by Carolyn W. Callighan  A storm the size of all of Europe blew Along the coast. The buildings and the dunes, Mere toys against a sea, urged through the moon's Insistent push of water, spun and flew In all directions. Picked up by the wind, Possessions were encased in sand. Each one, Grief-stricken, stared at damage done. And, turning, Sand and damage to no end. . . . And now, weeks later, holidays and lights ring in A time of joy, but how to celebrate When all is topsy-turvy? How do we create A place of peace and joy, and stop the spin? We look within ourselves, and here we find The strength we need to heal, and to be kind. Carolyn W. Callighan grew up in Nashville, Tennessee, then moved to the East Coast for college and work thereafter. She lived and worked for several decades in Boston, Phildalphia, Washington, and, finally, the New York City area. Now, after several decades, she is back in Nashville. |
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Christmas. Tampilkan semua postingan
Tampilkan postingan dengan label Christmas. Tampilkan semua postingan
Selasa, 25 Desember 2012
THE CHRISTMAS AFTER
A CHRISTMAS LYRIC FOR THE NVN SURVIVORS
by Earl J. Wilcox
If (as the old adage goes)
If (as the old adage goes)
only two things are certain,
death and taxes—
and the Apocalypse did not
happen, then what
are we left with. Right!
Taxes and Christmas fruitcake.
Earl J. Wilcox writes about aging, baseball, literary icons, politics, and southern culture. His work appears in more than two dozen journals; he is a regular contributor to The New Verse News. More of Earl's poetry appears at his blog, Writing by Earl.
Jumat, 21 Desember 2012
Elf on the Speech Shelf (2)
Just a peek at what our speech room elf has been up to this December.
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Jingle was a super cute and friendly. My favorite activity was working on prepositional phrases in writing. Every day we wrote sentences about where Jingle was hiding!
Happy Winter Break! Hope it's restful for you!
Kamis, 20 Desember 2012
777 MILES FROM SANDY HOOK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
by J.M. Green
December 14, 2012
I.
Had lunch with Jim. It’d been like months. We shelved
work shit – talked girls, our little girls. A choice
unspoken. Something eyes and breaths just delved
into. His talk: importance of her voice
when boys round first base. Mine: importance of
her keeping track of mittens. We agreed
joyful and kind were virtues far above
“gifted.” By God our ladies better bleed
real empathy and social justice! Jim
shared family stuff he never shared before.
The secret turned to silence, not a grim
silence, but strong silence with dad rapport.
We laughed down Ludlow Avenue, both bugged
by Christmas pop songs. We shook hands then hugged.
II.
I drove off, pressed for time. This day was my
day – carpool pick up. We drive because of
school cut backs. More recession bullshit I
adjust my day for. News brooded above
the dashboard like a gray haze. Blindly I
fell in the carpool line at Heritage
Elementary. Not the same school some guy,
no, some fucking crazy psychopath barged
into killing our kids. A saved school for
now – thank God. Parents sat in their cars, I
saw, staring through their hazes. My car doors
opened – Audrey and the neighbor girls – I
switched channels quick. They jumped right into song
with Mariah’s Christmas wish. I stayed strong.
J.M. Green is the author of the chapbook Super Rich (Pudding House, 2008). His work is forthcoming or has been recently published in New Mirage Journal, Ginger Piglet, The Oklahoma Review, Cincinnati Magazine and other journals. Green is a librarian with the Wyoming Branch of The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. He lives in West Chester, OH with his wife and daughter.
December 14, 2012
I.
Had lunch with Jim. It’d been like months. We shelved
work shit – talked girls, our little girls. A choice
unspoken. Something eyes and breaths just delved
into. His talk: importance of her voice
when boys round first base. Mine: importance of
her keeping track of mittens. We agreed
joyful and kind were virtues far above
“gifted.” By God our ladies better bleed
real empathy and social justice! Jim
shared family stuff he never shared before.
The secret turned to silence, not a grim
silence, but strong silence with dad rapport.
We laughed down Ludlow Avenue, both bugged
by Christmas pop songs. We shook hands then hugged.
II.
