their play at the Shadows. They were so wiggly and full of nervous energy, but they all did a wonderful job. After our performances (Each scene occurs multiple times for different sets of first graders), we walked downtown to Bouligny Plaza. I told the students that the plaza was named for the founder of New Iberia. I allowed them to play a healthy game of hide-and-seek but said there would be a quiz at the end about the plaques in the plaza. Here a student photo bombs Bouligny.

On Tuesday, Glenae spoke! If you follow my blog posts, you know Glenae was seriously injured in a car accident. She has had a ventilator then a tracheotomy, so speech was not possible. A new smaller trache allowed her to say, “Hi Momma.” What joy and celebration! She has now been transferred to a rehab hospital. Today I received a praise text that she has had the valve shut off to see how she can tolerate it. She is on her way to a full recovery.

On Wednesday, Jeff and I learned the Western Two-Step at our dancing lessons. We have found a Texas swing band that we enjoy, so we asked Lou to teach us some new steps. It’s keeping us young.

On Thursday, my writing group welcomed a new member. She is a good writer and a willing participant. Also, Maggie made dinner. She is an imaginative cook. She used the abundance of satsumas to make a delicious sauce for salmon.

On Friday night, I attended a faculty Christmas party at a local restaurant. It is always fun to relax and talk to colleagues about non-school things.

Today, I started this post but had to hurry off to our Solomon House Christmas party. Without Ellen, Glenae’s mom, to organize the whole thing, I think we did a pretty good job. St. Nicholas came and my husband showed up with chicken fingers galore. Not to mention all the church members who donated time and gifts. Our clients are going to have a better Christmas due to their generosity.

Solomon House volunteer, Betty, holds precious Melachi.

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Recovery, Discovery, and a Rescue

Posted in Celebration Saturday, tagged duck rescue, Glenae Nora, Gofundme, The Shadows, Wat Buddhist Temple on December 6, 2014| 6 Comments »

Ruth Ayres invites us the celebrate each week. Click over to her site Discover. Play. Build. to read more celebrations.

My phone is like a visual diary of my week. I take pictures of things I care about. I finished the prayer shawl I was making for Glenae. It is easily one of the most beautiful things I have ever made. I could tell she loved it by the way she held it close and fingered it. She signed the word “soft.” She is making progress slowly and will be moving to a rehab center soon. Seeing her, talking to her, and feeling her gentle spirit gave me hope for her recovery. If you have added her to your prayer list, keep it going. I believe she feels the strength of many.

A Go Fund Me was set up for Glenae’s expenses. In just 7 days, they have far exceeded their goal. People are reaching out to help. I am encouraged by the number of students and parents who are donating. We have a strong and supportive community.

On Tuesday, my students and I toured the local Buddhist Temple, Wat Thammarattanaram. This amazing temple is set back in a quiet neighborhood in Coteau, which literally means country. We know very little about Buddhism and about our own community. My students, their parents, and I were fascinated to hear about this hidden gem.

We also went to the Shadows, a local plantation home and tourist attraction. Every year, the gifted elementary students in the parish perform a historical play for the first graders. My students love dressing in the period costumes, learning their lines, and feeling the joy of performing. I love this picture of the white camellias blooming.

My friend was vacationing at Orange Beach in Alabama and sent me an email about her duck rescue. I shortened it into a found poem here.

Along the beach yesterday
I saw a duck trying to swim,
obviously in distress.
The bird’s leg and wing were all tangled
in fishing line.
I waded out into the waves.
The water was dragging her in.
We managed to cut the line.
Wildlife and Fisheries came to the rescue.
She was given a clean bill of health.
We watched her waddle back to the water
and head for Florida.

A wonderful week filled with loving, learning, and rescuing.

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