The power of hello
How a simple 'hi' can brighten your day
A simple hello held the power to brighten my day.
I had picked up a prescription at my local drug store when a small child, maybe 4 years old, peeked out from behind his mother's leg. He smiled at me and said hello. I heard him speaking Mandarin earlier, so I smiled back and said "nǐ hǎo."
He laughed a coy but mischievous laugh, . . .
Posted in: friendlinessschoolsix degrees of separation
The Worst First Day of School Ever
A short story
Image: Three Brothers playing Catch. By Suzanne Berton. Shared under Creative Commons license
MY NAME IS SIMON. I am eight years old, almost nine. I had the worst first day of school ever.
My two best friends are Jonah Jason and Arthur. (Jonah Jason is actually his first name, not his first and last name, by the way.) Our Grade 3 . . .
Posted in: friendshipkid storiesschool
How a school play brought together a community
Manor Park School's production of The Lion King Jr was magic
One part art. One part story. One part love. Mix together: The result is magic.
Kids from Manor Park Public School in Ottawa brought together a community with their production of The Lion King Jr.
I once told my children to think of school as a community. Instead of the physical building and walls that . . .
Posted in: lion king jrschooltheatre
I was exhausted after volunteering in my son's class
It's challenging to get a bunch of kids on the same page
"Dad, can you come in for our scientists workshop?" second-born asked.
"You want me there?" I queried.
"Yeah," he answered, with that smile of his, eyes scrunched.
"You know I can't come in all the time," I said, "now that I'm working."
"I know."
"But I can still come in once or twice, maybe."
He smiled.
. . .Posted in: schoolsciencesimple machines
Smells like recess
A poem
Smells Like Recess
Ball up in sky
like rocket to moon.
Cartwheel exquisite;
polka dot ball.
If I were a spider
on the wall,
I would crawl
into your arms,
jump over the net,
mixed dirt and sweat
stained cap
smells
like recess—
smells like
love.
Bell rings,
time to leave fun;
back to class,
sit up straight.
You have . . .
Posted in: playgroundpoetryschool
I had the best teacher ever in Grade 4
Mrs. Sdao understood our personalities and what made us tick
Photo: Freeimages.com – Lhys *
After my eldest son headed off to his first day of Grade 4 and a new year of scholastic adventure, my thoughts transported me to a brisk Ottawa evening in April, 2014. Winter had mercifully loosened its grip to an anemic spring, but a chilly wind lingered as I walked toward my Class of 1983 . . .
Posted in: school
How my son dealt with smelly comments about his lunch
Classmates made fun of his seaweed sandwich
"Dad," youngest said quietly at the dinner table, "some people made fun of my food today."
All the memories came flooding back. I told him when I was a kid, sometimes A-Ma packed cold chicken legs in my lunchbox. Although I loved chicken, I felt different from those with peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (back then it was okay to . . .
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