Monster Truck Valentines

Nora has been working on her homemade Valentines for about 3 months now. She really loves create, so I’m letting her go to town. Finn, on the other hand, has no attention span for arts and crafts. All he wants to do is play monster trucks. And read about monster trucks. And watch monster truck movies. And talk about monster trucks. So, of course, when I asked him what he would like to do for Valentines Day for his preschool classmates, he told me he wanted Monster Truck Valentines.

I discovered that premade monster truck valentines do not seem to exist, and even if they did, they wouldn't be the cutesy ones my boy tends to like pictures of anyway. So, after a little online digging,

I found these adorable Monster Trucks on Etsy. I figured that $5 was a small price to pay to support original artwork. I bought them, downloaded them, and I added the wording and a little heart in Picasa. *BAM* we have Monster Truck Valentines.

Seriously, how cute are these?  I’ve re-added watermarking here. If you want them, buy them! So worth it!

The Reality at Caroline Elementary

My daughter (whom I call Nora on this blog) loves kindergarten. She loves her main teacher, she loves her classroom aides, she loves her "specials" teachers (music, P.E. art), she loves riding the bus. She loves her school and feels special and at home there. She feels safe and happy. And my husband and I lover her school as much as she does. Her little brother can't wait to go there. Oh, did I mention that she goes to Caroline Elementary school?

Caroline Elementary school was recently given a designation of a "persistently dangerous school" by the state due to the high number of "violent" incidents reported in 2010-2012. However, this designation of a "persistently dangerous school" does not reflect the reality of Caroline Elementary. Caroline is a great school with wonderful caring teachers and a bright and beautiful student body. Yes, there have been some real and concerning incidents, but this is the case at any school. The reality is that a complicated and flawed formula at the State level in combination with reporting issues at the school and district level that has lead up to this designation. Last night's meeting overviewing these reported incidents was very informative. The Ithaca Journal has posted a thorough article covering the meeting. Please read the first article below (and if you have time, the second 2 as well!) before rushing to judgement. Tim McDonald, the principal is happy to answer questions, give tours and allow potential parents to sit in on classes.


~Janelle

http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20130117/NEWS01/301170105/Errors-may-led-Caroline-school-s-dangerous-label

 

http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20130111/NEWS01/301110077/Cornell-professor-Caroline-parent-outlines-findings-report?odyssey=obinsite

 

http://www.theithacajournal.com/article/20130111/NEWS02/301110078/-Persistently-dangerous-Caroline-Elementary-raises-tough-questions-parents-officials?odyssey=mod|dnmiss|umbrella|1