A New Day

Students enjoying a shared moment of music and musing

Last night, Celine and I thought about today:

What would it look like?

How would we like it to look?

Here's what we came up with:

from Team Celine, 7th grade teacher:

Hopefully 1st period won't be so sleepy and second will snap them into shape. Third hopefully will provide something of interest and 4th - a piece of cake. Fifth and 6th are always the best because that is when they are free to be. Seventh will wind them down, as long as everyone stays in place. Eighth will be that last hoorah, to make a mark on what they have learned. Hopefully ninth will be the cream, that makes them want to face the day once more.

Today we wish our students a day filled with new ideas and laughter with friends and teachers. Hopefully meaning can be found in everything they see and hear. We wish they will become everything they know is good about themselves, and that they will try harder and achieve more than they ever thought they could.

As my favorite Project Runway host always says, "Carry-on everyone," and let them create.

from Camp Ali, 11th grade teacher:

As alarms bleat against the winter morn,
my kids begin the day, defeated.
During the moment stolen by the snooze,
the battle was lost, not won.
Lifting heads from early morning pillows is
an unnatural feat for a seventeen year old.

This early start is the detriment of their day,
which is why they and I both pray that
a freak storm will offer a few hours respite from
the chill of the florescent classroom
(we beseech this grace 180 days a year).

If I was in charge of answering prayers, ours
would be heard and acknowledged in the form
of a mid-day start, and a coffee cart.
Cushioned seating and room for legs to bend,
freely.

And breaks.
Lots and lots of breaks.

To wander in search of food,
to hunt and gather awareness and enlightenment,
to muse with like minded souls in authentic communion, in trust.

This would be what Monday looked like,
and Tues-Fri would follow suit.
Fresh doughnuts accompanying the coffee cart, of course.

* Sorry for the late posting - my actual Monday began with a first period observation