The Sattler Series: Worms & the Hershey Editorial Cartoon

The students were coming in from recess and stopping by the water fountains outside my classroom door to get drinks when the screaming began. 

A student came running into my room and cried, "Mrs. I, Mrs. I!! There are WORMS in the drinking fountain!"

What?? Surely not. Had I not heard the screams, I would've thought the child was pranking me. 

I stepped out into the hallway to investigate, and OH MY GOSH! THERE WERE WORMS IN THE DRINKING FOUNTAIN!

I called the school office and reported the issue. My call was met with confusion and, "Worms? Worms!! How could that be? I'll be right down!"

I stepped into the hallway again and scooped up a few of the worms into a paper cup, handing it to the school secretary when she hurried down to my hallway. The look on her face when she peeked into that paper cup! (I think it matched mine.)

Within 24 hours the worms in our drinking fountain had made the national news. 

Dave's editorial cartoon for that week looked like this:

A clever idea, but appalling to those of us who were there. Including Dave's wife, Nancy, whose classroom was next door to mine.

Out of respect for her and the school, he agreed to draw another editorial cartoon for the week and not use the PTA bait one. But he did make prints of that same cartoon and gave them to any teacher who asked to have one.

Of course, I was all in on that, even though I had been the teacher who'd first found the worms. 

A disclaimer on the cartoon carried a note that this editorial cartoon had never been published.

I was glad, especially since Hershey's name was on the cartoon FIVE times.

Dave caught the kids' reaction to finding worms in the drinking fountain with this image of a rather sickly green student.

The question we all had was, where had the worms come from? 

The answer was that school was built in 1964 and the drinking fountains were original to the building. The worms were drain worms, which are not uncommon in sink drains old or new. (Ever had a tiny insect buzzing around the drain in your kitchen or bathroom sink? It's most likely a drain worm.)

As such, drain worms are not IN the water source, they come from where the water goes after the tap has been turned on. And that is the drain, hence the name.

Luckily, the worms the kids and I were seeing were coming out of the drain and not the faucet. (Not that that made me feel any better.)

The principal told me that he'd taken care of the drain worms. I was NOT comfortable when I watched him pour bleach down the drain and call it good. Sure enough, later that day more worms were in the bowl of the fountain.

So, I privately took matters into my own hands.

I called a well known entomologist at Purdue - Tim, as in my barn owner. I explained what I had seen and captured, and that the problem had been handled by pouring bleach down the drain. I asked if that bleach would handle the problem.

Tim felt as I did - the fountains needed far more than bleach.

"When were the fountains last replaced?" he asked me.

"Never. They are from when the school was built in 1964." (Which was about 50 years ago at that time.)

A very long pause by Tim.

"Bring me that sample you have. I am pretty sure that they are just drain worms, but I'll look at them just to be sure. And, I served on the school board for years. I'm gonna make some calls. Fountains that are so old that the drain worms are crawling up the pipes is unacceptable. The fountains need to be replaced."

And Tim was as good as his word. He examined the worms I'd brought him and yes, they were drain worms. Harmless and not in the water we'd all been drinking. The fountains outside my classroom were turned off and had yellow "Do Not Cross" tape placed over them and the kids had to hike to another hallway if they wanted a drink. (If I remember right, bottled water was provided during this time to those of us who were in that part of the building.)

A couple of weeks later, three shiny new fountains were installed, and then during the summer the entire school also received new fountains.

Five years later when I retired, I still had not drunk the water at Hershey - be it from a drinking fountain or from the ice machine in the teachers' lounge. Never again - I brought bottled water from home.

And that is the worm story that I promised to share.

Stay 'tooned!

 

The Sattler Series: Dave's Visits to My Classroom

First Post of the Day

Dave was kind enough to visit my classroom several times.

---

SATURDAY, APRIL 28, 2012

Cartoonist in the Classroom!

As part of the preparation for our Reaction Art Museum, I invite guest artists to speak to my students about their artwork and to explore how art can be a reaction or response to a certain event. The final component is looking at Superheroes - did you know that Superman was created in the 1930s as a response to the rise of Hitler, the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, etc.? The world needed a hero, some hope, and Superman fit the bill. (Take a look at early comics of him. See who he fights?)

