Enough! Anti-bullyiing Video.

Produced in 2007.
Featuring eighth grade students and counselors from Murray and Roland Grise Middle Schools.
(in conjunction with New Hanover County School's The Learning Network) - In Memory of Earline Shavers.

A Funny Mom!

Meet Brooklin Green----a very funny mom! Brooklin is a “Second City” Chicago Comedian and has been a “Nick at Nite's” Funniest Mom in America Finalist. 

Listen as Brooklin shares her journey from being an Improv trained, stand-up comedian to a college instructor with a Master's degree. 

Enjoy her take on rearing two sons, improving her health and well-being, and going it alone as a single parent.

New Face of the Entrepreneur - Interview with Pamela Palanza

Women have always been in business. Cottage industries have always existed. Traditionally it has been only “butter and egg” money. Today women are developing ideas, concepts, and visions beyond the boundaries of just their homes. Women today who are young, old, and in-between are out challenging leadership stereotypes, taking the initiative to make a difference, and creating new opportunities in business, management, and industry. 

 

Interview with Linda Killian

Today I am talking with Linda Killian. A mother who has helped her children grow through “Making a Difference in the World.” Linda is the mother of 4 daughters and one son. Her children have spent years volunteering.

In 2008 I heard Barbara J. Danforth, President and CEO of the YWCA Greater Cleveland, explain the concept of “Volunteerism as a Tool for Leadership.” Upon my return to Wilmington, I read an article in the STARNEWS by Amanda Greene. The article was an interview with Rick Recht. In the article was a discussion of Tikkun Olam. This “making a difference in the world ,“ which was also discussed in Cleveland, has given me opportunities to think about people that I appreciate for their efforts.

Linda Killian has been a person that I have watched as she has led her children to adulthood. At the preschool her children were great volunteers----dependable, caring, helpful! They joined in, shared, and contributed to our program.

Interview with Tammy Denton

Pirates!

After spending a recent day with my youngest granddaughter visiting the new little “pirate” park off of Hinton Avenue and firing off the canon on the “pirate” ship at The Children's Museum of Wilmington, I was prompted to dig out an old “pirate” unit that I used back in 2007. When I found the “pirate” supplies in my attic, I was surprised to see that the stack of accumulated materials was almost 4 feet high. Hearing my husband's voice in my head that says “some day the attic is going to cave in on us because houses were not built to hold that amount of sh#%&,” I decided to pull out the “pirate” unit and share it.

During my years in the classroom, I always appreciated donations made by retired teachers. I especially appreciated the materials that came sorted and notated. So my goal for my “pirate' unit was to sort it, catalog it, and divide it appropriately by age level and usefulness.

As I started the process of unpacking and spreading all the materials out over two bedrooms, I was reminded how gifted our staff was, how great our resources were, and how much the children enjoyed the activities. The “pirate” unit back in 2007 was our kick-off, back-to-school theme and it carried us even to the end of the year with a field trip to that “pirate” ship at The Children's Museum of Wilmington.

Of course we didn't have a “pirate” ship at school so we built one. My husband was retired and I enlisted his help in building one. With only three refrigerator boxes and Mr. McGroovy's BOX RIVETS, anybody can have a “pirate” ship large enough to accommodate an entire class of preschoolers. The children really took ownership of the project because they helped paint it. It was so cute that WECT-TV came out and filmed the three year old class and showed them on the six o'clock news. As seen below in WILMINGTON PARENT, it was also featured in our school advertising for many years.

This unit was very amazing because it cut across so many areas of our curriculum---art center, free play, dress-up, puppets, music, circle time, bulletin boards, classroom speakers, snack time, field trips, playground, library books, etc. It was all encompassing. It was embraced by staff and children alike. Plus it was very flexible and adaptable as to age level appropriateness. Like in painting the ship, the two's could paint as long and as high as they wanted and the kindergarten could paint as long and as high as they liked. It was definitely a “one size fits all” unit.

In addition this unit was a showcase for our staff. It let the parents see how gifted, enthusiastic and resourceful the teachers could be. Our bulletin boards were amazing, all the activities were happily embraced by the children, and the parents appreciated the value on the return from their investment in our program.

I have always been a proponent of local resources like the public library, retail establishments, and parent volunteers. In 2007 the New Hanover County Public Library provided us with a “theme bag” full of “pirate” titles. Each child was sent home with a “pirate” bookmark (seen below) listing all the titles being read during the unit. Local pet stores generally are willing to allow classes to visit and often times parents are willing to bring a family pet to the classroom. Real parrots were definitely a part of this unit.

