Parents are aware of how important it is for their children to spend time outdoors and how safe outdoor playgrounds are great for kids to have that play time. Children need the fresh air and exposure to the elements to help build strong bodies and an awareness of the world around them.
Unfortunately, the days of letting kids roam around the neighborhood; going to the playground alone is gone.
Still, outdoor play equipment is important in the life of a child.
1.
Outdoor playgrounds often help children develop social skills when they share that space with others.
Outdoor playgrounds, by design, are created in such a way as to be fun for a single child, but they are notably constructed with more than one child in mind. They are multiple use structures with ladders, swings, and slides that are often constructed in one single component.
This allows children to have more than one play area but also allows them to interact with other children even while enjoying different parts of the play structure. This is an important character building exercise for the preschooler who once in the classroom will have to be able to work in spaces occupied by other children.
2. Outdoor playgrounds allow the child to exercise their adventurous nature.
Kids need to be able to take risks, but in a safe way.
They need to be able to stretch their comfort boundaries and feel like they are taking a risk but at the same time not be allowed to enter into play that is unsafe.
Outdoor playgrounds are designed to feel just a little more risky than they really are.
How often we see children who want to prove to their parent how brave they are.
They'll stand at the top of the slide imploring their parents to look at them all the while holding onto the safety rail. This gives the child a sense of adventure without placing themselves at risk. Not only is good playground equipment fun to play on but they're safe to play on as well.
3.
Outdoor playgrounds allow children to exercise their imagination and creativity.
Kids love to play in outdoor playhouses where they can pretend to be a knight of King Arthur's Round Table fighting dragons or even pretending to be a cowboy from the Wild West.
The child will play safely in playhouses molded from plastic strong enough to be capable of handling the onslaught of the most ferocious dragon, or the attack of marauding outlaw raiders. Playhouses can be found that resemble log cabins, convenience stores, airports, and stone castles.
4.
Outdoor playgrounds allow children to exercise their bodies.
Creative play is important to developing minds.
Creative healthy outdoor play is important to developing healthy minds and bodies. Along with the focus on watching what children eat to fight obesity, exercise is equally as important.
Children are bundles of energy and that energy needs to be focused toward safe play.
Playground equipment should be designed with ways to expend the energy in healthy and safe ways.
Monday, 8 December 2014
Sunday, 7 December 2014
Microsoft Office 365 - Pros And Cons
What is Office 365?
Traditionally, Microsoft Office has been a software application that you download and install onto one or more PC's under a single or multiple user license agreement.
First introduced in 2010 and expanded in 2013 to include new plans, Microsoft Office 365 is a pay-as-you-go subscription version providing ONLINE access to various software and services removing the need to have your own Microsoft Small Business Server.
Typically the plans can include: Microsoft Office Suite (word, publisher, excel etc) Microsoft Exchange Online (hosted email) Microsoft Lync 2010 (communications server) Sharepoint Document Management (document server) Skydrive Storage Malware Protection So is MS Office 365 right for you and your business? The Pros of Office 365 Your applications can be accessed via any device (including mobile), through any web browser as long as you have the correct permissions and access to an internet connection, (even wi-fi).
Reduced capital expenditure Instead of paying for new versions, Office 365 upgrades are automatically included within your subscription Multiple users can have access to the same documents, for example you can store documents in Sharepoint 2010 and have the ability to make changes, review versions or even leave notes for colleagues. Removes any infrastructure headaches should you need to undertake office relocation.
Greater server stability, with a high uptime Service Level Agreement.
(assumes network reliability) The Cons of Office 365 Your data is stored in 'the Cloud' in Microsoft Data Centres so you are reliant on both network and bandwidth.
If your internet connection fails you will lose access to your software and data until it is restored You have very little control over this 'cloud' environment your data is stored in, whilst there are uptime guarantees any datacentre infrastructure failure can have a direct impact on the availability of Office 365.
If Microsoft or other high end Data Centre provider outages do occur, small businesses have no leverage.
You may consider there to be higher security risks associated with 'online' data storage. If this is a key factor for your business, there are upgrade options available but they could be cost prohibitive. Application performance may be slower over an internet connection, especially if you have home based users with inferior internet connectivity and broadband speeds.
This could have the knock on effect of reducing productivity There are limits to the number of email recipients you can have within a 24 hour period Ultimately if you are considering switching to Office 365, you need to evaluate its suitability based on your own individual business requirements.
How would your business be affected if you were unable to access the applications? Are the possible security implications an issue? What budget do you have available? Do you have any internal IT support? Will you still need a local server for certain requirements? With any IT decision it's always better to seek help to identify the impact on your business and how to minimise any potential risk.
First introduced in 2010 and expanded in 2013 to include new plans, Microsoft Office 365 is a pay-as-you-go subscription version providing ONLINE access to various software and services removing the need to have your own Microsoft Small Business Server.
Typically the plans can include: Microsoft Office Suite (word, publisher, excel etc) Microsoft Exchange Online (hosted email) Microsoft Lync 2010 (communications server) Sharepoint Document Management (document server) Skydrive Storage Malware Protection So is MS Office 365 right for you and your business? The Pros of Office 365 Your applications can be accessed via any device (including mobile), through any web browser as long as you have the correct permissions and access to an internet connection, (even wi-fi).
Reduced capital expenditure Instead of paying for new versions, Office 365 upgrades are automatically included within your subscription Multiple users can have access to the same documents, for example you can store documents in Sharepoint 2010 and have the ability to make changes, review versions or even leave notes for colleagues. Removes any infrastructure headaches should you need to undertake office relocation.
Greater server stability, with a high uptime Service Level Agreement.
(assumes network reliability) The Cons of Office 365 Your data is stored in 'the Cloud' in Microsoft Data Centres so you are reliant on both network and bandwidth.
If your internet connection fails you will lose access to your software and data until it is restored You have very little control over this 'cloud' environment your data is stored in, whilst there are uptime guarantees any datacentre infrastructure failure can have a direct impact on the availability of Office 365.
If Microsoft or other high end Data Centre provider outages do occur, small businesses have no leverage.
You may consider there to be higher security risks associated with 'online' data storage. If this is a key factor for your business, there are upgrade options available but they could be cost prohibitive. Application performance may be slower over an internet connection, especially if you have home based users with inferior internet connectivity and broadband speeds.
This could have the knock on effect of reducing productivity There are limits to the number of email recipients you can have within a 24 hour period Ultimately if you are considering switching to Office 365, you need to evaluate its suitability based on your own individual business requirements.
How would your business be affected if you were unable to access the applications? Are the possible security implications an issue? What budget do you have available? Do you have any internal IT support? Will you still need a local server for certain requirements? With any IT decision it's always better to seek help to identify the impact on your business and how to minimise any potential risk.
Cognitive Development
While there is no general theory of cognitive development, the Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget is credited with developing some of the seminal ideas about how we mature on a cognitive level. Cognitive theory concerns itself with the way children and adolescents process information. The manner in which we learn is truly procedural in nature, and it is dictated by the physiological state of the brain.
Learning and cognition have their origins as a basic survival tool. In order to thrive, animals must have a good understanding of their environments and adapt to new challenges accordingly.
However, a baby not born with its brain's potential fully realized. It takes most of childhood to develop it and Piaget conjectured that cognitive development occurs in stages.
