~now and always~

School has been out now for well over two weeks and summer school was dismissed just this past Friday.  The children have undoubtedly settled in for their well deserved vacations by now and I can only imagine the fun they must be having.  Swimming pools are filled with happy kids splashing one another in the crystal blue water and neighborhood backyards emit sounds of laughter, excitement,  and fun.  Trips to the library, softball or baseball,  and visits to grandmother's house are among the many activities I anticipate my former second graders will be participating in.  I told them that my assignment for the summer for them was to do one thing, and one thing only.

~have fun!~

I too have finally begun to settle in for my own summer break.  The first two days of it were a bit melancholy and sad, but things got better by about the 3rd day.  There is plenty to do around here, especially in the yard, and that will keep me occupied quite nicely.  I think of them, those special kids who were once mine this past year, and still smile at the remembrances of our fun and learning together.

You know, I have a question for you.  Have you ever thought about how you could help a classroom of children and their teacher during the school year?  If so, I have an assignment for you during the upcoming months of June and July that just might give you an answer to that question.  It's an assignment that anyone could do, no matter where you live.  It's one that any kind of kid going to any kind of school anywhere in this great land of ours could benefit from.  Perhaps as you read this, you might think of a classroom in your own community or a teacher you know who lives just down the street or even far, far away.

And here's that assignment for any of you who would like to help make a difference for children anywhere and everywhere across America.    

5 easy ways to help a classroom in your community~

• Collect Box Tops for Education.  Clip them all summer long and keep them stored in a zip lock bag until school begins.  Then send them to the school's office.  Encourage your friends to do the same and keep it up not only throughout the summer, but for the whole school year as well.  They are worth 10 cents each and before you say that doesn't seem like much money, you'd be surprised how quickly they should add up.  Budgets are onion skin thin as it is.  Every little bit, including box tops for education, counts.  
• Go to garage sales with the sole purpose of looking for gently used children's books.  Kids in my classroom utilize a little library concept and look forward to each Friday being able to choose a book for their very own to keep.  Lots of classrooms rely on books such as these to supplement their own collections.  Most of the time you can pick up used books for a little bit of nothing.  I've even known people to just give them to me when I mention they are for my students.  Reading is knowledge and that leads to power.  What a gift it is to put a good book into the hands of a hungry reader!
• Closer to school time, watch the sale ads for things like school supplies.  Pencils and erasers are the first items to run out of, it seems.  Picking up a couple of packages is usually fairly inexpensive.  Small boxes of crayons or a package of glue sticks are always going to be appreciated by teachers who often times foot the bill for this type of thing in order that everyone in class is taken care of.  And what we wouldn't give, especially during the time when flu and cold season arrives, for some extra boxes of Kleenex, hand sanitizer, or disinfectant wipes.  Those 3 items end up being mighty precious commodities come the months of December-March.
• Take an interest in the children of your neighborhood or those who attend Sunday School at your church.  Encourage them every chance you can.  Be their own personal "cheerleader", checking in on them often.  As school time gets closer, wish them a good year ahead and keep checking back with them as often as you can.  It takes more than a village some times to make sure that all children are being put into positions of being successful students and kids with great character.  
• If you are inclined to do so, please pray for teachers and students alike that our year would be successful and that no harm or danger would befall any of us.  By the way, prayer was never taken out of schools.  We'll take all the help and support that we can get.  Pray the kids and staff safely through the summer and keep those petitions going all year long. Check in with the teachers that you know at your local school and ask if there are any special needs for a prayer every now and then.  Chances are good that you will find them.  

Year #41 will be waiting for me to find it come the end of the summer of 2018.  Until then, I will be enjoying some time off and planning for the next school term to arrive.  I will be thinking of the kids and remembering always in my heart how truly blessed I was to have been their teacher.  New students are waiting for me and I can't imagine just how fun the time with them shall end up being.

God is good.

Now and always.

It's a privilege to teach for the Grandfield (Oklahoma) School District.  This group of folks represent people who are committed to providing the best education possible for the very fortunate kids who go to school there.  If you know of someone looking for a wonderful place to send their children to school at, Grandfield will be forever be at the number one spot of my own top 10 list.