I drove off, pressed for time. This day was my
day – carpool pick up. We drive because of
school cut backs. More recession bullshit I
adjust my day for. News brooded above
the dashboard like a gray haze. Blindly I
fell in the carpool line at Heritage
Elementary. Not the same school some guy,
no, some fucking crazy psychopath barged
into killing our kids. A saved school for
now – thank God. Parents sat in their cars, I
saw, staring through their hazes. My car doors
opened – Audrey and the neighbor girls – I
switched channels quick. They jumped right into song
with Mariah’s Christmas wish. I stayed strong.
J.M. Green is the author of the chapbook Super Rich (Pudding House, 2008). His work is forthcoming or has been recently published in New Mirage Journal, Ginger Piglet, The Oklahoma Review, Cincinnati Magazine and other journals. Green is a librarian with the Wyoming Branch of The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. He lives in West Chester, OH with his wife and daughter.
Senin, 17 Desember 2012
DECEMBER ONCE AGAIN
by Diana Woodcock
What can I write to shed light
on this dark December night?
A Connecticut town grieves for
twenty-six dead—victims of the latest
school shooting. Tibetans are setting
themselves on fire for freedom,
ninety-five since February, 2009.
Listening to musicians walking the bass,
feathering the line, I let the blues take me,
wrap me in the Great Mystery.
All are one, meant to sing and sway
together, to love. The blues is all about
love, longing, loss, listening,
improvising, sharing our stories and
struggles, recognizing each other
as sister and brother.
Look into the faces around you
moved by music—see how they
seem familiar? What better way
to pray for justice, an end to violence,
than to sway to the swing of jazz?
A Pakistani girl shot in the head
because the Taliban cannot understand
her hunger and yearning for higher
learning; they do not recognize
she is their sister. Let the blues take me.
shape my prayer for peace, lead me
to transcend nihilism, alienation.
Listening to the blues, to the sounds of
migrant workers in this oil-rich desert town.
Thinking about blood diamonds,
underground railroads, women and girls
sold into the sex trade.
This is Advent season, time
for preparing for the light.
Long dark December nights.
Listen to the blues. Gaza. Aleppo.
Keep listening. The call to prayer
mid-day, the mosque. Revisionist
Zionist leaders. Jihad. Refugees.
Cambodian children amputees
still playing among landmines.
Dear jazz drummer, please
keep feathering the line.
Diana Woodcock’s first full-length collection, Swaying on the Elephant’s Shoulders—nominated for a Kate Tufts Discovery Award—won the 2010 Vernice Quebodeaux International Poetry Prize for Women and was published by Little Red Tree Publishing in 2011. Her chapbooks are In the Shade of the Sidra Tree (Finishing Line Press), Mandala (Foothills Publishing), and Travels of a Gwai Lo—the title poem of which was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has been teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar since 2004. Prior to that, she lived and worked in Tibet, Macau and Thailand.
 |
| "Jazz Beat" painting by Debra Hurd |
What can I write to shed light
on this dark December night?
A Connecticut town grieves for
twenty-six dead—victims of the latest
school shooting. Tibetans are setting
themselves on fire for freedom,
ninety-five since February, 2009.
Listening to musicians walking the bass,
feathering the line, I let the blues take me,
wrap me in the Great Mystery.
All are one, meant to sing and sway
together, to love. The blues is all about
love, longing, loss, listening,
improvising, sharing our stories and
struggles, recognizing each other
as sister and brother.
Look into the faces around you
moved by music—see how they
seem familiar? What better way
to pray for justice, an end to violence,
than to sway to the swing of jazz?
A Pakistani girl shot in the head
because the Taliban cannot understand
her hunger and yearning for higher
learning; they do not recognize
she is their sister. Let the blues take me.
shape my prayer for peace, lead me
to transcend nihilism, alienation.
Listening to the blues, to the sounds of
migrant workers in this oil-rich desert town.
Thinking about blood diamonds,
underground railroads, women and girls
sold into the sex trade.
This is Advent season, time
for preparing for the light.
Long dark December nights.
Listen to the blues. Gaza. Aleppo.
Keep listening. The call to prayer
mid-day, the mosque. Revisionist
Zionist leaders. Jihad. Refugees.
Cambodian children amputees
still playing among landmines.
Dear jazz drummer, please
keep feathering the line.
