The Median Sib

My school system is considering a balanced calendar for next year. That means that there would be two weeks between quarters during the school year, and then about eight weeks off during the summer. There would still be the same number of school days in the year as there are now.

It sounds like a great idea to me. During those two week breaks, children who are struggling would have the opportunity for additional help, other children could be involved in enrichment activities, families could take vacations during off-season times, and it would provide teachers with a little breathing room between quarters - breathing room that will undoubtedly be used by many teacher to help struggling learners and for further professional learning.

After polling the teachers and the parents, the results are almost tied. Elementary teachers and parents tended to be in favor of the balanced calendar. Middle school and high school teachers and parents tended to not want it. Here are the official numbers: 8,641 people polled were in favor of it, 8,962 were not in favor of it, and 1,657 were undecided or had no opinion. With those numbers, the balanced calendar most likely will not be implemented next year - at least not county-wide. There is some talk of trying it with clusters of schools. Discussions will resume after the holidays.

I am disappointed. People who have been in a district with a balanced calendar have told me that they like it - a lot! I haven’t had the opportunity to talk with anyone who has experienced a balanced calendar who didn’t like it. The second-hand arguments I’ve heard against it are that it interferes with high school athletics and band, and that it could possibly have a negative effect on college entrance exams.

I want to understand both sides from people who have actually experienced an alternative school calendar. My questions are: What do you think of a balanced calendar? Have you worked in a district that had such a calendar? What do you feel are the advantages and disadvantages of a balanced calendar?

I’ve given my input to the calendar committee, and it will be interesting to see how this evenly-split issue is handled.

See THIS earlier post about the topic, and then a RESPONSE to that post. I also found THIS link that describes a study done this year on the pros and cons of the balanced calendar - very informative.

Eagle River Reflections

Sunrise at Riversong Lodge

A Tundra Flower Amid Rocks

I’m excited that PawPaw and I have already made reservations for next September to go to Alaska again. We’ll stay at the same lodge in Denali that we stayed this past July. I’m excited because we’ll be there the last week that the lodge will be open for the season. There will likely be snow on the ground - and even without snow, it will be well into fall and the colors should be spectacular. Also, a famous photographer (can’t recall his name) will be there to help us with our wildlife and nature photography. Unfortunately, in order to make the trip I will have to take off work without pay since I’m only allotted two personal leave days each year. But that’s okay - this trip will be worth it.

I’ve posted photos from July’s Alaska trip previously. However, I’ll do it again. I really love looking at them! (Oh well, the pics landed at the beginning of this post instead of the end, and I’ll just leave them there rather than moving them.)

OK, I admit it. Some of these are groaners. Oh, all right — ALL of them are. But maybe they’ll put a smile on your face anyway.

TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America.
MARIA: Here it is.
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America?
CLASS: Maria.

TEACHER: Why are you late, Frank?
FRANK: Because of the sign.
TEACHER: What sign?
FRANK: The one that says, “School Ahead, Go Slow.”

TEACHER: John, why are you doing your multiplication on the floor?
JOHN: You told me to do it without using tables.

TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell “crocodile?”
GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L”
TEACHER: No, that’s wrong.
GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.

TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
DONALD: H I J K L M N O
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
DONALD: Yesterday you said it’s H to O.

TEACHER: Winnie, name one important thing that we didn’t have years ago.
WINNIE: Me!

TEACHER: Goss, why do you always get so dirty?
GOSS: Well, I’m a lot closer to the ground than you are.

TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with “I.”
MILLIE: I is…
TEACHER: No, Millie….. Always say, “I am.”
MILLIE:All right… “I” am the ninth letter of the alphabet.”

TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down his father’s cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn’t punish him?
LOUIS: Because George still had the ax in his hand.

TEACHER: Now, Simon, tell me frankly, do you say prayers before eating?
SIMON: No sir, I don’t have to, my Mom is a good cook.

TEACHER: Clyde, your composition on “My Dog” is exactly the same as your brother’s. Did you copy his?
CLYDE: No, teacher, it’s the same dog.

TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps talking when people are no longer interested?
HAROLD: A teacher.

(Another tip of the hat to my friend, JeNan - the queen of forwarded jokes and cartoons!)

According the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the word “clemency” means “a: the disposition to be merciful and especially to moderate the severity of punishment due b: an act or instance of leniency.”

Tookie Williams has already received clemency. Since being convicted of murdering four individuals who had done him no wrong - they just happened to be in his way - Tookie Williams has been given 24 years. He has had a bed to sleep in, three square meals a day, an opportunity to exercise and to visit with his friends and family. He’s been able to make phone calls and watch television and work. He has been able to collaborate with others to write books. He has met with well known people in the political, musical and acting arenas. He has had a movie made about his life. Unbelievably, he has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize - more than once. He has web pages devoted to drumming up support for him. Most people recognize his name.

