Refugees
August 21, 2010 | Filed Under Students | Leave a Comment
Three refugees from the east, students from my first class of APELCers at CDO, surprised me with a visit yesterday afternoon at school. Brendan, Michael, and Addie are getting ready to leave Tucson and return to their studies at Swarthmore, Boston, Middlebury, respectively. I didn’t plan it, but the poster in the center of the frame above them reads “Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education”, said by Martin Luther King, Jr., and which these three children exemplify. They’re among the best and brightest students I’ve had the pleasure to work with, and I look forward to great things they’ll accomplish in the future.
My Student, Hannah
July 7, 2010 | Filed Under Family, Students | Leave a Comment
Last Saturday I was pleased to meet a former student working at the Racquet Club where Debabu’s been taking lessons. Hannah was one of my first APELCers at CDO who was ready to bolt class early on but who stayed with me and performed well the entire year. She’s a great kid who’s experiencing success in college now, and I got her picture with Zufaney.
Class Picnic
August 9, 2009 | Filed Under Celebrations, School, Students, Transitions | Leave a Comment
To celebrate my return to CDO and their departure to schools across the country (really an excuse to hang out with friends), several of my former students decided to throw a picnic party in my classroom at school. Brennan, one of my first APELCers, organized the get together that included old and new pupils; it felt nice to have earned the high praise of the gift of my students’ time. Good, sharp kids. I hope they do well.
European Showcase
June 28, 2009 | Filed Under Culture, Students, Travel | Leave a Comment
I had the pleasure of leading some of my excellent Dorados through Europe for three weeks, from the end of May to mid-June. We began in London and finished in Athens; in between we spent time in Paris, France; Lucerne, Switzerland; Florence, Rome, and Sorrento, Italy; and Meteora and Delphi Greece. We also cruised the Aegean Sea and enjoyed ports-of-call at the Greek islands of Mykonos, Patmos, Santorini, and Crete, and Kusadasi, Turkey. Here’s Conor, Trevor, Tony, Chloe, Joelle, Casey, Tara, Lacy, and Michael, or Team AZ, in St. James Park, London, the afternoon of our arrival. The London Eye is in the background.
Graduation Picnic
May 22, 2009 | Filed Under Celebrations, Family, Students, Transitions | Leave a Comment
One of my students, Chloe, who’s appeared on this blog before, invited me to her graduation picnic the other evening. When she handed me the invite a few weeks ago, Chloe emphasized that the “family” was expected to attend, meaning the children had better be with us when we arrived. Below are my students Keerthana, Simone, Chloe, Laura, and Danielle.
Graduation Day
May 17, 2009 | Filed Under Celebrations, Students, Transitions | Leave a Comment
I received an invitation from one of my first high school students, Deserie, to celebrate her graduation from the University of Arizona. She was a freshman student at Pueblo when I completed my student-teaching semester under the guidance of my colleague Dana Elmer, and she remained my student for her four years at Pueblo as a member of my Academic Decathlon class and team. Des and Melissa, another Pueblo Warrior on her right, traveled with me and their friends to Europe in 2005. I am very proud of her.
Arena Gaming
May 15, 2009 | Filed Under Family, Students | Leave a Comment
After leaving Rosa’s for dinner with my Dad last night, we passed Arena Gaming (which is in the same ship strip of stores) on the way to our car. We put the kids in the car, out streamed Daniel and Seung-woo, current and future APELCers, respectively, who were spending their evening gaming. They were waiting for Chong-woo, Seung-woo’s twin and current APELCer, and Ryan (off camera) to return with food.
Dancing Dorados
May 14, 2009 | Filed Under Culture, Family, Recreation, School, Students | Leave a Comment
Last night CDO’s dance classes hosted Life’s Better When You Dance (and don’t I believe it), a showcase of students’ kinetic arts efforts. Logan and Sam are advanced students, and were students juniors in my AP English Language and Composition class my first year. Here Logan mimes a devil-may-care collar-popping move from one of the night’s pieces he performed with Sam.
End of the Line
May 1, 2009 | Filed Under School, Students, Transitions | Leave a Comment
Michael (and the Venus), Brennan, Logan, Hannah, Sam, and Addie, six regular visitors to T-12, my room at CDO at the end of the line. They’re special seniors who’re graduating later in the month. These kids and many of their peers who suffered through my AP English Language and Composition class I’ll miss greatly, but they’re off to bigger and better things and I’m proud of them.
CDO Fine Arts Showcase
April 12, 2009 | Filed Under Culture, Family, Recreation, School, Students | Leave a Comment
The institution where I teach, Canyon del Oro High School, hosted its second annual showcase of fine arts, which included performances by our orchestras, bands, choir, dancers, and actors, and highlighted students’ paint, plastics, and photography productions. I finally was able to experience my excellent students Michael, Addie, and Elise perform, and I was able to see others of my students’ artifacts. Of course, Zufan and Debabu were a hit, as they always, inevitably are.