Diana Woodcock’s first full-length collection, Swaying on the Elephant’s Shoulders—nominated for a Kate Tufts Discovery Award—won the 2010 Vernice Quebodeaux International Poetry Prize for Women and was published by Little Red Tree Publishing in 2011. Her chapbooks are In the Shade of the Sidra Tree (Finishing Line Press), Mandala (Foothills Publishing), and Travels of a Gwai Lo—the title poem of which was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She has been teaching at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar since 2004. Prior to that, she lived and worked in Tibet, Macau and Thailand.
Jumat, 14 Desember 2012
THE TWELVE DAYS OF DRAWDOWN
by David Feela
On the first day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
a drone in a foreign country.
On the second day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the third day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the fourth day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the fifth day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the sixth day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
six ammo boxes,
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the seventh day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
seven ROTC raincoats,
six ammo boxes,
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the eighth day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
eight Israeli gas masks,
seven ROTC raincoats,
six ammo boxes,
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the ninth day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
nine nylon butt packs,
eight Israeli gas masks,
seven ROTC raincoats,
six ammo boxes,
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the tenth day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
ten aircraft tie downs,
nine nylon butt packs,
eight Israeli gas masks,
seven ROTC raincoats,
six ammo boxes,
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the eleventh day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
eleven Swedish headlamps,
ten aircraft tie downs,
nine nylon butt packs,
eight Israeli gas masks,
seven ROTC raincoats,
six ammo boxes,
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the twelfth day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
twelve Kevlar helmets,
eleven Swedish headlamps,
ten aircraft tie downs,
nine nylon butt packs,
eight Israeli gas masks,
seven ROTC raincoats,
six ammo boxes,
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
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| Image source: Snaxattacks |
On the first day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
a drone in a foreign country.
On the second day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the third day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the fourth day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the fifth day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the sixth day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
six ammo boxes,
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the seventh day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
seven ROTC raincoats,
six ammo boxes,
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the eighth day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
eight Israeli gas masks,
seven ROTC raincoats,
six ammo boxes,
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the ninth day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
nine nylon butt packs,
eight Israeli gas masks,
seven ROTC raincoats,
six ammo boxes,
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the tenth day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
ten aircraft tie downs,
nine nylon butt packs,
eight Israeli gas masks,
seven ROTC raincoats,
six ammo boxes,
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the eleventh day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
eleven Swedish headlamps,
ten aircraft tie downs,
nine nylon butt packs,
eight Israeli gas masks,
seven ROTC raincoats,
six ammo boxes,
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
On the twelfth day of drawdown
my sergeant gave to me
twelve Kevlar helmets,
eleven Swedish headlamps,
ten aircraft tie downs,
nine nylon butt packs,
eight Israeli gas masks,
seven ROTC raincoats,
six ammo boxes,
five IEDs...,
four rocket launchers,
three folding stretchers,
two parachutes,
and a drone in a foreign country.
David Feela writes a monthly column for The Four Corners Free Press and for The Durango Telegraph. A poetry chapbook, Thought Experiments, won the Southwest Poet Series. His first full length poetry book, The Home Atlas appeared in 2009. His new book of essays, How Delicate These Arches , released through Raven's Eye Press, has been chosen as a finalist for the Colorado Book Award.
Senin, 10 Desember 2012
UNSEASONABLE CLIMATE CHANGE
Poem by Charles Frederickson
Graphic by Saknarin Chinayote
Imploding lonesome planet soiled earthlings
Perverse intolerant misunderstandings amongst Christians
Jews Muslims Buddhists Hindus Sikhs
Praying to whatever god listens
12 days of Christmas solemn
Ramadan 28 Kwanzaa lasting 7
Hanukkah Menorah aglow 8 eventides
Overstuffed feasts celebratory tummy aches
Kwanzaa Swahili meaning harvest bounty
7 guiding Nguzo Saba principles
Umoja (unity) Ujima (responsibility) Imani
(faith) Kuumba (creativity) unmitigated joy
Hanukkah from Hebrew connoting dedication
Honors victorious revolt entering Jerusalem
Holy temple sanctified eternal flame
Oil lamp kindling black light
Ramadan most intensely worshipful time
Profoundly serious compassion giving charity
More about dependence than abstinence
Fasting from sunrise to sunset
O Tannenbaum emerald forest blighted
How lovely were your branches
Hoping faith recycled comfort bring
Resilient strength throughout New Year
No Holds Bard Dr. Charles Frederickson and Mr. Saknarin Chinayote proudly present YouTube mini-movies @ YouTube – CharlesThai1 .
