Class of 2008 With A Grandson Included

Today was graduation at my school. Being a small school we never have large graduating classes. I like that because it is much more intimate and meaningful. We have a tradition of using a local drumming group to play the procession preforming the tribe's native drumming songs. Another tradition is that graduates choose a family member to escort them. We have sisters, brothers, grandparents, and children of the graduates walk in with them. I love the part of our nontraditional graduation procession.When I married my husband his children were raised so I acquired a large family of children and grandchildren. One of the grandchildren graduated today. It was a joy to watch the family filled with pride and joy as Q graduated. Here he is posing with another graduate and cousin at the end.

Two of the second grade students I visit every day as I work in their classroom came up to greet me and pose for a picture. I love seeing families and friends gather for a significant event in the lives of their children and grandchildren. There are lots of smiles, tears, pictures taken, and flowers presented. It was a good day!!

Spring Bouquet #4

A Tour of the Gardens After the Rain

After a long week it was nice to relax and take time this evening to tour the gardens. The rain let up and the evening turned beautiful as I caught photo images on my tour. Early June we can always enjoy the beauty and scent of irises. I purchased some new lupines last fall and was excited to see them already blooming.
The purple columbine blends in well in the flower bed with the dame's rocket.Some friends moved a few years ago and dug up all their iris plants. We were the grateful receivers of many of those plants. This white one is a luminous beacon in the garden by the pond.

A Night to Celebrate With the Class of 2012

"Knowledge is power, but enthusiasm pulls the switch." -Ivern Ball

Tonight we had a special celebration at our school to honor our 8th grade class. I have taught these students for two years. I have loved watching their positive enthusiasm as they have moved through middle school and pulled lots of switches. This celebration marks the end of an era in their school lives.
The tradition at our school is that the seventh grade class puts on this celebration. They decorated, served the food, and made these special cards that were waiting on the chairs.
We have another special tradition at our 8th grade celebration. The students create a collection of their school work through the grades and include a gift of writing to their parents that may be a thank you poem, a letter about how they have changed, or another meaningful creation. We end the evening with presenting these gifts to the parents/family members. As the parents read them ( and often shed a few tears) we end the evening with refreshments.

Even though school isn't out until next week, it was an evening that always brings the families, teachers, friends, and classmates together in our small school. It truly was a night to celebrate.

A Mosaic of My Making

I saw this great meme over at Dog's Eye View and thought it looked like a fun way explore and share the photos on Flickr.

Here’s how it works:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.

b. Using only the first page, pick an image.

c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd’s mosaic maker.

d. Save and share your mosaic.

The Questions:

1. What is your first name?

2. What is your favorite food?

3. What school did you go to?

4. What is your favorite color?

5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. What is your favorite drink?

7. What is your dream vacation?

8. What is your favorite dessert?

9. What you want to be when you grow up?

10. What do you love most in life?

11. What is one word that describes you?

12. What is your flickr name? (Note: I don’t have a Flickr account -so I used the name of my blog )

If you give it a try, let me know. I'd love to see the photos you choose for your answers. The whole mosaic is created by beautiful photos on Flickr! See if you can figure out my answers to each question based on the photo. I was pleased how mine turned out once it was pieced together.

A Field Trip to The Big Lake

Today three of us took our group of middle school students down to Lake Roosevelt for a field trip. We are fortunate to have the lake walking distance from the school. The purpose of the trip was to review cultural learning about the tribe, be reminded about native artifacts, and conduct a scientific study of the habitat around "The Big Lake."JF works in the archives and archeology department for the Colville Confederated Tribes. She is also a grandmother and auntie to many of our students. She spoke about leaving artifacts where you find them, saving the environment, and how our native and non-native students can learn to preserve the history surrounding Lake Roosevelt.
The day was perfect for catching photo images of Lake Roosevelt in the late morning sun. The drawdown has ended and the lake is filling up quickly.Along the shore we spotted wild lupine, children played on the rocky beach, two students listened intently to their history, and the clouds moved in.

One of the students wore a favorite shirt of mine today. The front is easy to see, but the last line on the back is not as clear.

"It takes a community to raise a child."