As these stages progress, the child's thought processes become more and more sophisticated.
We should first step back and understand how information is processed.
According to Piaget's model, adaptation occurs when people encounter a previously unknown stimulus.
This can be done in two ways: by assimilating the information into existing schema, or accommodating the information into a new schema.
As an example, let's imagine that a young child is told that an animal that has four legs and barks is a dog. On a camping trip, the child sees a wolf and it begins barking.
This child (correctly) concludes that a wolf is a type of dog.
This would be an example of assimilation. On the other hand, imagine the child is watching television and draws the (incorrect) conclusion that any animal with four legs and fur is a dog.
At a relative's house, he sees a cat and exclaims "Mom, look at the dog!" The mom explains to the child that not all furry, four-legged animals are dogs-this is a cat.
The child accommodates this new information and learns that dogs and cats are different types of animals. With an understanding of how information is processed, we can now explore the cognitive stages of Piaget's model. The sensorimotor stage occurs from birth until age two (Papaj, 2006). In addition to having an inexperienced and underdeveloped brain, toddlers lack the language skills necessary for self-reflection. Their ability to interact with the outer world and evaluate it is limited to experiencing it via the five major senses.
This is why infants are often seen placing things in their mouths. Following the sensorimotor stage is the preoperational stage that occurs until about the seventh year of childhood.
This stage marks the beginning of rational thought.
No longer is the child limited to experiencing the world via the senses. While the child can now make judgments about his or her environment, this takes an egocentric view. In other words, a child in this stage can not judge an object from another's viewpoint; in fact, a child will not even be aware that other people may have differing opinions.
On the other hand, the child has gotten significantly better at evaluating objects. Given a group of items, the child can now arrange them by shape, size, and color. From about ages seven to eleven, children are in the concrete operational stage.
By these ages, children have grown accustomed to using symbols to represent objects; language and mathematical skills have progressed significantly.
In addition, thought has become less egocentric.
A child in this stage is quite comfortable seeing things from another's viewpoint. Children in this stage can also evaluate objects using more than one criterion at once.
For example, a child can estimate how old someone is by studying multiple cues such as firmness of skin, height, and hair. In earlier stages, the child would use a single, unreliable cue such as height to estimate (Papaj, 2006).
The previous stages culminate with the final stage, formal operational.
This stage takes place from about age eleven onwards.
Beginning at this stage, children can think not only in concrete, tangible terms, but also in the abstract and hypothetical.
Deductive reasoning is now possible, and children can use existing knowledge to form hypotheses about new experiences.
It's worth noting, however, that this stage is not always easy to reach.
Epstein (2006) asserts that two-thirds of adults lack the critical thinking skills illustrative of the formal operational stage. That is to say, two out of every three adults in the United States does not develop beyond the concrete operational stage. I would posit that this is a serious problem in a society where we expect adults to understand the major political, environmental, and economical issues we face.
A greater effort must be made to teach these skills in schools. With an understanding of Piaget's model, we can now look at a theory by one of his contemporaries.
Lev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist that formulated the social development theory of learning.
This theory states that development is shaped by a child's social interactions; physiology alone cannot account for cognitive development.
This concept was referred to as the Zone of Proximal Development.
Whereas Piaget believed that cognitive development took place mainly in childhood, Vygotsky believed that development is a continuous process. He believed it extended into one's adult life and continued until death, and is too complex to be compartmentalized into stages (Driscoll, 1994; Hausfather, 1996).
The Zone of Proximal Development is worth examining further.
This concept is made apparent when a child is taught by someone with a greater skill level.
A gap exists between the child's skill and the teacher's skill. As the child learns, this gap narrows and thus it can be argued that learning is a social process. Vygotsky reasoned that the skills, such as language, that developed in the preoperational stage only served to bridge the gap between the sensorimotor stage and higher rational thought.
Viewed another way, Vygotsky believed that rational thought could not take place without language.
It's quite possible both Piaget's model and Vygotsky's model have merit.
In fact, I don't even consider the models to be incompatible; perhaps Vygotsky simply misunderstood Piaget's intentions of creating an age-based model.
The different stages of Piaget's cognitive development theory merely served as guidelines in understanding the way children develop.
In addition, the notion that learning is a social process is self-evident-otherwise we could lock a child in a room for ten years and have her come out understanding multiplication and the proper use of analogies.
Of course learning is a social process; to suggest otherwise is absurd-at least in the case of children. Finally, I don't believe Piaget thought that development ends during adolescence.
The mere fact universities exist would suggest otherwise.
Rather, Piaget believed that a properly socialized child would have all the tools necessary to use higher-level thinking by adolescence.
From that point, it is up to the child to decide whether honing his or her skills is a worthwhile endeavor. Now let's briefly explore the manner in which elementary schoolteachers can apply Piaget's theory. Kindergarten and first grade teachers have the responsibility of introducing children to numbers and letters. In this preoperational stage, children learn to read and do basic arithmetic.
Perhaps more importantly, children begin the socialization process in earnest, away from parents and family members. The desired result of this socialization process is for children to lose their egocentric view of the world and begin displaying empathy.
In second to about fifth grade, children are in the concrete operational stage.
Teachers of these children should provide students with numerous examples and demonstrations when introducing new material. Concepts that involve classification are best introduced during this stage-a good example would be taxonomy, which involves explaining the distinct characteristics of different types of animals.
In middle school and high school, students are in the formal operational stage and are now prepared for more abstract thought.
Science becomes a much more important part of the curriculum at this stage, and students are expected to interpret and analyze much more complex ideas.
Applications of Vygotsky's ideas are a bit more nebulous, much like his model itself.
Teachers of all grades should strive to improve their students' language skills, as all learning will be dependent upon a child's ability to communicate.
Activities should be challenging and social in nature.
In the later years of childhood, group work should be emphasized to allow reinforcement of ideas amongst peers; this smaller gap in proficiency may lead to more incremental learning.
This may be easier for some students who find the material difficult.
The ability to think critically is the desired result of walking children through these stages of learning.
Critical thought is perhaps the single most important thing a school can do for its students to prepare them for life as an adult. This would suggest that factual information is of secondary importance-the real duty is in teaching students to communicate and analyze information effectively.
Learning and cognition have their origins as a basic survival tool. In order to thrive, animals must have a good understanding of their environments and adapt to new challenges accordingly.
However, a baby not born with its brain's potential fully realized. It takes most of childhood to develop it and Piaget conjectured that cognitive development occurs in stages.
As these stages progress, the child's thought processes become more and more sophisticated.
We should first step back and understand how information is processed.
According to Piaget's model, adaptation occurs when people encounter a previously unknown stimulus.
This can be done in two ways: by assimilating the information into existing schema, or accommodating the information into a new schema.
As an example, let's imagine that a young child is told that an animal that has four legs and barks is a dog. On a camping trip, the child sees a wolf and it begins barking.
This child (correctly) concludes that a wolf is a type of dog.
This would be an example of assimilation. On the other hand, imagine the child is watching television and draws the (incorrect) conclusion that any animal with four legs and fur is a dog.
At a relative's house, he sees a cat and exclaims "Mom, look at the dog!" The mom explains to the child that not all furry, four-legged animals are dogs-this is a cat.