Jumat, 16 November 2012
Thanksgiving, Multicultural Holidays & a {FREEBIE}!
Happy Friday! Today's post it a little of this and a little of that. Kind of how my week has been!
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First of all, a look at this week in preschool. I read a Thanksgiving book and brought my food bin.
We each planned our Thanksgiving! Here was mine at one point!
If you don't have the cutting food set from Melissa and Doug you need it! It's simple enough to target single words or actions (eat, cut) and can be used to make elaborate play schemes with multi-step directions and tier 2 vocabulary.
Some how the boys always find a way to build a tower. Even with play food.
I'm throwing all my Thanksgiving Items on Sale! Stock up if you still need plans for next week! Gooble Gobble!
And while you're in my TPT Shop....
Check out my new Multicultural December Holidays Pack. I made this pack to use with my 2nd- 5th graders. I do a mixture of Holidays in my classroom and in clinic. The kids are SO interested in the holidays. Studying the different types of celebrations is a wonderful way to engage them and work on speech and language skills!
I have highlighted Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Christmas in this 64 page document. Each holiday is described in a document outlining the history and current traditions (source: Scholastic). Please realize that each of these holidays is tied to a religion, so there is information about each religion. It is a district and personal decision about whether this is appropriate for your students.
Other fact pages are included.
Check comprehension with these questions and main idea sheets.
I love attaching illustrations to new vocabulary. It's been a great strategy for my 3rd graders this year. Here they learn and draw.
There is also a describing activity for each holiday. Generic game boards are included to be used with any goal.
I made a vocabulary matching game and bingo board game to target vocabulary in each holiday.
The last activity is a card game that can be played with any speech or language cards.
I included similarities and difference cards to work on comparing the holidays after studying them.
Hope some of you can use the Multicultural Packet! If you log into my TPT store you can grab the card game for FREE where it says preview. ((See the orange rectangle that says DOWNLOAD PREVIEW.))
I'm trying not to be jealous of all of you who get ALL of next week as vacation. I'll certainly take my 3 days and be happy about it!
Kamis, 08 November 2012
Christmas Packets
Don’t panic with what you are about to see. It’s only the first week of November!
Don’t panic with how long this post is! I just wanted to show you all the pictures I can!
The Thanksgiving packets I made are turning out to be one of my favorite projects. I really have almost all of my lesson plans for November done. Throw in some other activities with books and crafts and call it done! I wanted to make a similar packet for December, so I’ve spend the last three weeks working on it. I have a ton of hours into these so I hope you’ll find them useful.
The packets focus on Christmas. If you can’t discuss Christmas at your school, keep your eyes peeled for my other packets, which are almost ready to share.
So ready or not, here comes Santa Claus!
Packets available include: Speech & Language Toy CatalogCompanion, Christmas Articulation, Christmas Grammar, Christmas ExpressiveLanguage, Christmas Receptive Language and Christmas Pragmatics.
The Speech &Language Toy Catalog Companion is designed to work with any toy catalog mailer. It’s appropriate for both preschool and elementary aged students. It’s 20 pages in length and targets articulation, functions, attributes, categories, compare/contrasting, persuasion and perspective taking.
The articulation, function, attributes and categories pages are made for either writing answers or drawing answers.
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I had my preschool and kindergarten friends draw their answers. The first graders and older students wrote their answers. Everyone who I tested it on loved it!
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The cards come with suggested function, attributes or categories to search for. Add other ideas specific to the toys in your catalog.
A Venn diagram is included for comparing and contrasting toys or items with your older students.
There is a page describing perspective taking. Two sheets are included with suggested characters. Have your students think about what another person might want to receive for the holidays.
How will a 3-year-old girl and an 11 year old boy differ?
There is a page describing persuasion skills. Have your students persuade a friend to choose a certain toy, to not spend money on a toy, and to combine money to share a toy. Use bullet points or narratives to make persuasive arguments.
The ChristmasPragmatics Packet is 28 pages and includes activities for problem solving, judging social comments, initiating conversations, giving & receiving gifts, sustaining conversation and a set of conversation starters.
Social Problem Solving (20 cards) Each card contains a social situation that could take place at Christmas. Determine what you should do.
There are blank cards included for each game.