This unit allowed us to immerse the children in “pirate” music, language, songs, and finger plays. As was our custom, each art center time project was sent home with an appropriate song or finger play. The accompanying songs and finger plays informed the parents as to the correct lyrics or words being said by their children. Our music teacher did a fantastic job of providing a variety of musical experiences during her time with each age level. In addition to singing songs, the music teacher provided opportunities to listen to “pirate” musical instruments----drums, flutes, accordions, fiddles, etc. (1). She would teach them to move or dance like a pirate, act like a pirate, or even work like a pirate. Two of the favorite songs were BLOW THE MAN DOWN and MY BONNIE LIES OVER THE OCEAN.

Since the unit was a kick-off for a new school year, there were fun “pirate-like” activities to do during circle time instead of the usual, get-to-know-you activities. Since a “pirate” has to know how to use a “spyglass,” we played a form of “I Spy” during circle time. Each child got a turn with the “spyglass” to look across the circle and name the child in view. The children created “pirate” names by adding “pirate” titles to their own names. Circle time was also filled with puppets, finger plays and “pirate” vocabulary words. Talking like a parrot was fun also.

Since our playground was huge and very sandy we had plenty of opportunities to play with treasure maps and toy compasses. The children used sandbox shovels to dig up the buried treasure---jewels, rings, coins, etc.(2) The children also created their own treasure maps using the side of a brown paper bag, rubber stamps, and markers to make big X's to “mark the spots.” To give the maps a little authenticity and aged look we had the children crumple and wad up the maps after they drew them. When the maps are smoothed out, they look very old! The toy compasses were adequate enough to introduce N, S, E, and W as directions to travel (early literacy!).

We had a set of guiding principals concerning art center time at our school. Art center time occurred everyday, teachers worked one-to-one with their students, and activities were selected according to the weekly skill chart (MT---cutting, W---gluing, and THF---painting). In addition, activities for art center time were created or selected with thoughts concerning “process vs product,” unit being studied, and season (inside or outside, etc.). As a point of clarification, cutting, for example, was not strictly with scissors. Cutting could include tearing, ripping, folding, rubbing, tracing, shelling, etc. or the use of tweezers, plastic knives, sewing needles, hole punchers, etc. Gluing always centered around assembly, but painting could occur in many forms (sponge, finger, easel, stamping, printing, drizzle, etc.).

With a unit like this one, it was a challenge to find or develop correlated projects for art center time. A favorite go-to source for classroom supplies was SHAPES ETC. It is easy to take a pad of their NOTEPAD creations (large or small) and turn them into sewing cards, dioramas, puzzles, or stick puppets. Shown below are examples (with the help of lamination) how we created projects for art center time--- “pirate” sewing card, digging diorama, and stick puppet (each project went home with an accompanying “pirate” song or finger play introduced during music or circle time).

We always asked parents to save items for the classrooms. Two of our most desired items were paper towel rolls and toilet paper rolls.(3) For this unit we used construction paper wrapped paper towel rolls to make the cutest “spyglasses.” The biggest hit was when the children cut a section of paper towel roll in half and glued a large parrot to the roll. The parrot could be worn cuff style on a wrist or perched “pirate” style on a shoulder. 

 

 

Our staff was never shy about dressing up. One teacher had her own adult “pirate” costume. She was also very good at doing voices and being very dramatic while reading aloud. She treated the children to a “day-with-a-pirate!” She wore her costume to school and stayed in character as she encountered and conversed with the children. She shared a lot of “Ahoy me Hearty!,” AR, AR, AR's,” Aye Matey!,” “Yo Ho, Yo Ho!” and “Shiver me timbers!” (4)

The children also liked to dress up so we often made wearable items during art center time.(a hint concerning a project's success was always how quickly the children donned their items when their parents arrived for pick-up). The “pirate” earrings made from a rolled strip of aluminum foil and a rubber band were a hit with the boys and the girls. Three types of headgear were created during art center time----one was for cutting, one was for gluing, and one was for painting. We copied one Captain's hat from Long John Silver's restaurant chain which was done as a cutting project (this technique was often employed for cutting which called for the children to cut along a designated line). Another Captain's hat was a gluing project, but the most popular hat was the tied on scarf accompanied by an eye-patch and washable “pirate” tattoo (this project was done on a painting day).