The child accommodates this new information and learns that dogs and cats are different types of animals. With an understanding of how information is processed, we can now explore the cognitive stages of Piaget's model. The sensorimotor stage occurs from birth until age two (Papaj, 2006). In addition to having an inexperienced and underdeveloped brain, toddlers lack the language skills necessary for self-reflection. Their ability to interact with the outer world and evaluate it is limited to experiencing it via the five major senses.
This is why infants are often seen placing things in their mouths. Following the sensorimotor stage is the preoperational stage that occurs until about the seventh year of childhood.
This stage marks the beginning of rational thought.
No longer is the child limited to experiencing the world via the senses. While the child can now make judgments about his or her environment, this takes an egocentric view. In other words, a child in this stage can not judge an object from another's viewpoint; in fact, a child will not even be aware that other people may have differing opinions.
On the other hand, the child has gotten significantly better at evaluating objects. Given a group of items, the child can now arrange them by shape, size, and color. From about ages seven to eleven, children are in the concrete operational stage.
By these ages, children have grown accustomed to using symbols to represent objects; language and mathematical skills have progressed significantly.
In addition, thought has become less egocentric.
A child in this stage is quite comfortable seeing things from another's viewpoint. Children in this stage can also evaluate objects using more than one criterion at once.
For example, a child can estimate how old someone is by studying multiple cues such as firmness of skin, height, and hair. In earlier stages, the child would use a single, unreliable cue such as height to estimate (Papaj, 2006).
The previous stages culminate with the final stage, formal operational.
This stage takes place from about age eleven onwards.
Beginning at this stage, children can think not only in concrete, tangible terms, but also in the abstract and hypothetical.
Deductive reasoning is now possible, and children can use existing knowledge to form hypotheses about new experiences.
It's worth noting, however, that this stage is not always easy to reach.
Epstein (2006) asserts that two-thirds of adults lack the critical thinking skills illustrative of the formal operational stage. That is to say, two out of every three adults in the United States does not develop beyond the concrete operational stage. I would posit that this is a serious problem in a society where we expect adults to understand the major political, environmental, and economical issues we face.
A greater effort must be made to teach these skills in schools. With an understanding of Piaget's model, we can now look at a theory by one of his contemporaries.
Lev Vygotsky was a Russian psychologist that formulated the social development theory of learning.
This theory states that development is shaped by a child's social interactions; physiology alone cannot account for cognitive development.
This concept was referred to as the Zone of Proximal Development.
Whereas Piaget believed that cognitive development took place mainly in childhood, Vygotsky believed that development is a continuous process. He believed it extended into one's adult life and continued until death, and is too complex to be compartmentalized into stages (Driscoll, 1994; Hausfather, 1996).
The Zone of Proximal Development is worth examining further.
This concept is made apparent when a child is taught by someone with a greater skill level.
A gap exists between the child's skill and the teacher's skill. As the child learns, this gap narrows and thus it can be argued that learning is a social process. Vygotsky reasoned that the skills, such as language, that developed in the preoperational stage only served to bridge the gap between the sensorimotor stage and higher rational thought.
Viewed another way, Vygotsky believed that rational thought could not take place without language.
It's quite possible both Piaget's model and Vygotsky's model have merit.
In fact, I don't even consider the models to be incompatible; perhaps Vygotsky simply misunderstood Piaget's intentions of creating an age-based model.
The different stages of Piaget's cognitive development theory merely served as guidelines in understanding the way children develop.
In addition, the notion that learning is a social process is self-evident-otherwise we could lock a child in a room for ten years and have her come out understanding multiplication and the proper use of analogies.
Of course learning is a social process; to suggest otherwise is absurd-at least in the case of children. Finally, I don't believe Piaget thought that development ends during adolescence.
The mere fact universities exist would suggest otherwise.
Rather, Piaget believed that a properly socialized child would have all the tools necessary to use higher-level thinking by adolescence.
From that point, it is up to the child to decide whether honing his or her skills is a worthwhile endeavor. Now let's briefly explore the manner in which elementary schoolteachers can apply Piaget's theory. Kindergarten and first grade teachers have the responsibility of introducing children to numbers and letters. In this preoperational stage, children learn to read and do basic arithmetic.
Perhaps more importantly, children begin the socialization process in earnest, away from parents and family members. The desired result of this socialization process is for children to lose their egocentric view of the world and begin displaying empathy.
In second to about fifth grade, children are in the concrete operational stage.
Teachers of these children should provide students with numerous examples and demonstrations when introducing new material. Concepts that involve classification are best introduced during this stage-a good example would be taxonomy, which involves explaining the distinct characteristics of different types of animals.
In middle school and high school, students are in the formal operational stage and are now prepared for more abstract thought.
Science becomes a much more important part of the curriculum at this stage, and students are expected to interpret and analyze much more complex ideas.
Applications of Vygotsky's ideas are a bit more nebulous, much like his model itself.
Teachers of all grades should strive to improve their students' language skills, as all learning will be dependent upon a child's ability to communicate.
Activities should be challenging and social in nature.
In the later years of childhood, group work should be emphasized to allow reinforcement of ideas amongst peers; this smaller gap in proficiency may lead to more incremental learning.
This may be easier for some students who find the material difficult.
The ability to think critically is the desired result of walking children through these stages of learning.
Critical thought is perhaps the single most important thing a school can do for its students to prepare them for life as an adult. This would suggest that factual information is of secondary importance-the real duty is in teaching students to communicate and analyze information effectively.
Summer Camp - A Childhood Experience
Campfires, s'mores, midnight swims, bunk beds, and learning to ride..
.all these wonderful memories swirl up when anyone speaks of summer camp.
Where else besides camp can a young girl master archery, crazy campfire songs, diving off an old pier, and being totally self-reliant? Most of all, summer camp provides young girls the chance to be their true selves while building a summer of irreplaceable memories and life-long friendships.
Summer camps have existed in the United States since the 1860's.
The traditional, residential summer camp is usually located in a wooded spot-often near a lake. The simple outdoor setting fosters a sense of connection with nature and requires the campers to get in touch with the basics that provide a sound foundation for life.
Many of the earliest camps were founded in the Northeast and upper Midwest away from large urban areas; a number of them are still in operation today.
In 1861, the first summer camp was started by Frederick and Abigail Gunn. Headmasters of a small home-school for boys in Connecticut, they took the school on a two week trip filled with camping, hiking, trapping, and fishing. The Gunnery Camp continued for another 12 years.
The idea spread as additional camps were sponsored by organizations such as the YMCA and the Boy Scouts.
Girls' camps soon followed; the earliest was established by the YWCA in 1874 as a vacation house providing respite for young working women.
In 1902, the first private girls' camps were founded in New Hampshire and Maine.
Soon after, residential girls' camps were flourishing in America.
The Camp Fire Girls, founded in 1910, launched their camp program in 1914.
Girl Scouts camps, started in 1912, grew to over 300 by 1925.
As of 2005, according to the American Camp Association, there are more than 12,000 residential and day camps in the United States, serving over 10 million children. Approximately 30% of these are all-girl camps.
From the beginning, girls' camps have focused on developing girls into self-reliant young women, full of the character and confidence necessary to transition into the adult world with ease.
As girls move through the camp day, they master archery, horseback riding, swimming, how to build and douse a fire and the creation of fireside skits; yet, other intangible results occur.