You can also see the rise of technology and cultural changes through Superheroes, so we look at 10-12 of them, see how they reflect the cultural mores of their times, and then look at how they change as society changes. (It really is quite fascinating. So many cultural markers that can be traced - who we fear, racism, feminism, urban trends.... Superheroes truly do reflect us.)

Dave graciously agreed to visit my classroom this week and to talk about his work (which is a reaction to newsworthy events in our world.) I thought his clean-line drawing style would help my students draw their own Superheros which they are creating in response to a current issue of their choice in our culture.

 Part of Dave's discussion centered on how to communicate your ideas by zeroing in an an aspect - for example, a longer nose indicates an older character while a button nose a younger one. Facial length was another good indicator. Here he shows how he illustrates youth with a short face. 

And he even drew Boo, although he started by just drawing the outline of Boo's head and had them guess what he was drawing. It's a football shape, and that is what they guessed. Boo's #1 fan, aka me, knew exactly what Dave was going to draw!

Dave certainly delivered! He really gave the children things to think about as he discussed how he comes up with ideas, how his editorial cartoon is a reaction or response, and how it reflects us and our culture. Dave's presentation was spot on to what we were learning and thinking about!

Here he shows us several stages of his weekly editorial cartoon - how they begin, what they look like when he sends them to the newspaper, what is added in at that location, etc.

A picture with the students. They were so excited about having him come and what they learned. I cannot wait to see what their Superhero characters look like now that they are chock full of ideas and inspiration!

---

And from another visit, this one in April, 2010.

Dave generously created a cartoon just for us. Knowing we were studying conflict and that I was trying to bring it down from a global/national level to a local/individual one, he asked the kids what conflicts they faced. Naturally HOMEWORK came up. Dave then asked the kids what sort of symbol might work in a comic for homework. Suggestions included a backpack, a notebook stuffed with papers, and a happy teacher. (Ouch!! Surely not!)

Dave got to work with a pencil, sketching out the figures, and then using a marker to finish. The end result? A schoolgirl staggering under the weight of an enormous book labeled "Homework" with Boo the cat sitting on top! The kids and I were absolutely delighted, especially when he signed it and presented it to us! 

Thanks, Dave! You're the best! (Even if you leave Boo out occasionally.... :D)

---

More to come tomorrow - will it be about worms? Or will it be about the portrait caricature that the recipient hid away from others?

Stay 'tooned!

Memories: My Last Day of Teaching

First Post of the Day

Eight years ago yesterday, I retired from teaching. It was earlier than I'd wanted, but my health was tanking. 

It was a wise thing to do - in those eight years I've had five major surgeries, a precancerous mass on my pancreas removed, a year and a half of hemiplegic migraines (which stopped as suddenly as they began), and more. Honestly, there have been days when I have been very, very grateful that I was retired and not having to worry about my students.

Local schools finished up yesterday and I felt a little blue that I was not at Hershey, standing on the sidewalk, and waving goodbye as the kids left for summer break.

This is a Hershey tradition that I loved - eighteen buses full of kiddos chugging past

while the entire staff stood outside waving goodbye to each bus. (It took four videos to capture it all!)

A fellow staff member had suggested that I make a video of my classroom before closing it down so that I could always remember it.

So, just before the kids came in for their last day and began helping me remove posters and projects, pack up books, and take the room down to four walls, desks, and chairs, I grabbed my phone and filmed it as it was.

I am glad I did - looking at it yesterday made me smile, cry, and remember some awesome times with students. Good memories.

On that very last day of teaching in 2018, my students had surprised me with this video - each one had written me a note and then one girl and her mother had spliced them all together along with photos from our classroom web site into a video message that I treasure to this day. (And it ends with Abby!)

I pulled up that video yesterday and watched it with fondness and (no surprise) a lot of tears. 

Thanks, folks. I love you, too. (And your video still makes me cry.)

The fourth graders in my classroom are all graduating from high school this weekend and the fifth graders just completed their first year of college, gap year, or employment.

Congratulations to you all and best wishes for a very bright future. I hope it's so bright that you'll need to wear shades, just as you did in the video!