The Christmas Grammar Packet includes 40 pages. Learning objectives include: pronouns, regular verbs, irregular verbs, irregular plurals, is/are, have/has, and was/were.
Christmas Train Pronouns (60 cards) Fill in the blanks with the correct pronoun. Add train cards to your engine, but watch out for the train wreck!
Gingerbread Irregular Verb Cards (20 cards) Each card contains a sentence. Students must choose the correct answer to fill in the blank. If correct, store it on their gingerbread house.
Elf Irregular Plurals (24 cards) Students read each verb card. Find the elf legs and hat that match for the irregular plurals. Use each in a sentence.
Christmas Cookies: Subject/Verb Agreement (18 cards) Students read the sentences and fill in the blanks with is/are. Sort them onto the correct cookie sheet for baking.
Ugly Christmas Sweater HAVE/HAS Cards (18 cards) Students read the sentence on the card and fill in the blank with HAVE or HAS. Then sort the sweaters into the correct gift box.
Christmas Light WAS/WERE cards (18 cards) Students draw a card. Read the sentence and fill in the blank with the correct past tense form of ‘to be.’ Sort the card onto the correct tree.
Santa Verbs: (18 cards) Santa has been busy. Students should pull cards and describe what Santa is doing.
The Christmas Receptive Language Packet is 44 pages in length. It features the following learning objectives: answering WH questions, following directions, listening comprehension and inferencing.
Ugly Christmas Sweaters: Answering WH Questions: 78 questions cards, 6 special cards, 4 cue cards. Answer WH questions correctly, and keep your card. Use the visual cue cards to talk about appropriate answers for each WH type. Watch out for sneaky elves trying to steal your cards.
Christmas Cookie: Following Directions: 36 task cards, 6 special cards, 1 page of student mats. Game includes one step directions, conditional directions, two step before/after directions.
Elf Antics: Listening/Reading Comprehension. 30 task cards, 5 skill cards, 6 special cards. Have students draw a skill card (main idea, prediction, detail, setting, characters). Listen or read the short passage and then target the skill selected.
Guessing Gifts: Inferencing game. 24 inferencing cards, 6 special cards. Students draw inferencing cards that show a gift box and list 3 clues about the gift inside. Items include toys, decorations and holiday objects.
This packet contains blanks for games to allow for customization.
Christmas Expressive Language includes 42 pages targeting asking questions, comparing/contrasting, sequencing, multiple meaning words, vocab and similes.
Ugly Christmas Sweaters: Answering WH Questions: 78 questions cards, 6 special cards, 4 cue cards. Each game card has an answer appropriate for a WHO, WHAT, WHEN or WHERE questions. Develop an appropriate WH questions correctly and keep your card. Use the visual cue cards to remind you of the options for asking questions. Watch out for sneaky elves trying to steal your cards.
Compare/Contrast: Use the Venn diagram to compare and contrast the items pictured above it (Santa, snowmen, presents.) Then write a paragraph describing the two items.
Christmas Cookies: Retelling Familiar Sequences: 18 cards. Students pull a sequencing card. Read the card and identify the steps to complete the sequence.
Christmas Lights: Multiple Meaning Words. 27 questions cards, 2 student mats. Print all light cards. Print one tree for each student. Place all lights in a pile. Have student draw a card and give two meanings for the given word. If they answer correctly the students keep their card and place it on their tree.
The Night Before Christmas Vocabulary & Similes. Read the included poem with your students. Review the selected vocabulary and select other desired targets. Use the cards included to play games where students name definitions and synonyms. Use the blank cards to select your own vocabulary targets. Review the meaning of similes. Search for similes in the text. Use the sheets to record your findings. Original Source.
This pack also contains blanks for most games.
Expressive Languagecan be found in my TPT store.
The Christmas Articulation packet includes 68 pages. Articulation games for /r/, ‘th’, /s/ and /s/ blends.
The /r/ game includes 189 cards for prevocalic /r/, vocalic /r/, and /r/ blends. The ‘th’ game includes 81 cards in the initial, medial and final position in voiced and voiceless ‘th’. The /s/ blend game includes 126 cards in the initial position of 1 & 2 syllable words. The /s/ cards include 108 cards in the initial, medial and final positions. Students draw Christmas lights and add them to a tree. Watch out for the sneaky cards that make you pack up your tree early!
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