These same young ladies discover leadership, resourcefulness, the self-esteem built on mastery of new tasks, team building and friendships, community and compromise. As they learn to accept themselves and others without pretensions, girls absorb lessons that will stay with them for a lifetime.
As young women face the complex world of today, they often draw on the messages of strength and leadership they first encountered in summer camp.
Summer camps come in all shapes and sizes..
.
day camps, specialty camps, performing arts camps, computer camps, university camps..
.
but the traditional residential summer camp is still the basis for them all. It is a part of childhood every young girl should experience.
Summers of s'mores and cabins live on in the memories of countless strong leaders and gifted citizens throughout the nation.
.all these wonderful memories swirl up when anyone speaks of summer camp.
Where else besides camp can a young girl master archery, crazy campfire songs, diving off an old pier, and being totally self-reliant? Most of all, summer camp provides young girls the chance to be their true selves while building a summer of irreplaceable memories and life-long friendships.
Summer camps have existed in the United States since the 1860's.
The traditional, residential summer camp is usually located in a wooded spot-often near a lake. The simple outdoor setting fosters a sense of connection with nature and requires the campers to get in touch with the basics that provide a sound foundation for life.
Many of the earliest camps were founded in the Northeast and upper Midwest away from large urban areas; a number of them are still in operation today.
In 1861, the first summer camp was started by Frederick and Abigail Gunn. Headmasters of a small home-school for boys in Connecticut, they took the school on a two week trip filled with camping, hiking, trapping, and fishing. The Gunnery Camp continued for another 12 years.
The idea spread as additional camps were sponsored by organizations such as the YMCA and the Boy Scouts.
Girls' camps soon followed; the earliest was established by the YWCA in 1874 as a vacation house providing respite for young working women.
In 1902, the first private girls' camps were founded in New Hampshire and Maine.
Soon after, residential girls' camps were flourishing in America.
The Camp Fire Girls, founded in 1910, launched their camp program in 1914.
Girl Scouts camps, started in 1912, grew to over 300 by 1925.
As of 2005, according to the American Camp Association, there are more than 12,000 residential and day camps in the United States, serving over 10 million children. Approximately 30% of these are all-girl camps.
From the beginning, girls' camps have focused on developing girls into self-reliant young women, full of the character and confidence necessary to transition into the adult world with ease.
As girls move through the camp day, they master archery, horseback riding, swimming, how to build and douse a fire and the creation of fireside skits; yet, other intangible results occur.
These same young ladies discover leadership, resourcefulness, the self-esteem built on mastery of new tasks, team building and friendships, community and compromise. As they learn to accept themselves and others without pretensions, girls absorb lessons that will stay with them for a lifetime.
As young women face the complex world of today, they often draw on the messages of strength and leadership they first encountered in summer camp.
Summer camps come in all shapes and sizes..
.
day camps, specialty camps, performing arts camps, computer camps, university camps..
.
but the traditional residential summer camp is still the basis for them all. It is a part of childhood every young girl should experience.
Summers of s'mores and cabins live on in the memories of countless strong leaders and gifted citizens throughout the nation.
Saturday, 6 December 2014
Electric Scooters - A Great Gift For Kids And Adults
Scooters have been around for years, but the relatively recent craze for electric scooters has made them extremely commonplace.
Walk around any large city and you will probably see adults in suits scooting to work.
Visit any urban street and kids zip around on their eZip scooters, performing stunts and tricks.
Once considered a toy for kids, electric scooters have come of age. Companies like Razor and Currie Technologies ( the producer of the eZip range), have manufactured battery powered scooters for the whole age range.
For teens and adults, there are scooters that have a 15 mph to speed, and a 12 mile range on a single charge. With slick street tyres and smooth twist grip throttles, these scooters are a viable alternative to car use.
Folding handlebars allow them to be stored easily, or even taken on public transport.
Many people get the bus or train to town, and then commute the rest of the way on their scooter.
With environmental issues being at the forefront of our society, the need for low cost, alternative transport technologies is very real. The urban scooter manufacturers have seen a niche that needs to be filled, and they are filling it with ease. And these scooters are not going to break the bank.
Retailing for a few hundred dollars for a 1000 watt, 36 volt eZip 1000, the payback time could be quite rapid if you use it regularly.
One of the important considerations is charging. An 8-12 hour charge is required for most of the scooters, and if you are traveling say, miles to work and back, you are going to need a charging facility in the workplace.
The chargers are small, you just need to get your employer to give you and other staff some space and a socket to plug into.
Get that sorted, and you are ready to go, with effective eco transport that doesn't cost the earth..
.
.
..
..
but SAVES IT.
Considering the ongoing rises in gas prices, the cost of vehicle maintenance and running two cars, the ability to have a small, nippy electric scooter tucked away in the cupboard is a great asset. Regarding protective equipment, it is recommended that the rider wears a helmet and even some protective pads.
Although not super quick, there is still the chance of a mishap. If you are interested in electric scooters, check out the links below for our review site.
Walk around any large city and you will probably see adults in suits scooting to work.
Visit any urban street and kids zip around on their eZip scooters, performing stunts and tricks.
Once considered a toy for kids, electric scooters have come of age. Companies like Razor and Currie Technologies ( the producer of the eZip range), have manufactured battery powered scooters for the whole age range.
For teens and adults, there are scooters that have a 15 mph to speed, and a 12 mile range on a single charge. With slick street tyres and smooth twist grip throttles, these scooters are a viable alternative to car use.
Folding handlebars allow them to be stored easily, or even taken on public transport.
Many people get the bus or train to town, and then commute the rest of the way on their scooter.
With environmental issues being at the forefront of our society, the need for low cost, alternative transport technologies is very real. The urban scooter manufacturers have seen a niche that needs to be filled, and they are filling it with ease. And these scooters are not going to break the bank.
Retailing for a few hundred dollars for a 1000 watt, 36 volt eZip 1000, the payback time could be quite rapid if you use it regularly.
One of the important considerations is charging. An 8-12 hour charge is required for most of the scooters, and if you are traveling say, miles to work and back, you are going to need a charging facility in the workplace.
The chargers are small, you just need to get your employer to give you and other staff some space and a socket to plug into.
Get that sorted, and you are ready to go, with effective eco transport that doesn't cost the earth..
.
.
..
..
but SAVES IT.
Considering the ongoing rises in gas prices, the cost of vehicle maintenance and running two cars, the ability to have a small, nippy electric scooter tucked away in the cupboard is a great asset. Regarding protective equipment, it is recommended that the rider wears a helmet and even some protective pads.
Although not super quick, there is still the chance of a mishap. If you are interested in electric scooters, check out the links below for our review site.
Kids Laptops - Fun For Your Child
A kid's laptop can be a very useful learning tool.
Children love to work on computers like mommy and daddy do. A child size laptop outfitted with software geared toward fun learning is a great teaching opportunity and will keep junior busy for hours.
There are quite a few options for purchasing a kids laptop.
Some laptops are specifically geared toward children, these are a perfect option.
Models Toys are what children learn from the easiest.
They are fun and draw children to them. There are models that look for all intents and purposes exactly like an adult laptop but are cleverly hidden educational toys, they offer educational software that teach children to count and read and to learn other activities that have educational value.