Feast: Friday School Day

Yesterday was Feast School Day, and about 3,000 kids and their teachers were walking around the grounds attending demonstrations and learning about Indiana history.

I was there but not demonstrating anything; I was finishing setting up my wares.

Some of the blackened beeswax ornaments are out on display.

Men's shirts and fabric remnant bundles, ready to go.

Two jars for maple cakes, one on my little desk and the second by the feathers in the back, towels, toques, pin pillows, hussifs, and the cash box with my pewter mug peeking out. (I'll pour any cokes that I drink during Feast into my pewter mug and tuck the can out of sight - no one will know it's 21st century coke that I'm drinking!)

Chemises, aprons, bed gowns, short gowns, cloaks, bum rolls, panniers, and pockets. That tent wall will be opened up fully tomorrow so people can come and go more easily. 

Yesterday the 4th grade teachers from Lisa's school had their kids at the Fort for School Day. Brock, Nick, Brooke, Lisa, and Vinny.

Our dear living history friends (and fellow horse lovers), Carol and Frank Jarboe were still setting up Scoundrel's Alley but took time for a selfie.  Carol usually interprets Maggie, who is an indentured servant, to Frank's Parson John. But not tomorrow. He's playing The Ould Badger at Scoundrel's Alley. She will be Maggie, but not as an indentured servant and thus dressed more nicely than usual to reflect that.

John is an ordained minister in his 21st century life and he always leads the church services Sunday mornings at events.

A real plus of School Day was running into two very dear colleagues from Hershey, the school where I taught. They had brought their classes out and I was lucky enough to bump into them.

Jocelyn, me, and Sarah. Two of the best of the best when it comes to teaching.

Along with them was another fourth grade teacher from Hershey, but one I did not know.

Lisa sure did! It was her former student teacher who is now teaching with Jocelyn and Sarah! (Lisa says she is an outstanding teacher as well. Lucky Hershey!)

My new sign's up, and I'm ready to go. Time to go immerse myself into 18th century life. 

Just Borrowing - October 10, 2013

I came across this entry in my Teachinmama blog the other day while searching for something else. Titled Just Borrowing, I thought it would be fun to share it here. I loved having horsey students in my classroom!

Just Borrowing.

Today we did "Hurry Scurries," an activity in which my students present something from the book their Book Club group has just read. Only a small amount of time is given to prepare, and yet the creativity level is quite high despite the time crunch. My students can be quite resourceful and ingenious.

Case in point? Katie needed an ace bandage as a character in
her book breaks his ankle. Unfortunately, she had none at
home to bring in and use in her presentation.

Her solution?

"I went to the barn and borrowed the horses' polo wraps," she
told me with a big smile.

I am still laughing!!

Cheered Up, and a Surprise Ending!

Yesterday I was feeling a little blue and missing teaching, so I opened a video that my last class had made me as a retirement surprise. I had to laugh - I had forgotten the end! (One of their parents had swiped some photos of me with Abby from my personal Facebook page for them to use.)



A few of you have wondered about the teaching side of my life, and this video actually does a pretty good job of showing it. (As a little background, I taught a 4th/5th grade class of Gifted children and I had the kiddos for two years. That's why a few of them mention only having me one year - they were my fourth graders.)

The video is totally kid done, so please excuse the occasional typos. They may be gifted, but they're still kids! And if the video above doesn't work, try going here.

This gift from the kids is one of my teaching treasures and makes me cry every time I watch it. I was really blessed to have class after class, year after year, of wonderful kiddos like these.

Don't believe people who make disparaging remarks about "today's kids." Kids truly are wonderful, and I have twenty years' teaching experience to back up that assertion. Enjoy looking at last year's class of sweeties, and maybe you will see just why I miss being with them so very much.

My Desk Pony Comes Home

In early June, 1998, I was hired to teach at Yankee Ridge Elementary School in Urbana, Illinois, the town where we were living at the time. I had done my student teaching in that building, and Laura Cresap, the principal, interviewed and hired me as soon as school closed for the summer.

I was given some orientation, shown my new classroom, and left alone to begin moving in. I remember sitting down at my new desk and pulling open the pencil drawer. To my surprise and delight, I found a little blown glass horse inside, left behind by a former occupant of the classroom.

