Many Memories From Many Years
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Remember the TEACHING on the balance between "the Joy of Learning" and "The Discipline of Learning!" Both are essential to expanding and Expanding and EXPANDING your own greatness!
Oh that time of the Covid-19 deathly pandemic. Eyes peering above the mask. The Love and Learning was all the same upon returning to school after that terrible time of a year of school being closed and lessons only on-line on the computer. Ah! What a special relief to be back together again in the joy of learning and the discipline of learning in one another's company and companionship.
We always returned to the idea of the PRESENCE of our Ancestors as giving meaning and purpose to our lives; to strive to be worthy of them, make them proud, etc.
You can the the happiness of the children here. Classroom 16, in the joy of learning and the discipline of learning was a happy place to be with sometimes unexpected fun ways of thinking about things, opportunity to be proud of onesself, and proud or honoring one's classmates. Sometimes for GREAT things, and sometimes just for something a s simple of showing-off getting new shoes for a new school-year!
IN this photos we see Christopher just finishing getting his face painted, his little brother, his only brother, Christian eager for the fun, and their proud parents nearby, grateful for what the Mare Island School does for their kids. I had Chistopher the year of this photo, and he always told his little brother about all we did. Christian always looked forward to his opportunity to be in Classroom 16, which he got, and was also, like his brother, my very good student, two years each. I had 4 years invested in this wonderful family, who were originally from the mountains of Guatemala. Signed, Mr. Stathis
There's a lot happing in this photo from the first year of Mr. Stathis at the School. Sylvanna is sharing her wonderful creation of her story from Thursday night's homework. On the White Board we see the students who "earned" Tea Time, actual fine Herbal Tea was made to honor the students who did extra homework, or who paid with a Te ATime Ticket, purchased with their Mandala Money! Ahimsa, Mr. Stathis's son had his Classroom Duty of making the Tea and was checking-out who to serve. Behind Sylvanna are the students' fine Art Work done as an illustration to our Reading Lesson story of The Canoe Villgae, one of Mr. Stathis's own special stories of village people of the Far North. And lastly, one can tell another way this ia a Friday, as back then, every Friday after School was Dance Club day, and the students in the club often dressed-up in their best clothes that day for it as we see here with Sylvanna in a dress and Ahimsa in a suit coat.
In Sylvanna's second year in CLassroom 16, previously a 4th Grader, and now a 5th Grader, as Classroom 16 was a Combination Class of 4th and 5th Graders, Sylvanna had to move to another city. Here she took the time at home and bring to Mr. Stathis this expression of her feelings.
One can feel the special bond shared, and the emotions of a last day together.
Students were trained in Classroom 16 in Writing Letters to one another, trained in expressing oneself in thoughts, feelings, and ideas. Then, also, in respecting the expressions of others, and thinking how to write back!
Mr. Stathis could teach much just by looking at you!
"Siddhartha got the beans!" ...."Getting beans" was sometimes one of those unique jokes in Classroom 16, when a student didn't do what he or she was supposed to and therefore didn't earn anything, the joke was that instead of mandala money, they "got beans." But this picture is actually using Beans in a Math activity.
"At the count of 3, hands on top of your head!" In Fraction Friday, a task was given to solve with the Fraction Pieces on the desk, but it was timed. Then Mr. Stathis qould quickly go around the room and give a Manadala to who got it right. You kept Fraction Friday-earned Mandala separate form your wallett so you could count how many you earned by the end of the hour-lesson. The 2 or 3 kids who got the most, got to go out 10 minutes early to Recess!
Everyone loved Fraction Friday, and everyone loved the fun ways of learning Math in Classroom 16!
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