Some models are brightly colored and do not look like they are much more than a toy. Costs Depending on how well outfitted the model is will dictate the price of the kids laptop.
A simple toy can be as low cost as $5, of course this is nothing more than a plastic tow that makes some noise and lights up. There are some models that are very elaborate and can run into the hundreds.
These models are typically well equipped and offer many different options.
Children love the hands on experience of working on a laptop. There is a great line that comes with different discs that does a great job of teaching all kinds of basic skills. This product line is one of the most expensive and the additional disks are pretty costly as well. Where to Purchase A kids laptop can be purchased from a toy store, an electronics shop or from an online vendor. There are plenty of vendors that will sell this product.
There are discount stores that will also carry this item.
Some Considerations These items are age appropriate items, and she purchased as such.
Buying a kids laptop for a two year old that is geared toward a five year old will not get the use that you are hoping for, it may in fact wind up being a source of frustration for the child.
Buying a model that is age appropriate is the best choice and will insure that the child will have hours of fun and learning. Try to temper the urge to buy the biggest and the best, after all these items are for children and sometimes the amount of money that is expended on an item is disproportionate to the age of the child.
Children love to work on computers like mommy and daddy do. A child size laptop outfitted with software geared toward fun learning is a great teaching opportunity and will keep junior busy for hours.
There are quite a few options for purchasing a kids laptop.
Some laptops are specifically geared toward children, these are a perfect option.
Models Toys are what children learn from the easiest.
They are fun and draw children to them. There are models that look for all intents and purposes exactly like an adult laptop but are cleverly hidden educational toys, they offer educational software that teach children to count and read and to learn other activities that have educational value.
Some models are brightly colored and do not look like they are much more than a toy. Costs Depending on how well outfitted the model is will dictate the price of the kids laptop.
A simple toy can be as low cost as $5, of course this is nothing more than a plastic tow that makes some noise and lights up. There are some models that are very elaborate and can run into the hundreds.
These models are typically well equipped and offer many different options.
Children love the hands on experience of working on a laptop. There is a great line that comes with different discs that does a great job of teaching all kinds of basic skills. This product line is one of the most expensive and the additional disks are pretty costly as well. Where to Purchase A kids laptop can be purchased from a toy store, an electronics shop or from an online vendor. There are plenty of vendors that will sell this product.
There are discount stores that will also carry this item.
Some Considerations These items are age appropriate items, and she purchased as such.
Buying a kids laptop for a two year old that is geared toward a five year old will not get the use that you are hoping for, it may in fact wind up being a source of frustration for the child.
Buying a model that is age appropriate is the best choice and will insure that the child will have hours of fun and learning. Try to temper the urge to buy the biggest and the best, after all these items are for children and sometimes the amount of money that is expended on an item is disproportionate to the age of the child.
Mi Amigo Rocko Part 3
Part 3
Rocko gave a complete report to the class the next day about our visit impressing on them how vital he was to our successful solicitation. It was nice to see him so proud.
I spoke with the history teacher who was happy that I would take on the teaching of the state government and it's operation. Sadly, he is one of those history teachers that murders any joy in the subject for so many students.
He stands in front of the class reading from the history book assigning questions from the chapters as he reads. Not creative, inspiring or close to what the kids deserve. Rocko took over orchestrating our postings of various state responsibilities on poster paper, which he hung in the front of the room.
The computer room was up and running giving us the opportunity to research each of the state representatives keeping track of what they sponsored, supported, their voting record and whatever else we could learn about them.
Each student had to write three questions to each representative.
They knew that once I had reviewed those questions they would then choose the one question they really wanted to ask. I would shuffle the questions when the representatives visited giving a semblance of fairness to what questions got asked.
The kids never picked up on my ability to manage cards when shuffled- Rocko was going to be the one in charge of meeting the dignitaries when they arrived at school.
A couple of other kids would help him but he was going to be in charge. The plan was to meet them curbside when they arrived ushering them into school.
A couple of well-spoken girls would then take over giving introductions and helping in any way they were needed. One mom was making a couple of Salvadorian three-cheeses cakes, which would be awesome! We invited parents to attend the upcoming meeting so they could bask in the recognition their kids were getting from the public.
I was so proud of these kids.
Rocko did a good job being diplomatic with the other kids as well as getting after a couple of the boys for their continual infantile behavior.
He wanted this visit to go well. Everything was going great until four days before the planned visit and "round table." The principal came out to the playing field to inform me.
"You are going to have to cancel your upcoming school visit.
" I was stunned.
"Why?' "One of the legislators is pro-choice.
The Bishop and Father agree with this.
Should I call them?" "No, I'll take care of it.
" I said walking away before I ripped the smirk off his face.
Damn, who was going to lose here-the kids, yet again! I did not want to tell the kids. Fortunately, we had an assembly that afternoon that would run until I left at 2 PM. I'd call and make an appointment with one of the Reps, as this couldn't be done by phone. I'd tell the kids tomorrow.
Remember way back at the beginning of this story when I told you about a teacher who came in the room leaving offended by my Obama support. Well, she tried to give me leaflets a few times about abortion.
I fended her off thinking I'd put that to rest.
Nope! Just about the time we were organizing our visitors she wrote the principal an outrageous memo about how I shouldn't be around children because I was caustic, unprofessional, rude, taught against the church (Yikes, I'm a heretic!! Me and Galileo et al - not bad!), and I was lenient on gays and lesbians.
.
.
It was a pretty good rant but far from any truth. I fired back a memo asking for names, witnesses, specifics as well as an apology for her remarks.
Yep, dead silence! You don't have to think too hard about who was behind canceling our visitors.
I'll cut to the chase for you. The new priest, the one that replaced the "statue shipper" is a dour sad sack of rotundity.
When he arrived he let us all know he was not going to spend time around kids or make any changes for at least a year.
He did jump into re-painting the inside of the huge church. I don't know who paid for that work so I'll take it a little easy on him for a moment. I had tried to see him a couple of times just to share with him who I was and my approach to the kids.
He never answered emails or acknowledged any notes I left him. I gave him my book about a homeless fellow for his birthday-no thanks, no communications.
Apparently they didn't cover courtesy in priest school.
It would take until spring before he ever met with me and then he lied about a number of things when I finally was in his "gracious presence.
" Do you think priests will burn hotter for lying? There will be no end of torment for what they have done to children over the ages. This priest is allowing abuse to run rampant in his school without a peep.
It's not children being sexual abused-just mentally abused.
Apparently that doesn't matter.
The next day I waited for Rocko and his siblings to be delivered to the parking lot.
I wanted to tell him first that we/I had to cancel the upcoming visit.
When I told him he didn't say a word. He just stood in front of me looking at the ground. In a flash he turned and ran back to his dad's truck jumping in without a look back.
They sat there for a few minutes before driving off.
As soon as everyone had settled down in the classroom I told the kids I needed to cancel the visit of the three state legislators.
I told them why.
At first there was quiet shock on their faces.
Next came the deluge of comments wrapped in lots of stored up anger at everything that was transpiring at the school.
I let each kid vent without interruption.
They were insulted that anyone would think that one of the legislators would take the visit to the school as their opportunity to promote abortion.
The kids were angrier then I had ever seen them. One asked about Rocko.
I told them what I witnessed in the parking lot.