Smiling, I pulled it out and cradled it in my hand. A leg was broken, but that didn't matter - finding a horse in my new desk just had to be a good luck omen for me!

That little horse has resided in my teacher desk every since. When we moved back home to Indiana in 2006, it came with me to my new school, Hershey Elementary, and I have literally seen it every day of my career.

As I began packing up my things for retirement earlier this month, I pulled the little blown glass horse out of the drawer and set it gently aside where it would not be broken or forgotten. I decided that it would be the last thing to leave the classroom. Just as my career began with this little horse in my desk, so it would end.

And it did. It's home now and put away in a tiny curio cabinet with my Hagen Renaker mini Circus Ponies, a poignant reminder of a wonderful time in my life.

"Your Homework Saved His Life"

(This blog entry is not even remotely related to horses. But, what I write about has deeply affected me on many levels. It is a sobering reminder of how tenuous life can be and how sometimes miracles occur.)

Three times today I heard this phrase: "Your homework saved his life." I heard it from Mary Schwartz, a teacher with whom I work (the boy's great aunt), from his mother, Amy Martin, and from the boy, my student, himself.

And it wasn't just hyperbole. His homework truly did save his life.

As TM's mom explained it to me, normally TM sits at the computer table under their living room window after dinner and plays games with his wheelchair-bound older brother. But TM had fallen behind on getting his homework done, and so he was curled up in a chair doing a reading assignment.

His father was across the room from the computer table and seated in a chair, while the mother was on the couch next to my student, feet up on the ottoman and relaxing. The family dog was snoozing on the floor under her outstretched legs. The disabled brother had decided that, since his brother was unable to play on the computer with him, he would go take a shower. (A decision that saved his life, too.)

TM's mother went on to say that she decided that she wanted a snack, and so she shifted her weight, took her legs off the ottoman, and prepared to stand. This decision saved her life. The dog stood up when she moved her legs and moved to another part of the room - just like the people, this saved his life.

Suddenly, a corvette crashed through the window and wall and into the living room where the computer table had stood, obliterating it and everything in its path.

Amy was pinned in place on the couch; TM next to her was unhurt but also trapped by the car. (His glasses went flying and were later found on the front porch. They have no idea how that happened.) The father was hit by debris and sustained a cut in the head which needed stitches.

Had the boys been at the computer table like usual, they would've been killed. Had Amy not not shifted her weight, causing the dog to move, the car would have hit them both and probably killed them. The father nearly lost his wife, sons, and dog in just seconds.

As you can see from the pictures, the car is completely inside the home. Although the driver denies that speed was a factor and claims that he sustained a flat tire that caused him to lose control of the corvette, it is thought that he was traveling at a high rate of speed, flew over the railroad tracks by the home and lost control, swerving as a result and crashing into my student's home.

Year after year, I have students who fall behind in their schoolwork. So, I work hard to help the kids develop good study habits and hand in their assignments on time. I had just spoken to TM that day at school about his late work and how he needed to get it done since I was working on report cards. The idea that that late work actually saved a student's life, and I fully believe that it did, sobers me.

I also see the hand of God in this. Too many things had to line up for the lives of this family to be preserved. And I am incredibly grateful for that blessing, even if it was for something that frustrates me as late work does.

Procrastinated homework saved the boys' lives. And instead of mourning the loss of a much-loved student, I am thanking God that he is alive.

Abby in Class

I found this little addendum Friday on GS's Vocabulary test.

Hmmmm. I wonder if I talk too much about Abby at school? Haha!

A Snowy Mess

I was wise yesterday to visit Abby before the snowstorm hit us today. It has been a rough day.

I didn't build this snowman, but he sure looks like how I feel!

When I got up this morning, the weather app on my phone had us under a winter storm warning with about twelve inches of snow expected.

And yet, our superintendent didn't even call for a two hour delay - he kept schools open, despite the fact that the storm had arrived early and we were having a rain/sleet/snow mixture several hours before the school buses began running their routes.

