Pam Belluck wrote an article for nytimes.com on February 5, 2006 that follows a trend in some primary and secondary educational circles of rewarding students for perfect attendance. It’s probably not the idea of rewards that is important here, but the size and shape of them.
Here’s a list of rewards described in the story: ice cream, $25 per quarter, bicycles, video game systems, iPods, DVD players, a trip to Disneyland, a month’s mortgage, laptops, the choice of a new Saturn Ion or @10,000. (The parents chose the money). Makes you almost want to be a kid again.
Schools need kids. Kids need school. Parents are the key ingredient. Who’s getting paid in this system? You don’t think that these kids will grow up expecting something special for showing up to work or a community service event, do you? Only years worth of scientific observation and follow-up will tell us, or maybe we can guess.
I, probably like hundreds of thousands of other Americans, gathered with other friends, neighbors and fellow citizens to remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on Monday, Jan. 16, 2006. Several highlights were: a 2nd grade class reminded us of history through African music and dance; an eighth grade student told us how grateful he was to Dr. King for following in Jesus’ footsteps; and and the sight of blacks, whites, and latinos together for a celebration rather than a demonstration. Here are several sites worth viewing.
www.thekingcenter.org
www.martinlutherking.8m.com
I don’t think we celebrate enough. I was reminded of this as I planned my wife’s 50th birthday party. If fact I threw 2 parties; the first night was salsa dance lessons for 25 people, with a live band and a fabulous Puerto Rican meal. This party was meant to throw her off the trail so that she might be truly surprised the next night as she entered the hotel room where she thought we had a room for the night. Instead their were 70 or so of her friends to help her celebrate life.
Jesus seemed to truly enjoy parties, weddings, feasts, meals for large groups. He also told us that the angels and all of heaven rejoice whenever someone is found by God. There must be continuous noise, shouts, jumping up and down, singing like we have never heard before. Luke 15:1-31.
I can’t wait to throw another party. As soon as I recover financially, I want my wife to choose someone who wouldn’t expect or think they deserve a party to be on the receiving end of people celebrating with music, food, and laughter their lives.
This is the first page of a site that hopes to explore the world of education that is deeply tied to a real, daily life of fellowship with Jesus Christ. If he was the Son of God and the son of man, he was the most intellectually balanced individual to ever live. This type of education has no boundaries. All of life, seen and unseen, is the stuff of learning.
This page will include bits and pieces from this list and more: the educational life of Calvary Academy, a K-8 grade private, Christian school in South Holland, IL, a south suburb of Chicago; my journey of faith; my life with family and friends; and the world of an intense multi-racial church that I have loved belonging to.
