Observations at USU

So, I am currently sitting in the Taggart Student Center on the campus of Utah State University. Willie is here doing what he loves most, playing basketball (USU b-ball camp). This, however, is a different sort of camp where most of the participants are pretty good high school players who want to get better at their position -- post, perimeter, guard. I am spending my time wandering around the campus and making a pretty good attempt at getting some computer work done. Summer is a big part of the school year for me -- a time to get ready for a new year -- professional learning themes and activities, full-year calendar, materials and resources to support kids, and so on. I do a lot of writing, and thinking, and reading, and analyzing, and then pulling things together.

I have a table set up as my work station on the far east end of the second floor of the Taggart Student Center. Wow! There is a lot going on this week on campus -- high school cheer camp, high school leadership camp (student body officers), EFY camp (Especially for Youth), a conference for some kind of college administrators, and of course basketball camp.

I am listening to a group of high school leaders discuss "Snowball". I am not sure what it is, but it involves dancing and the group can't decide if it should be girl's choice or not. Oops, now the subject changed to what the group is going to do on the leadership camp variety show later this evening.

I love the opportunity to break away form the office, spend some time with my son, and do a little of uninterrupted work, too.

By the way, the Taggart Center is names for a former president of USU, Glen L Taggart. He was a pretty amazing individual. Click on his name and read an article written about him in the Ensign Magazine some 20 years ago. Glen Taggart is from Lewiston, Ut, born around the same time as my step-grandmother Frances. I am sure they knew each other -- Frances, a USU grad, was always very high on what the institution had to offer. There are many Eccles buildings on campus. Needless to say, the Eccles family has left their "money" mark on nearly every public college campus in the state.

Enough for now!

On our way to USU we saw a moose!

So we were just coming out of Sardine Canyon, not quite to the Wellsville exit, when low and behold, we saw a moose in a field on the right hand side of the road!!!!! I pulled over to the side and we watched. It crossed a narrow road to our right. We turned down the road to get a closer look. The moose went into a yard and some barking dogs scared it back out onto the road. We followed it and it passed in front of us twice! We tried to take a few pictures (with the phone), but it just kept moving. It was a youngster with his horns just starting to grow. How cool is that??!!!!

Eagle Scout!

29 merit badges + 20 plus nights camping + Super Scout Saturdays + hikes and bike rides + Jubilees and Courts of Honor + a bunch of other stuff and a project = Eagle Scout

(Willie is pinning a mentor pin on Grandpa.)

The Court of Honor was nice. Family and friends from the ward came to support Willie. The refreshments were yummy.

Okay, it's time to go back to school!

So I got home from work Tuesday evening and my son greeted me in this weird attire. He's trying to grow a few inches, so I suggested he wear a neck brace to try to stretch his neck a little. It was so much fun wearing the neck brace, he decided to add a nacho libre mask, an extra small junior jazz jersey, a sweat band, a crazy hat, football glove and arm guard, a thumb brace, hula lei, sun glasses, a boondoggle thing, and a lacrosse stick.

I think he's had way too much summer vacation time -- two days is too much. Time to go back to school!

School's Out!

Oh my gosh! I am so glad this school year has come to a close! It's been crazy, like mentally ill crazy, like out of control crazy, like more crazy than you can ever imagine. I have been a professional educator for some 33 years and I've seen all kinds of situations and worked with many, many students and their families, but this school year tops them all -- positives and not so positive experiences with colleagues, staff, kids, and parents.

The best part of my work is clearly working hard every day of each school year to make a difference for the 29,000+ secondary students in GSD. This school year my department introduced a tidy little planning guide for students and their parents. I think it is just about the best little planning guide around. Although it has been in draft form all year, it is excellent. I have had many opportunities to share it with students, their parents, staff, and community people. All reports indicate it has been very helpful in providing information on student planning and on all of the options and opportunities available to students in our district.

Ther is much work to do this summer to get things ready for 2011-2012 school year!