At school, the entire staff was dismayed and disgruntled that, with such dangerous weather coming in, our students were being asked to attend school. Maybe if we were a school corporation that was in town, it might have been reasonable, but we aren't. We are a rural school district. Geographically, we are the second largest school district in the state of Indiana, and we put 1.5 million miles on our buses annually as a result. (I think our square mileage is around 450 square miles or so. )

Our buses negotiate the Wabash, Wildcat, Wea, and Tippecanoe river valleys on one lane roads in isolated areas. Often the school bus is the first vehicle on the road for the day, not a good thing when the road conditions are poor.

We paid big time today for our superintendent's decision. As the weather worsened, mid-morning he announced that we would close school early at 1:30. We pulled out our emergency dismissal plans and made sure every child knew what his or her family's plan was to get them home.

The high schools dismissed at 12:30, an hour earlier than us (our buses run double routes, high schools first, then elementary/middle schools next.) At 12:45, I received word that already a bus was stuck in the parking lot at one of the high schools and blocking all traffic.

About fifteen minutes later, a fellow teacher's son texted her and said his bus had been out running its route but was now stuck in the snow "somewhere."

And so the afternoon went.

1:30 came around and only three of our twelve buses had arrived. Those children were loaded and headed out for home. The buses trickled in, but an hour later, we were still waiting for three buses. (Part of the problem was that two had arrived, but were stuck in the snow on the lane leading up to Hershey.)

 I could see one of them out my classroom window.

 Looks like it narrowly missed that electrical pole when it slid off the road!

Finally at 3:00, an hour and a half after the children had officially been dismissed, we were instructed to bring our remaining kiddos to the gym. I had six of my twenty-four still with me, and was not surprised to see about two hundred other children pouring into the gym.

Our principal quickly met with the teachers, thanking us for staying, but then asked those of us who lived the furthest away to please leave and not stay in the worsening conditions. I am one of those who travel the furthest, but, like the others who lived far away, I stayed until we got a movie going for the remaining kids and one of the three missing buses had arrived and was loading.

(Photo from WLFI.com)

A picture of another one of our buses which has slid off the roadway and is on the edge of a ditch.

Then my own saga began.

Like the two buses, I got stuck in the parking lot and had to be pushed out by three other teachers.

Then while trekking down the rural roads and sliding around in the heavy, wet snow, my wipers stopped working and my windshield quickly became snow covered and I could not see. I couldn't pull off anywhere, (there are only fields on either side of the road and I knew I would get stuck again)  so I had to put my flashers on and stop right there on the road, get out of the car, clear the heavy snow off my clogged windshield, and get back in.

To my dismay, I discovered as I began driving again that my windshield wipers were still not working and my windshield was quickly covered up with snow again. Miraculously, a small hole stayed open and I was able to limp into the gas station a couple of miles down the road near where the interstate crosses the countryside.

I was pretty shaken, but I got out, cleaned the window again, and tested the wipers a couple of times to make sure they worked. Gathering my courage, I got back on the road and headed toward home.

Normally I take the interstate home, but an emergency vehicle was blocking the on-ramp. Up ahead on the road was this:

(Photo from WLFI.com)

Several jack-knifed semitrailers that had closed down the freeway.

(Photo from WLFI.com)

The interstate was icy and snow-covered in some spots, and there had been a parade of alerts crawling across my phone all day as the storm progressed, what with accident after accident shutting down sections of it for a couple of hours.

So, I ended up going a different route home, taking Highway 52 and its bridge over the Wabash River at the base of a significant hill. Normally the bridge and hill aren't a problem. But when you have snow and ice... The bridge ices quickly and is the site of frequent crashes. And the hill - you have to get a good head of steam to get up it. Not easy when the snow and ice are forcing you to crawl.

Luckily I made it over the bridge and up the hill safely. Turning onto the road that led to my home meant that I was back onto snow covered roads that desperately needed plowing. I drove slowly to avoid sliding and skidding as best I could.

Almost home! My neighborhood is on the far edge of town and is surrounded by fields, so its streets were deeply covered in snow. As I came around a bend in the road, I saw it was blocked by another school bus from our school corporation!

I live on a street parallel to the one it was blocking, so I was able to get home. (I got stuck in my own driveway, though, and couldn't get into the garage.)

 I could see the bus out my dining room windows and across my neighbors' yards. It was there until 4:30 PM, three hours after dismissal time. Those poor kids!

