Monthly Archives: May 2024

The Beat Goes On

The first fella pictured wearing an AWESOME DINOS ROCK shirt, clutching a BIG TRUCKS book, and dreaming of rock stardom is the 2024 recipient of a magic toy drum. The middle photo is my son at about the same age with the look of absolute joy on his face with the same drum a “few” years ago. The last photo is of that same son, Drew, as a professional drummer in a variety of projects. One of his bands, @florencecardigan hails from The University of Georgia in Athens, GA. They have played throughout the southeast and will be featured at AthFest 2024! Another one of Drew’s other projects is The While – also out of Athens – as much outstanding music is… And, it all started with a toy drum. There is much more to come from my drummer son – including some solo creativity and multi-genre collaborations. With that kind of magic packed into one toy drum, one has to wonder what is in store for the little fella wearing yellow. I hope he finds a love of learning music and with that love and a magic toy drum – the beat goes on. To hear more from Florence Cardigan, check them out on Spotify!

Senior Season: Letters from the heart

Photo by John-Mark Smith on Pexels.com

One of my favorite things to do at this time of year is to hand-write letters to the senior class. I mostly stick to the students I have known personally but make sure to add to the pile of generic letters meant for kids who didn’t get a letter. That happens a lot at our school. Language barriers are the biggest issue. Lots of parents don’t always think to send a letter to the school for a student to open. They mostly opt for cards at a home celebration. But, all that aside, I love to write these letters. It is a reminder that what we do is important even if some parts of society want to blame teachers for all of the ills that plague our education system. Writing notes of praise, of caring, of joy, and of celebration provides the kind soul-lifting that is sorely needed at the end of any school year. When the seniors return to school for one last time – for breakfast, fellowship, and to practice lining up – they will receive their letters. It is fun to watch them laugh and cry over the memories and feelings conveyed. Soon, Senior Season will pass and the Juniors will take their places starting a whole new year of school. In the meantime – summertime and the living’ is easy!