During comprehensive units we often brought special toys into classroom centers for free play time. Special garments or objects were added to the dress-up clothes like pirate costumes, treasure chests filled with old jewelry, compasses, spyglasses, eye patches, play mops, a “pirate” Jolly Roger flag, etc. Bendable pirates were added to the block centers. Large Melissa and Doug floor puzzles and wooden table puzzles depicting “pirate” scenes were added to the puzzle collection. Some parents shared “pirate” sets from home like a “pirate-themed” Mr. Potato Head, a Fisher Price Pirate Ship and Island with accessories, a Playtown “Timbers B. Shiverin” with accessories. A large stuffed parrot and a large “pirate” puppet were added to the puppet stage. A hammock was tied between two trees on the playground so the children could sleep like “pirates.”

Eating like a “pirate” was a bit of a challenge, but zwieback or Biscotti could serve as a substitute for “hard tack.” Canned sardines might be introduced, but don't plan on much sampling!

With big kick-off units we always created “welcome” scenes for the preschoolers for the first week of school. For this unit the children were greeted by six foot tall “pirate” inflatables at each entrance. Later the inflatables were used to create a “photo booth” scene at the “pirate” ship. All the classes dressed up for picture taking sessions at the end of the unit.

1. CD: PRACTICAL POP AND BUCCANEER ROCK FOR SCALLYWAGGS OF ALL AGES
2. ORIENTAL TRADING COMPANY INC.
3. Supplies could be in jeopardy if manufacturers start producing “roll-less” products!
4. PIRATE: “Things to do and Make!” and The Great PIRATE Activity Book

275 Celebration Wilmington

I was thrilled back in 1979 when we arrived in Wilmington because I was going to be living at the beach! However, the beach has not been what has fascinated me about living in Wilmington for the last 35 years. Instead, I have grown to appreciate Wilmington's historical significance as a city/port in one of the 13 original colonies.

As a child, I always liked history. When I was in middle school, I discovered the book, JOHNNY TREMAIN by Esther Forbes. It is a children's historical novel set in Boston prior to and during the outbreak of the American Revolution.(1) At 12 years of age it was probably the longest and most exciting book that I had ever read. Having grown up learning to read with “Dick and Jane” type books, this Newbery Award winner opened up a whole new world of reading for me.

So discovering the historical significance of Wilmington was like experiencing JOHNNY TREMAIN all over again. Initially, I was just in awe of the “oldness” of everything. I also liked the Wilmington location because my “southern” experience was going to be broadened. In our last location which was in Louisiana, our “southern” experience had more to do with Huey Long (you know FDR had him shot!) and the “War of Northern Aggression.”

Right after Hurricane David we acquired a home along Masonboro Sound Road. It turned out to be a very fortuitous selection. It was this road that gave me my JOHNNY TREMAIN moment about Wilmington. One day while biking along Masonboro Sound Road, I spotted a tombstone. It caught my attention because of its location on the edge of the road instead of being in a cemetery. I stopped to get a closer look at the inscription---”Residence of William Hooper, Signer of the Declaration of Independence, New Hanover Historical Commission, J. J. Howell, E.S. Martin, James Sprunt, and W. A. McGirt ” I was thunderstruck to think that I was experiencing a view of the water just like a signer of the Declaration of Independence. It was thrilling to know that I was standing in an area that had been lived on over 200 years earlier. If Facebook had been around in 1979, I would have made a “selfie” and posted it on my page.

I carried this fascination with Wilmington being the home to William Hooper into my classroom every summer when we studied about and celebrated the Fourth of July. I've been known to take a classroom of children to the tombstone marker site so they could experience the same view of the water as William Hooper. We often would reenact the signing of the Declaration of Independence by having the children sign their names with quills, a jar of ink, and parchment paper. Sometimes the children would even go home and tell their parents what I had said about the marker. Below is a picture of students visiting the marker! (2)

My next JOHNNY TREMAIN experience with Wilmington occurred as a result of our daughter doing a project for Southern Studies at Cape Fear Academy.

The assignment called for a “family history” report. In helping our daughter gather all the information that she needed, I discovered that my husband's family had a Revolutionary War patriot on their family tree. Gutridge Garland was born in Halifax County, North Carolina in 1753 and lived in Rowan County, North Carolina. His wife's father, Andrew Hampton, was a colonel during the American Revolution. Even though Gutridge did not fight at the Moore's Creek Battlefield, it still makes living in Wilmington very special for our family. Our children and grandchildren will feel and know that their ancestors helped win the “Battle for Independence” and kept Wilmington safe for future generations.

(1) JOHNNY TREMAIN, Wikipedia

(2) Avery and Sam Theriault