I am home now, and our buses have completed their routes. My guess is that we will have a snow day tomorrow as we are expecting more snow, the winds to pick up, plus the sheriff and county management have issued travel advisories, asking folks to stay home.

I sure hope a lesson has been learned from all of this, and that the next time we have warning of a bad storm, a better judgment call is made.

And, as I think of Abby, I am grateful she has a warm barn, her BFF Diablo, and lots of fresh hay and water to help her get through this awful storm. But she'll have to wait for her next delivery of candy canes. I'm staying home until the weather clears and the roads are plowed!

Juicy Apples Lead to...

The teachers at Hershey know I love horses and have Abby. Sometimes they put treats in my school mailbox for her - an apple, a pear, candy canes, and other goodies.

This fall my little horse has been living the life of Riley - four times I have been given BAGS of apples for her! She likes apples almost as much as she likes candy canes, and their sweet juiciness gets my hands just as sticky as the candy canes do.

So naturally, Abby has to lick all that juice off.

Ever been licked by a horse? Their tongues are soft, but they are also huge.

See what I mean??

An Hour of Horse Therapy

I have a student with some serious disabilities. She is a real sweetie, and I love having her in my class, but her disabilities are proving too much for her to be able to remain in school. I received word this afternoon from her mother that she would most likely be withdrawing from school, perhaps even tomorrow.

The news left me feeling deflated and sad. We have worked so hard to meet her needs, but in all honesty, I am not surprised. It has been a real struggle for this child.

After aimlessly wandering around my room a bit, I closed my classroom up early instead of staying after school to grade papers. Time to head to the barn for some horse therapy.

Abby came up as soon as she hard me call. I opened the gate into the small paddock so she could walk through, put out my camp chair, and plopped myself down in it to think.

Abbs grazed around me, coming over occasionally to ask for a sugar cube, then resuming her grazing.

I got up and brushed her a couple of times, rubbing her itchy spots, and just chatting softly to her, all the while thinking about my student and the overwhelming, life-endangering things she must live with. Such a heavy load for small shoulders to carry!

When I was a child and had Abby's predecessor, Amy, I would seek solace with her if I had had a bad day or  was concerned about something. Spending time with my horse brought me peace back then, just as it brings me peace now.

I cannot change the situation with my student - that's out of my hands and not my decision to make. I simply cannot fix everything in my students' lives, and what she must deal with is beyond my capabilities as a teacher. She needs far more than I can give her through academics and a good learning environment.

Being with Abby this afternoon helped put a bandaid, albeit a small one, over the gash in my heart as I tried to come to terms with the bad news that a child I loved was leaving.

A Former Horsey Student Checks In

It is always fun when I have a student or two in my classroom who is horsey like me. They read all the horse books on my shelves, draw ponies on their work, and gratefully accept back issues of the horse magazines I read.

Mackenna was one of those gals. She was riding when she was in my classroom, and came out to see Abby. She also invited me to one of her riding lessons where she was learning to jump. Two years later, she is still riding and has remained in contact with me. I got this email from her last night:

Dear Mrs. I, 

            Hi, how are you? I have missed your class so much! I hope your are having fun with the 4th and 5th graders. I am really enjoying middle school! I have met a lot of new friends. 

              How is Abby? I hope she is doing well. I am still riding Axel, but we have been looking into the possibility of buying a horse. We are trying to find a barn close to our house for boarding. Do you know if there is any available space at your barn?

              Hope you enjoy this fall like weather. Talk to you soon!

                                                                                                                                                                                    -Mackenna 

How exciting that she may be getting a horse! She included this picture of herself riding Axel, the horse she has been working with for a couple of years and who she rode when I went to her lesson.

She's a responsible girl and would give a horse a good home.

Unfortunately, Tim is not taking any new boarders, but I will see what I can do to help her find a place.

Doubly Thoughtful Students

I had a surprise when I unlocked and opened my classroom door this morning - a piece of paper had been shoved underneath it and was lying on the carpet.

 It was from three girls who had been in my room the past two years and are now sixth graders at East Tipp. (I think they must've been in the building the previous evening for kindergarten registration.)

