Symmetry Specialists

Need I say more?? These are gorgous and worthy of being matted and then framed. Five stars!!

Snazzy Self Portraits

Look at these self-portraits and then go back a few blog posts and take a look at the photographs of the children...... what an amazing reflection of the children, of their heritage, their culture, their unique pizazz. Captured for posterity. Those smiles genuinely reflect the feeling that I saw on each face in attendance. This is a place of excellence and happiness. Happiness and excellence. They go hand-in-hand at Northeast School.

PreK Open-Ended "Project" Art

As long as I was popping back into the Amityville building, I thought that I'd take a few more pictures of the children's artwork in the hallways. These collages were created by the PreK kiddos. Can you see how, even though this results in a 'refrigerator-worthy' piece of art, that it is still "open-ended" and allows for all sorts of individualization and personal decisions by the children. How many buildings, what color buildings? How many windows? Where to place them?? Self-portrait in the city. Isn't it fantastic that in this economy they still have a dedicated arts professional teacher. Can't you see what her direction is able to produce from the children? RAH!!!!

My Name Up in LIGHTS

Today is my birthday. Perhaps thats a bit confusing..... today, the day I'm posting this picture is my birthday. I've given myself the present of enjoying 'my' day by getting caught up on my blog and other tasks that involved deep breathing and relaxation. It's a true present to relive this day all over again. Now I'm caught up thru the Amityville-day-of-Amazement. We went back to the school the day after the fun, in the hopes that my sign, my name up in lights, was still on display.... and indeed it was!! I needed documentation of my big break in NY. Well, there you have it. Happy Birthday to me!!!

Fun for the Whole Family

Teen-agers sharing the stage. Principal in giraffe costume. Teenagers vs. Teachers in 'So You Think You Can Dance' show down to the Piggy Rap..... and everyone reading, singing and signing my newest picture book project "Red, White and Blue"............ it seriously doesn't get much better than this.

At the end of the program a mama came up to thank me for the fun. She said that she gets up every day at 4:30 a.m. and was especially worn out the evening of our show, but her daughter had begged and begged to go back to school for the "Piggy Show." The mama said that she was sooooooo glad that they'd come -- that it had made her day, seeing everyone having so much fun & to see her daughter so tickled to watch the teachers dancing. Priceless.

Wow. Make my day! Genuine. Heart-felt. Sincere.

Family Fun Fall-da-rah

Getting geared up for the evening program, for families of all the K & PreK Kiddos. What made the evening especially 'fun' was incorporating the high school volunteers into the program. Whoooohoooooo: big kids!! They were game for anything that I needed, and by this point of the day, that was plenty. How much do you love that little dapper gentleman coming back to school in the evening wearing his suit coat and tie for the occasion? LOVED it!! LOVED it!!!

Awesome Afternoon Antics

It's so much fun to invite children to "be themselves" and to make funny faces & freeze them. What a wonderful world for me: to playing games, singing songs, dancing Higgeldy, and sharing my love-of-reading with children from one side of the country to the other. To think this is my life's work, my legacy, my invitation..... is to pause and be grateful, all in the same breath.