Tookie Williams has already received clemency. Since the day Tookie Williams brutally murdered them, his four victims have been dead. End of their stories. Tookie offered them no clemency, no death with dignity, no opportunity for a last visit with friends or family or even for a final meal or a prayer. He ridiculed the death gurgles of one young victim. Few people know their names, and few are mourning their deaths.

Tookie Williams has already received clemency. He has had 24 years - almost the equivalent of the entire lifetime of the young convenience store worker he killed.

Some worry about the message that Tookie’s death will send to children and young people. Tookie Williams’ death will teach them that there are consequences for murder - that no matter who protests on your behalf, eventually you must pay the price. Children will learn that they must consider those consequences before commiting a crime rather than murdering first and reforming later.

A death sentence is a horrible thing, but unlike his victims, his death will be merciful. Tookie Williams will get his last meal and his last visit and prayer with clergy. Instead of being threatened and painfully shot like his victims, he will experience a pain-free death - a death he earned when he willfully and mercilessly and brutally took the lives of four other unique and precious human beings.

Tookie Williams has already received clemency.

Other blog posts on the subject:
Baldilocks has phenomenal posts HERE and HERE. (The first link is long but worth the read.) She has an older post HERE as well.

Beth at Merry Christmas has some choice words for Arnold.

Larry at Blame Bush! writes that Swarzenegger to terminate beloved children’s author.

The Anchoress has some insights - as does her husband.

Thanks again to my non-blogging friend JeNan who keeps sending me items such as the following:

Lessons to be learned from a snowman…
-Get over it. It’s okay if you’re a little bottom heavy.
-Hold your ground, even when the heat is on.
-Wearing white is always appropriate.
-Winter is a time to be happy, quiet, and reflective.
-It takes a few extra rolls to make a good midsection.
-There’s nothing better than a foul weather friend.
-The key to life is to be a jolly, happy soul.
-We’re all made up mostly of water.
-You know you’ve made it when they write a song about you.
-Accessorize! Accessorize! Accessorize!
-Avoid yellow snow.
-Always use a sun blocker; and be careful of exposure to the sun.
-Sure, it’s embarrassing when you can’t see your feet. Get over it.
-It’s fun to hang out in the front yard; great way to see the neighbors.
-Always put your best foot forward. Keeps you looking for solid ground.
-There’s no stopping you once you’re on a roll. Be careful on hills.
-It’s not the size of the carrot, but the placement that counts.

The Anchoress has a right-on post entitled “How Can I like You, you’re a Conservative!” It’s worth reading.

Mike, over at Ramblings and Rhetoric had THIS post about etiquette in blogging. He has some great points. Although I think my etiquette has always been pretty good, I’ll be doing more clicking from now on when I’m reading other blogs.

PawPaw and I headed over to Leiper’s Fork yesterday to see their annual Christmas parade. Leiper’s Fork is an unincorporated community with strong historical roots. Since PawPaw is buying land nearby and we’re going to build a house there, we figured it would be good to start participating in community events.

The Christmas parade was FANTABULOUS! It was held on the narrow road that goes through the business district. As we stood along the road, we could easily talk to the people in the parade.

Highlights of the parade included:

A man wearing western attire and carrying a rifle who kept shouting to the crowds, “I hope you get a BANG out of Christmas!”

A septic tank pump truck with a Christmas wreath on front - Apparently the only requirement for participation was to have some type of Christmas decoration, or maybe the company paid a fee to participate. PawPaw and I laughed at the idea of a septic tank truck in a Christmas parade. Only in Leiper’s Fork…

Lots of John Deere tractors - festooned with wreaths or other Christmas items

Bagpipe players

Middle school age baton twirlers

Three guys riding lawn mowers and twirling them in circles on the street

An orange Dukes of Hazzard car that repeatedly revved up the motor and blared that signature horn followed by an antique police car which repeatedly sounded its siren - a mini police chase in slow motion

Everyone who was considering running for office in that community or county - big cars with campaign signs on the side, along with the requisite Christmas wreath or Santa hat

Lots of horse riders and horse- or mule-drawn carriages

A float with Wee Miss Franklin - a little girl of about 3 or 4 years of age who handled riding on the float very well - smiling and throwing candy to onlookers

Santa was atop the local fire truck, and Rudolph mingled with the crowds.

A small group of sheep was herded along the parade route.

Two alpacas on leashes were part of the parade, too.