They knew how he felt. They had seen the changes in him.
Once things cooled down a bit we did a brainstorming lesson on ways they could have a voice.
They quickly realized their parents were the only people who could change anything in the school.
They also knew their parents would never step up to the priest and the principal.
You could measure their sadness with a scale - Other than watching Rocko run back to his dad's truck these moments were the worst, as the kids knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were not honored. Before meeting one state legislator, the one who is pro-choice, I appealed to the auxiliary bishop, the parish priest, the head of personnel, the school council and fellow teachers to support the visit.
No answer from any of the dignitaries and no open support from the faculty. Sure, times were tough and everyone needed work but this was about true education of the kids-no, no one spoke up as I further hung myself advocating for the bare minimums for these kids.
Don Quixote? No, just someone who is very weary of how kids are treated.
The state rep was as gracious as possible after she got over the jolt of my message that they could not visit the school due to her pro-choice stance. She understood sharing that she was on the board of another Catholic school in the area and was one of the authors of a resolution recognizing some of the churches work.
I told her the kids knew of her work in the legislature, the medical field and her stances in the State Senate.
I told her about some of the questions the kids were going to ask her and the other politicians.
Of course none of them had to do with abortion, birth control or politics.
They were questions about immigration, the single most important thing to these kids, jobs for their parents, the environment and how they might go to college if they were not American citizens.
She was moved. The most important thing was that the kids would be recognized, praised, and honored by the visit and she knew it.
To take away such an opportunity is unconscionable.
Christmas came and went without Rocko returning to school. When we gathered after the holidays I was able to share a letter, from the state legislator I had met with, to the kids saying how proud she was of them and how sorry she was not able to meet with them.
I had the framed Washington State Resolution #4652 balanced on the chalk tray. Only a couple of kids glanced at it on their way out of class.
Rocko came back two weeks into the term. Any spark in him was gone.
He slouched around doing absolutely nothing in class.
He was failing and nothing seemed to matter anymore to him.
He saw his future and seemed resigned to it.
I was under siege trying to avoid and minimize the teacher who wrote the crazy memo.
She now had the principal insisting I meet with her to discuss her diatribe. Of course I refused to do that, as there was nothing to be gained. I had found out that the lady who wrote the original scathing indictment was one of her prayer buddies-all was revealed to the duplicity of all of them.
The priest knew who wrote it, the principal knew who wrote it and the Bishop knew who wrote it.
None of them had the courage to stand up and discharge the person for the libelous trespass. I would never receive an apology.
I didn't deserve one in their eyes. Apparently, they had not intended to renew my contract.
That I signed it made them back off from being overly transparent in their desire to get rid of me. I knew the principal had gone to an irrational place when he told us his job at school was to "save kids souls." He said it when we were pleading with him to expel a thug he let in the school against all of our wishes. He was so angry when we asked him yet again he just blurted it out.
His reactionary statement was a showstopper that should have made a few people take note.
People were so beaten down they let it slip off of them without notice.
They just wanted to keep their heads down and ease towards summer.
Rocko was suspended a couple of more times for refusing to obey direct orders barked out by the principal directly into his face, similar to how a Marine Corp Drill Instructor would address a recruit. I spoke up and wrote the principal a personal letter stating I would not sit quietly allowing him to abuse kids in that fashion.
No reply.
He was losing the ability to control his anger. He muttered about his adult daughter coming out of the closet, his soon to be x wife busting his chops and his own kids avoiding him. My students often passed on what they heard from the principal's kids who attended a different school.
These pressures combined with little or no knowledge on how to deal with this age group, or the fineries of a relevant education were leading him off the mental cliff.
He became an object of ridicule to the students and those teachers who lacked the backbone to stand up for what is right, as they spoke behind his back about his short comings.
As I wrap up this epistle I'll share that a woman with thirteen years of service to the school resigned due to the hostile environment created by the principal.
Her resignation letter sharing her sadness may have been one of the most courageous acts in her life. Her trust in the priest, Bishop, her faith and the belief the church would stand up for the kids were all crushed on the rock of reality.
As the weeks rolled by she shared that no one responded to her letter.
As my future was becoming clear I asked the priest, the Bishop and the school council to recognize her plea and at the least, acknowledge her pain.
They never answered me and they never spoke to her. She left the school when summer began with a large crack in her heart. I reported the principal to his superiors for continuing to badger kids abusing them with his shouting at them for the smallest of infractions. I included verifiable witnessed events that any rational manager would have investigated. Not a peep! Two volunteers quit stating they would not put up with his aggressive hostile behavior.
They gave me permission to quote them after reading what I was mailing to the Bishop. No, no one from the Archdiocese did anything.
I wrote the Bishop a letter hand delivered to his residence and his office pleading for him to intercede in the kids, and our behalf.
He wrote back saying he would not and that I probably misinterpreted things due to management styles etc.
He completely ignored every witnessed transgression by the principal, priest and worst of all, himself.
Did I mention that the parish priest was the Bishops first boss when the Bishop became a priest back whenever? You've read the news-you know what these guys are up to in their corrupt boys club. Rocko was a huge challenge.
I almost said problem. He wouldn't do much of anything for anyone.
Our relationship was warm but the lightness had gone out of it.
I was able to get him involved around immigration issues.
I finally found a great book, Crossing the Wire, about two boys from Mexico trying to sneak into America. He really liked it. He took part in the group discussions and in the group projects.
He seemed to perk up giving himself the role of being an expert on immigration. He was more open than other kids about his legal status. A number of students would sit in the room hoping no one would ask them if they were here legally.
These kids knew when to bring it up and when not to. I had their trust, which I honored.
I was fired in late April.
The letter I received referenced a meeting in early February where all the bosses agreed to terminate me.
Hah, the priest never brought this up when I had my meeting with him in early April.
Shame on you, Father.
The principal told the kids it was because they needed some one full time who could teach both humanities and science.
Of course the kids saw through this whooper, as they knew all the way along when the arrows were being fired at all of us. As with everything else I shared with them the truth rather than supporting the transparent lie the principal had insulted them with. Rocko hung around me as much as he could during the day.
I tried to talk to him about a new strategy and what actions he could take to help himself.
I knew he would never get ESL, title 1 or any other support at this school.
Many days I had to sit in my car for a while before leaving, as I wanted to somehow make things right for these kids.
I wanted to scream from the roof how these kids were being underserved. I wanted to organize parents.
I wanted scared teachers to speak up, as they, more than many, knew what was right.
I knew it was a waste of time.
The priest and principal wanted their little fiefdom to continue along without any questioning minds asking for more for those that are most precious. It was hard leaving these kids. I ducked the last day saying my goodbyes to each one of them individually before the hoopla of the last assembly. There was no pretense on any of our parts.
We were sad and showed it. About a month ago I visited the Salvation Army where the kids were serving the elderly their lunches.
I wanted to see them where we could all feel comfortable.
I surprised them by hiding behind a pillar until they exited the shuttle bus.
It was great! The hugs were worth all the stars blinking at once! I did not share that I was told the priest wanted to end this community outreach to the elderly.
He is looking for something "more Catholic.
" Never stops! Just once put the kids first-just once. Please.
Rocko was beside himself hanging on to me or sitting close the whole time we were together.
