Category: Takes a Village

Posted in School, Takes a Village

The Poetic Soul of the Tween

Posted on by Kelly (of rituals)

dedicated to Ann Gengarelly, Poetry Teacher Extraordinaire

Having two children, five years apart, enables me to witness the wheel of time in motion.  From my 7 year old’s absolute exuberance for life with, “Hey Mom, there’s MY POETRY teacher!” to my 12 year old’s developmentally aligned after-school moans when poetry day comes around again, “I haaaate poetry!”

But this Saturday I find my pre-teen running to the office for scrap paper to write down a haiku that has popped into his mind-

bottom of the ninth
a high fly ball to left field
the players walk off

Feeling uncertain about whether he’s gotten the syllables right, he digs up the book he received for Christmas entitled, “Baseball Haiku,” only to discover that the authors have used all different forms. Frustrated by this freedoom of expression, he turns to “The Mother Dictionary” (so proclaimed by his sixth grade teacher) and settles for its authoritative definition before scribbling another:

a high fly to left
left fielder shields his eyes
the ball disappears

This sudden poetic urge has interrupted his preparations for a friend’s birthday party so my husband suggests “poetry” as a gift.  Skepticism moves in like clouds across my son’s face and then is transformed into lighted purpose as he dashes off for more paper.

Harry Potter haiku is born along with other reflections of shared moments between friends like, “Walking into walls.”  He laughs at this syllabic inside joke, pleased that we don’t understand its meaning.

This is all hush, hush, of course.  If he knew that I was celebrating his poetic spirit, he would immediately extinguish it.  And yet, I would be remiss if I didn’t (covertly) let his poetry teacher know that her work lives on– even in dubious, scoffing pre-adolescent minds.


Kelly Salasin, 2008

To read more about the extraordinary work of Poetry Teacher, Ann Gengarelly, click here.

Posted in Holidays, Milestone Moments, School, Takes a Village, Wisdom of Youth

in Paul Skye’s Eyes

Posted on by Kelly (of rituals)

~ Halloween, 2008

Halloween Onlookers, photo: Pam Burke, all rights reserved

This morning our school hosted its annual Halloween “All School Sing.” Teachers, parents and students arrived in costume, and groups of each were invited front and center to be celebrated with song.

The Sports Figures came up for “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” The Super Heroes included my youngest as a stellar Batman, and The Scary Ones included my niece as a truly frightening vampiress.

A masked Candidate “McCain;” photo: Pam Burke, all rights reserved

There were many more categories and songs, but this year featured a brand new group: The Politicians. It was a tiny group, but well covered, including a stupendous Sarah Palin (the Junior High teacher), a masked McCain, and a very authentic–though very young–Obama.

“Obama’s” proud mother Laura was seated beside me in the audience.  Her son Paul Skye beamed in his navy suit and well-combed hair as he approached the front of the room to cheers from the audience of children, “O-ba-ma, O-ba-ma, O-ba-ma!”

Laura leaned in to tell me what Paul Skye said to her on the day he chose his costume, “Not too many other kids at my school can be Obama.” My eyes stung with tears as I realized just how much it means to Paul Skye–to all children of color–and to each of us–that Barack Obama is our candidate for President.

Paul Skye as Candidate “Obama”; photo: Pam Burke, all rights reserved

In his shining eyes, I felt the promise of a new day.

~Kelly Salasin

Posted in Milestone Moments, School, Takes a Village

Tribute to a School

Posted on by Kelly (of rituals)

When you have a brand new baby
and your mom dies during your first-born’s first-week of kindergarten
you never forget the steady presence of
Ellen
and gratitude swells  your heart forever.

And when that same kindergartener moves to first grade,
you thank HIS lucky stars, it’s
Judy
because no matter how distracted he is
she will find a way to love him.

And when the classrooms change and
Jodi
becomes his teacher for the 4th year in a row
it’s no matter-
for with her, his thirst for learning is unquenchable.

And though, like most parents, you fear the demands of
David
you watch your son take charge
of himself and his work
with a glad heart
–and yours tugs when it’s time for him to leave this room;
though he, surprisingly, is
ready…

Ready and eager to move closer to the doors
that lead out of Marlboro Elementary School…

And there,
like a butterfly
transforms from a child to young man
with
confidence & VOICE
so that you hardly think on teachers anymore
because with their art & skill, the learning has become his.

Rachel & Tim
could be the names of any of the souls
who have traveled the months or years
or even a lifetime on the path of learning–
like the preschool faces of Timmy & Zoe and Ferne

And you can’t help but flash on all those
named and unnamed–
board members and budget voters and volunteers;
parents & friends; coaches & subs…
ALL those who have caressed his movement
along the learning way
like the tiny cilia moving an egg
toward its fullest
EXPRESSION~

Mr. H, a lifeline, since day one
and Charlene’s music & dancing, from age 2
and Lauren with her smile
and there’s Pedro & Pam
David Tasgal & Ann
Nurses Susan & Whitney
Cindy to Wendy to Trowell to Chris
Wayne to Tim
Connie to Craig to Francie
Johnnie and Kirsten
Joanne to Janie & Christine

and ALL
the precious classroom assistants
who made it possible for a kid who preferred blocks until age 7
to learn to read
in HIS own time
so that now we must rip the books from his hands
to remind him to eat and to do chores and to talk
when once—TALKING– was all he did!

And was it poor Judy? or Jodi?
who gave the month of March over
to reading and no other pursuit (including homework!)
so that the words he once put OUT
FINALLY began to POUR in

And soon his classroom became
Cape Cod & New York
Costa Rica & DC
and marches on Capitols
lining up for rallies
door to door for a President

Leading to this moment where we find him
STANDING TALL
READY to VAULT
through the
EXIT of “old” MES
under the careFULL gaze of Gail

And home he’ll come
one last time
through yellow doors
delivered safely
once by Laura, forever by Gail
and seamlessly on toward Jackie.

I know now that it takes
a VILLAGE
to raise a child.

I’m so glad
that I chose
YOURS!

In gratitude for Lloyd’s 12 years of education in Marlboro, Vermont with special mention to Paul Redmond at Meetinghouse School where it all began!