Thank You Liz!

The day before Spring Break I was able to give the kids a HUGE surprise!

A block of 25 tickets to Wrestlemania donated by my very good and wonderful friend, Liz!


They were so excited I had to create an invisible door to my "office" to keep them out.

They used their inner strength to control their excitement and come to the ticket counter in an orderly fashion. (Nick, Florencia and Chad)

Sandria and Kelly getting theirs

And Kristen....oh wonderful Kristen. She is simply amazed that anyone would give her anything...constantly reminding me of what true gratitude really is

Sinatra (Drew) releasing some extra energy




Finding a note Taneicea had written in a storage room before she left

Which between this and being able to FEEL the happiness Liz had sparked within the kids from her thoughtfulness and generosity...I snapped the yardstick I was holding, again.....which is now in five pieces to date from the beginning of the year.

My birthday's coming up...maybe I'll get a new one :-)

Sandria, Amanda, Taylor and Courtney enjoying their self-created office setup. When I told them they should put something special in the middle, Taylor jumped up and said, "How about me?"

It's one thing to tell people they're all special....it's another to have everyone feel special. Her statement let me know I'm doing my job with her.

This picture makes me very happy...and my eyes a little misty

In order to have this freedom to create your own workspace, you have to earn it....you have to recreate yourself constantly. Now that the state testing is over, and with the momentum we've created all year, the rate of learning and growth is increasing.

The latest challenge is to succeed in all four areas of the AR reading program (passing percent, book level, tests taken and points earned). Kelly working hard and recreating herself, achieving what she hasn't yet achieved....yet will!

I rarely tell them what to do. Instead I ask them what they want, and then motivate and guide them in how to get it. Big Fun (Luis) and Little Miggs want the big table......Good.......NOW EARN IT!


Make it happen! Dream Big and Achieve your BIG Dreams with BIG Thoughts and Big Action!

Be MORE than you have ever been before....and do it with a BIG sense of PLAY!

It's so much more fun that way

(no animals were hurt during the making of this film....some students were, but no animals - LOL - just playing!!!)

(Oh! Andrew brought in a Frank Sinatra print that you can see in the upper left of the photo......Paint the picture of what could be....Get them to see it.....Teach them how to paint it themselves....And stand back in awe as they create it)