I gave him my number telling him to call if he needed any help with schoolwork. Truth is - I doubt I'll hear from him - he's too proud. He will be accepted into high school, probably the Catholic one that seems to take anyone, even though he has failed most subjects. In high school he will either luck out finding support or realize fairly soon that he can't make it competitively, dropping out to work full time.
Seattle schools have a 60% failure to complete rate.
The "Latino" the rate is around 50%, African Americans a pinch over 50%-the district is too embarrassed to list the failure rates for Native Americans and South Islanders.
Somehow these schools stay open in the face of failure. Rocko's dad made the decision to place his kids in this school based on hope and fear. He may never realize just how badly his son has been treated in a system that is designed to fail his child's every needs.
He will just hope and hope and hope.
He will never see the recent state exam figures showing that in his son's class 12/24 passed reading, 11/24 passed writing and 15/24 passed mathematics.
He will probably throw away the test results on his kids when he gets them because he can't understand the pages of numbers, codes, symbols, and rankings that are difficult to comprehend even for us who are suppose to be able to understand these reports.
He'll hope it all works out-he will hope the lies the principal tells him are the truth. Perhaps the saddest thing about this long reflection is that I could have written it about any one of a dozen or so students.
They are not being educationally supported at a school that is taking advantage of them, their faith and their dreams.
Shame on them!! Shame on the teachers for not speaking up! Shame on the school council for not doing their due diligence! Shame on the church for allowing this to happen in their name.
.
.
For mi amigo Rocko.
..
Puede dios bendecirle y detener mi amigo Rocko.
N.B. The above is the truth with a minimum of creative license.
He stands in front of the class reading from the history book assigning questions from the chapters as he reads. Not creative, inspiring or close to what the kids deserve. Rocko took over orchestrating our postings of various state responsibilities on poster paper, which he hung in the front of the room.
The computer room was up and running giving us the opportunity to research each of the state representatives keeping track of what they sponsored, supported, their voting record and whatever else we could learn about them.
Each student had to write three questions to each representative.
They knew that once I had reviewed those questions they would then choose the one question they really wanted to ask. I would shuffle the questions when the representatives visited giving a semblance of fairness to what questions got asked.
The kids never picked up on my ability to manage cards when shuffled- Rocko was going to be the one in charge of meeting the dignitaries when they arrived at school.
A couple of other kids would help him but he was going to be in charge. The plan was to meet them curbside when they arrived ushering them into school.
A couple of well-spoken girls would then take over giving introductions and helping in any way they were needed. One mom was making a couple of Salvadorian three-cheeses cakes, which would be awesome! We invited parents to attend the upcoming meeting so they could bask in the recognition their kids were getting from the public.
I was so proud of these kids.
Rocko did a good job being diplomatic with the other kids as well as getting after a couple of the boys for their continual infantile behavior.
He wanted this visit to go well. Everything was going great until four days before the planned visit and "round table." The principal came out to the playing field to inform me.
"You are going to have to cancel your upcoming school visit.
" I was stunned.
"Why?' "One of the legislators is pro-choice.
The Bishop and Father agree with this.
Should I call them?" "No, I'll take care of it.
" I said walking away before I ripped the smirk off his face.
Damn, who was going to lose here-the kids, yet again! I did not want to tell the kids. Fortunately, we had an assembly that afternoon that would run until I left at 2 PM. I'd call and make an appointment with one of the Reps, as this couldn't be done by phone. I'd tell the kids tomorrow.
Remember way back at the beginning of this story when I told you about a teacher who came in the room leaving offended by my Obama support. Well, she tried to give me leaflets a few times about abortion.
I fended her off thinking I'd put that to rest.
Nope! Just about the time we were organizing our visitors she wrote the principal an outrageous memo about how I shouldn't be around children because I was caustic, unprofessional, rude, taught against the church (Yikes, I'm a heretic!! Me and Galileo et al - not bad!), and I was lenient on gays and lesbians.
.
.
It was a pretty good rant but far from any truth. I fired back a memo asking for names, witnesses, specifics as well as an apology for her remarks.
Yep, dead silence! You don't have to think too hard about who was behind canceling our visitors.
I'll cut to the chase for you. The new priest, the one that replaced the "statue shipper" is a dour sad sack of rotundity.
When he arrived he let us all know he was not going to spend time around kids or make any changes for at least a year.
He did jump into re-painting the inside of the huge church. I don't know who paid for that work so I'll take it a little easy on him for a moment. I had tried to see him a couple of times just to share with him who I was and my approach to the kids.
He never answered emails or acknowledged any notes I left him. I gave him my book about a homeless fellow for his birthday-no thanks, no communications.
Apparently they didn't cover courtesy in priest school.
It would take until spring before he ever met with me and then he lied about a number of things when I finally was in his "gracious presence.
" Do you think priests will burn hotter for lying? There will be no end of torment for what they have done to children over the ages. This priest is allowing abuse to run rampant in his school without a peep.
It's not children being sexual abused-just mentally abused.
Apparently that doesn't matter.
The next day I waited for Rocko and his siblings to be delivered to the parking lot.
I wanted to tell him first that we/I had to cancel the upcoming visit.
When I told him he didn't say a word. He just stood in front of me looking at the ground. In a flash he turned and ran back to his dad's truck jumping in without a look back.
They sat there for a few minutes before driving off.
As soon as everyone had settled down in the classroom I told the kids I needed to cancel the visit of the three state legislators.
I told them why.
At first there was quiet shock on their faces.
Next came the deluge of comments wrapped in lots of stored up anger at everything that was transpiring at the school.
I let each kid vent without interruption.
They were insulted that anyone would think that one of the legislators would take the visit to the school as their opportunity to promote abortion.
The kids were angrier then I had ever seen them. One asked about Rocko.
I told them what I witnessed in the parking lot.
They knew how he felt. They had seen the changes in him.
Once things cooled down a bit we did a brainstorming lesson on ways they could have a voice.
They quickly realized their parents were the only people who could change anything in the school.
They also knew their parents would never step up to the priest and the principal.
You could measure their sadness with a scale - Other than watching Rocko run back to his dad's truck these moments were the worst, as the kids knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were not honored. Before meeting one state legislator, the one who is pro-choice, I appealed to the auxiliary bishop, the parish priest, the head of personnel, the school council and fellow teachers to support the visit.
No answer from any of the dignitaries and no open support from the faculty. Sure, times were tough and everyone needed work but this was about true education of the kids-no, no one spoke up as I further hung myself advocating for the bare minimums for these kids.
Don Quixote? No, just someone who is very weary of how kids are treated.
The state rep was as gracious as possible after she got over the jolt of my message that they could not visit the school due to her pro-choice stance. She understood sharing that she was on the board of another Catholic school in the area and was one of the authors of a resolution recognizing some of the churches work.
I told her the kids knew of her work in the legislature, the medical field and her stances in the State Senate.
I told her about some of the questions the kids were going to ask her and the other politicians.
Of course none of them had to do with abortion, birth control or politics.
They were questions about immigration, the single most important thing to these kids, jobs for their parents, the environment and how they might go to college if they were not American citizens.
She was moved. The most important thing was that the kids would be recognized, praised, and honored by the visit and she knew it.
To take away such an opportunity is unconscionable.