Everyone in the parade had buckets of candy that they freely tossed to onlookers. A young boy next to us (obviously an experienced parade watcher) came prepared with a bag which he completely filled by the time the parade was over. I left most of the candy for the children, but managed to scoop up a Tootsie Roll and a Hershey’s Kiss that came my way. I needed my chocolate fix for the day. I was disappointed that PawPaw nabbed the only Snickers that landed near us.

It may seem that the parade was rather hokey. It was - but in a fun and heart-warming way. Everyone was smiling and having a good time. It wasn’t a slick and sophisticated parade, but slick and sophisticated wasn’t the goal. The community wanted the down-hown, country, redneck, fun parade they had. Puckett’s Grocery was doing a booming business. We saw a county music star who lives in the community. The people in the parade and the people watching the parade were talking to each other as the parade passed. There were lots and lots of children there. There were no strangers in Leiper’s Fork yesterday. Watching the Christmas parade will be an annual event for us from now on.

Just read a new post by Darren at Right on the Left Coast: Views From a Conservative Teacher. It is fascinating for me to see the topic of abortion from the point of view of man who had a child of his aborted without his knowledge. Head on over and read it.

I just checked my “status” on the TTLB ecosystem (a compulsive habit that I stoop to numerous times each day), and I saw that I am only 8 links from becoming a large mammal. Well, maybe 9 links, depending on whether TTLB goes by the number of link or the “link score.” Either way - Oh. My. Goodness. Despite that I truly AM a large mammal, it would be gratifying to have myself officially classified as such. I keep looking for my pouch — and figured that maybe TTLB classified my pooch of my stomach as a pouch and mistakenly listed me as a marauding marsupial instead. Here’s to 8 (or 9) more blogs linking to THE MEDIAN SIB! Just click the “blogroll me” link to your left.

Click on THIS LINK to go to Daddy’s Roses, and read that post and follow the links there to one of the funniest three pages I’ve seen lately.

We walked up to the ticket booth, and PawPaw asked for “Two Senior Potters.” Without blinking an eye, the girl rang up two senior priced tickets to Harry Potter, while I was falling out laughing. Over the course of the evening, I probably repeated “Two Senior Potters!” ten times while laughing uncontrollably. I share this story with you in order to illustrate that I was in a good mood this evening - laughing, having a splendid time and ready to enjoy a movie.

When PawPaw suggested seeing the new Harry Potter movie, I eagerly agreed. I had written a negative post about Harry Potter a few weeks ago, and so I was determined that I would see the new movie (that fans had described as the best one yet) and finally understand what all the hullabaloo is about. I went into the theater with the highest hopes and expectations - along with my giggles about the aforementioned “two senior potters.” Midway through the movie, when I was having to force myself to stay awake and pay attention, I gave up. We remained through to the end just to make sure there wasn’t something worthwhile that we might miss otherwise. But the fact is - Harry Potter is simply not for me. It was boring. It was absurd. To me, it was just plain stupid. I realize I’m in the minority. What can I say? That’s my personal opinion. I’m sure there are lots of movies I’ve loved that other people think are ridiculous.

PawPaw summed up our feelings as we left the theater …..”Instead of Hogwarts, they should have called it Hogwash.”

I’m so excited! I’ll be getting a whole new look for THE MEDIAN SIB in just a few days. I have a fantastic designer working on it - and I LOVE what she has done so far. She just has to finish tweaking it here and there to get it perfect - well, she also has to find a suitable photo of my next to eldest sibling - the one who apparently didn’t pose for many full-length photos! But we’ll persevere and locate the perfect one somewhere in the boxes of old family photos.

So be watching for the new and improved look of THE MEDIAN SIB.

By the way, my designer is Beth. When she showed me her initial idea for THE MEDIAN SIB a couple days ago, I realized that she “GOT” what I was looking for. However, don’t everyone start asking her to design your blog template right away. I want her to finish mine first!

Check THIS POST by Terry at Alone on a Limb. He is following up on THIS POST on Ruthlace that I mentioned yesterday. Rather than going off on extreme right or left swings, they present refreshingly reasonable insights into these particular current issues.

I hope you’ll check out Ruthlace and read THIS latest post. This is the best explanation for why the Bible should be used in all schools - public and private.

Then, if you have a hankering for a great PEA-CAN pound cake recipe, check out Merry Christmas. I happen to know Beth - and I didn’t realize she actually knows HOW to cook, but maybe I was wrong.

Then for a hilarious post, check out the POTTY POST on Daddy’s Roses.

You might recall a couple days ago I raged about a local radio talk show host who was spouting off uninformed information about my school system. Terry at Alone on a Limb took my side with THIS post. It made me feel so much better for Terry to take up for me! That’ll show old Steve Gill!

For a troubling story about Venezuela, go to Cozy Reader and read THIS story about how the president of Venezuela has “invited” Americans to go home.