Silver Valley Girl gave us a timely topic this week: "As our thoughts are centered on the men who fought for and defended our country this week, write a post with the focus on War." Hers will be
here soon and Raymond
Pert's here.Early this week I wrote about Veterans in a post centered on people in my community that were honored during a Veteran's Day assembly. Today I am tackling a different war, the
War on Poverty.
"The
War on Poverty is the name for legislation first introduced by
United States President Lyndon B. Johnson during his
State of the Union address on
January 8,
1964. This legislation was proposed by Johnson in response to the difficult economic conditions associated with a national
poverty rate of around nineteen percent. The War on Poverty speech led the
United States Congress to pass the
Economic Opportunity Act, a law that established the
Office of Economic Opportunity (
OEO) to administer the local application of federal funds targeted against poverty."
WikipediaSome would say the
War on Poverty has fallen off the national agenda. Others try to convince us that it will be a priority with the new administration. As concerns surface in the headlines about bailing out the auto industry, fixing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and tightening spending as Christmas draws closer my mind keeps returning to the American people that were already living in poverty when the financial crisis began to widen. How much worse does life become for a person that was barely making ends meet a year ago? What happens to a family of four when jobs become scarce and housing is out of reach?
Working in the public school system my focus of concern always returns to the children. I see the signs of poverty every day. I see it in the pale faces of children as they wait for breakfast. I see it when a middle school student enters my classroom on the first snow day with worn out athletic shoes, shorts, and a short sleeved t-shirt covered with holes. I see it when a child misses the first half of the day because there is no alarm clock or telephone in the house to assist a child that has slept in.
I constantly return to
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs when working with the students in my school. When a child is
struggling I ask the following questions: Are the child's basic needs being met? Do they have protection and security? Do they have a sense of belonging? Is this child equipped to move to the cognitive stage of learning?
The
War on Poverty is a tough battle that is fought in a different battlefield with different weapons than the wars our soldiers are fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. Parents have pride so it is important to be sensitive while trying to assist. Children have stories and need someone that has time to listen. Structures and routines can create a sense of order , but
sporadic attendance makes it hard to provide it.
Teaching is just one profession that is involved in supporting our children, but we must not forget them. I walked to class with a former student last week and listened to her stories of survival. She had been kicked out of her house. She moved in with her ailing grandmother. She has witnessed violence and instability. As I listened she turned to me and said, " I know now why I miss this middle school hall so much. It always felt like home to me. I miss that this year." If an old brick building with a broken heater in the hall and plastic on the windows can provide shelter, a place of stability and order to a child's life... that is a start.
"What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.” Crowfoot
Silver Valley Girl gave us a timely topic this week: "As our thoughts are centered on the men who fought for and defended our country this week, write a post with the focus on War." Hers will be here soon and Raymond Pert's here.
I constantly return to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs when working with the students in my school. When a child is struggling I ask the following questions: Are the child's basic needs being met? Do they have protection and security? Do they have a sense of belonging? Is this child equipped to move to the cognitive stage of learning?
Our cat Lily likes her privacy and peace and quiet. Annie has a way of ruining that sometimes. She is obsessed with being Lily's buddy and pal.
Annie is trying to convince Lily that it is time to play.
Lily seems to be saying, "You have ruined my peace and quiet!"
Annie is a slow learner. As Lily strolls away to another spot of privacy, Annie just keeps following her. For other photo hunts using ruin go here.
Another time he constructed a trellis for her climbing rose when it needed a place to continue to grow.
He also built her raised beds for her garden and today was out fixing a loose board so it would be ready for spring planting. It is nice to have a husband that is also a handyman and I know Mom counts her blessings also when he helps out. I have a friend that always refers to my husband as St. JEJ. The name fits him perfectly!
"Come, ye thankful people, come,
a sink full of flowers 
raspberries for jam 
grapes for eating and jam 
peaches, plums, apples,
and pears from the local orchard 
potatoes from the fields of Idaho
I love the short road trips we take around our corner of northeastern Washington state. Tuesday we took a car trip across the bridge into Stevens County, then headed south on Highway 25. 
This is where the Colville River drains into Lake Roosevelt. 
We looped around and hoped to capture some shots of our house from high on a road across the big lake.The fog definitely got in the way. 
The fog also muted the bright colors of a grove of autumn trees.
I can also find humor in signs like this. How did I know that a falling tree is one that falls (like by the wind), but felling a tree is to cut it down. I guess only trees cut down by loggers are coming down on this highway, versus trees falling from the wind. Go figure. 
The picnic table by the campground was deserted this rainy day. The carpet of yellow leaves enveloped the table with brightness. We found beauty in rain, fog, and falling leaves on this road trip. I am thankful for places that surround us with such scenic beauty.