Christmas came and went without Rocko returning to school. When we gathered after the holidays I was able to share a letter, from the state legislator I had met with, to the kids saying how proud she was of them and how sorry she was not able to meet with them.
I had the framed Washington State Resolution #4652 balanced on the chalk tray. Only a couple of kids glanced at it on their way out of class.
Rocko came back two weeks into the term. Any spark in him was gone.
He slouched around doing absolutely nothing in class.
He was failing and nothing seemed to matter anymore to him.
He saw his future and seemed resigned to it.
I was under siege trying to avoid and minimize the teacher who wrote the crazy memo.
She now had the principal insisting I meet with her to discuss her diatribe. Of course I refused to do that, as there was nothing to be gained. I had found out that the lady who wrote the original scathing indictment was one of her prayer buddies-all was revealed to the duplicity of all of them.
The priest knew who wrote it, the principal knew who wrote it and the Bishop knew who wrote it.
None of them had the courage to stand up and discharge the person for the libelous trespass. I would never receive an apology.
I didn't deserve one in their eyes. Apparently, they had not intended to renew my contract.
That I signed it made them back off from being overly transparent in their desire to get rid of me. I knew the principal had gone to an irrational place when he told us his job at school was to "save kids souls." He said it when we were pleading with him to expel a thug he let in the school against all of our wishes. He was so angry when we asked him yet again he just blurted it out.
His reactionary statement was a showstopper that should have made a few people take note.
People were so beaten down they let it slip off of them without notice.
They just wanted to keep their heads down and ease towards summer.
Rocko was suspended a couple of more times for refusing to obey direct orders barked out by the principal directly into his face, similar to how a Marine Corp Drill Instructor would address a recruit. I spoke up and wrote the principal a personal letter stating I would not sit quietly allowing him to abuse kids in that fashion.
No reply.
He was losing the ability to control his anger. He muttered about his adult daughter coming out of the closet, his soon to be x wife busting his chops and his own kids avoiding him. My students often passed on what they heard from the principal's kids who attended a different school.
These pressures combined with little or no knowledge on how to deal with this age group, or the fineries of a relevant education were leading him off the mental cliff.
He became an object of ridicule to the students and those teachers who lacked the backbone to stand up for what is right, as they spoke behind his back about his short comings.
As I wrap up this epistle I'll share that a woman with thirteen years of service to the school resigned due to the hostile environment created by the principal.
Her resignation letter sharing her sadness may have been one of the most courageous acts in her life. Her trust in the priest, Bishop, her faith and the belief the church would stand up for the kids were all crushed on the rock of reality.
As the weeks rolled by she shared that no one responded to her letter.
As my future was becoming clear I asked the priest, the Bishop and the school council to recognize her plea and at the least, acknowledge her pain.
They never answered me and they never spoke to her. She left the school when summer began with a large crack in her heart. I reported the principal to his superiors for continuing to badger kids abusing them with his shouting at them for the smallest of infractions. I included verifiable witnessed events that any rational manager would have investigated. Not a peep! Two volunteers quit stating they would not put up with his aggressive hostile behavior.
They gave me permission to quote them after reading what I was mailing to the Bishop. No, no one from the Archdiocese did anything.
I wrote the Bishop a letter hand delivered to his residence and his office pleading for him to intercede in the kids, and our behalf.
He wrote back saying he would not and that I probably misinterpreted things due to management styles etc.
He completely ignored every witnessed transgression by the principal, priest and worst of all, himself.
Did I mention that the parish priest was the Bishops first boss when the Bishop became a priest back whenever? You've read the news-you know what these guys are up to in their corrupt boys club. Rocko was a huge challenge.
I almost said problem. He wouldn't do much of anything for anyone.
Our relationship was warm but the lightness had gone out of it.
I was able to get him involved around immigration issues.
I finally found a great book, Crossing the Wire, about two boys from Mexico trying to sneak into America. He really liked it. He took part in the group discussions and in the group projects.
He seemed to perk up giving himself the role of being an expert on immigration. He was more open than other kids about his legal status. A number of students would sit in the room hoping no one would ask them if they were here legally.
These kids knew when to bring it up and when not to. I had their trust, which I honored.
I was fired in late April.
The letter I received referenced a meeting in early February where all the bosses agreed to terminate me.
Hah, the priest never brought this up when I had my meeting with him in early April.
Shame on you, Father.
The principal told the kids it was because they needed some one full time who could teach both humanities and science.
Of course the kids saw through this whooper, as they knew all the way along when the arrows were being fired at all of us. As with everything else I shared with them the truth rather than supporting the transparent lie the principal had insulted them with. Rocko hung around me as much as he could during the day.
I tried to talk to him about a new strategy and what actions he could take to help himself.
I knew he would never get ESL, title 1 or any other support at this school.
Many days I had to sit in my car for a while before leaving, as I wanted to somehow make things right for these kids.
I wanted to scream from the roof how these kids were being underserved. I wanted to organize parents.
I wanted scared teachers to speak up, as they, more than many, knew what was right.
I knew it was a waste of time.
The priest and principal wanted their little fiefdom to continue along without any questioning minds asking for more for those that are most precious. It was hard leaving these kids. I ducked the last day saying my goodbyes to each one of them individually before the hoopla of the last assembly. There was no pretense on any of our parts.
We were sad and showed it. About a month ago I visited the Salvation Army where the kids were serving the elderly their lunches.
I wanted to see them where we could all feel comfortable.
I surprised them by hiding behind a pillar until they exited the shuttle bus.
It was great! The hugs were worth all the stars blinking at once! I did not share that I was told the priest wanted to end this community outreach to the elderly.
He is looking for something "more Catholic.
" Never stops! Just once put the kids first-just once. Please.
Rocko was beside himself hanging on to me or sitting close the whole time we were together.
I gave him my number telling him to call if he needed any help with schoolwork. Truth is - I doubt I'll hear from him - he's too proud. He will be accepted into high school, probably the Catholic one that seems to take anyone, even though he has failed most subjects. In high school he will either luck out finding support or realize fairly soon that he can't make it competitively, dropping out to work full time.
Seattle schools have a 60% failure to complete rate.
The "Latino" the rate is around 50%, African Americans a pinch over 50%-the district is too embarrassed to list the failure rates for Native Americans and South Islanders.
Somehow these schools stay open in the face of failure. Rocko's dad made the decision to place his kids in this school based on hope and fear. He may never realize just how badly his son has been treated in a system that is designed to fail his child's every needs.
He will just hope and hope and hope.
He will never see the recent state exam figures showing that in his son's class 12/24 passed reading, 11/24 passed writing and 15/24 passed mathematics.
He will probably throw away the test results on his kids when he gets them because he can't understand the pages of numbers, codes, symbols, and rankings that are difficult to comprehend even for us who are suppose to be able to understand these reports.
He'll hope it all works out-he will hope the lies the principal tells him are the truth. Perhaps the saddest thing about this long reflection is that I could have written it about any one of a dozen or so students.
They are not being educationally supported at a school that is taking advantage of them, their faith and their dreams.
Shame on them!! Shame on the teachers for not speaking up! Shame on the school council for not doing their due diligence! Shame on the church for allowing this to happen in their name.
.
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For mi amigo Rocko.
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Puede dios bendecirle y detener mi amigo Rocko.
N.B. The above is the truth with a minimum of creative license.
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