Dear Mrs. Isenbarger,

We really miss you over here at East Tipp! Thank you for all you've done for us and to prepare us for middle school. We miss our classmates and buddies. We really miss classics on Friday. I wish we could see you when the 5th graders came to visit! I think we are speaking for all the former multiagers.  Please continue to do what you have been. Please tell the class we said "hi." Is it all right if we come and visit our buddies?

Thank you!
Sophie A.
Jessica G.
Emily P.

They want to visit their buddies? Wow. The buddies will LOVE that. I spoke with Mrs. Fields about their request and she is going to work with Mr. Buss, East Tipp's principal, to see if it can be arranged. These girls will be so happy! (And so will their buddies.)

And then, just before Math, I got a second dose of thoughtfulness, this time from my current students. TM (the gal who has already gifted me with two model horses from her collection), LW, and AD approached me with huge smiles  and obviously concealing something behind their backs.

A book on horse breeds from the Hershey book fair! (And actually, I had just bought the same book to send to Trinity!) These three kiddos pooled their money to buy me a book, and tailored it to an out-of-school interest I have. 

Talk about sweet and thoughtful children. Lucky me to have them in my classroom.

A Heaping Helping of Horses

Mary Poppins sang that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. I'd argue that a heaping helping of horses is even better!

Yesterday, I was tired and had worked late - a consequence of being gone all last week and visiting grandbabies. While my subs were top notch, there was still a lot of grading for me to do and then planning for this week, plus changing some bulletin boards. An order of supplies had come in, and other loose ends needed my attention... By late afternoon, I was dragging.

I debated going to the barn; all I really wanted to do was grab some dinner and fall into bed.  But, since I still had the tack I'd borrowed from Tim, and the snow had melted enough that I felt I could get up the lane to the new barn and tack room, I decided I'd better make a quick trip.

I am so glad I did.

Abby was glad to see me, and I, her. It was nippy and I was still in my school clothes, so I only stayed long enough to give her a couple of candy canes and a few pats.

Yet that was enough. That happy glow horse lovers feel whenever they've hung out with a horse came over me, and as I drove home, I smiled and realized that a heaping helping of horses had been just what I needed.

A Girl's Generous Gift

If you've ever been upstairs in my office, you quickly become aware that I like horses (if you didn't already know that.) Three of the four walls are lined with shelving, and I have about ::cough cough:: maybe... ::cough cough:: um... about... somewhere around 1,000 pieces in my collection.

I honestly cannot say why I love to collect, I just do. My collection goes back to 1963, so that's only twenty pieces added per year, right?? (Right...)

One of my students, TM, did a Classics report on the book Misty of Chincoteague. (I have the pony, Misty, depicted in both china and plastic on my shelves.) TM is a fellow horse lover, and used four model horses in her project, a diorama of Misty on the Beebee farm.

I told her that I, too, collected horses and since I had a picture of my collection on my phone, pulled it out and showed it to her.  Her eyes widened, and she broke into a huge smile. "I collect, too!" she crowed.

A week later, TM arrived at school toting a blue gift bag tied shut with orange ribbons. She placed it on my desk and announced, "This is for you."

I was surprised - it wasn't my birthday or a holiday. A random gift?

I understood when I opened it.

"They're from my collection," she told me. "I want you to have them.

Oh, dear. 

If anyone should be giving pieces of their collection away, it's me, not TM. 

Especially TM.

TM comes from a blended family of seven kids. Tragedy struck the family recently in that one of the mothers of those children was murdered. TM's stepfather and mother took in the extra children so that they could all remain together and not be split up or put into foster care. An admirable family, but certainly not one with any money to spend on extras. Extras like pieces for TM's model horse collection.

And here TM is giving me a gift out of her own collection.

I felt a bit teary as I placed her ponies on my shelves among my other pieces. Grabbing my camera, I took a picture and put it in the thank you note that I wrote to her. 

I'd love to reciprocate and give TM a piece or two from my collection (goodness knows I could stand to pass on a few, and who better than a fellow horse lover who can't afford to buy them?), but it isn't appropriate since I am her teacher. Perhaps when she completes her 5th grade year with me I can do it. I always give the outgoing 5th graders a gift - maybe I'll tuck a pony into TM's.

In the meantime, her two horses stand on my shelves, a reminder of a very generous girl.