TALKING UP A STORM
When I wrote my last post, I said I’d continue in a day or two. That was over a week ago, which just goes to show you how crazed I continue to be! But I do want to acknowledge the REST of my wonderful trip to Florida. I started the week at Trinity Elementary in New Port Richey where media specialist Rhoda Cribbs and LOTS-LOTS-LOTS of enthusiastic students gave me a grand welcome. The day flew by.
On Tuesday, media specialist Darlene Colen and her remarkable readers at Schrader Elementary School kept me on my toes … and I had a great lunch with a group of young readers and writers - my favorite kind of people. Darlene and I are both from St. Louis, so we compared notes in between presentations.
After more than a year of planning, on Wednesday, I went to Wesley Chapel Elementary School. Marianne Mackey-Smith (pictured here with me) the media specialist, really pulled out all the stops. She previously ”rescued” me on a bad day at a conference, so I consider her a kind of guardian angel. She also set up the other school visits for this leg of my trip. The students had done a ton of preparation. There were wonderful applehead dolls and clothespin dolls and good writing, all in honor of Sassafras Springs. I even got to be on the morning TV show, along with a lot of important people … and a guy dressed up as a slice of pizza! Thanks to Marianne for a great trip and great day.
My very own Miss Zeldy!
I rounded out the trip at Marlowe Elementary School, New Port Richey, where media specialist Cherie Cockerham and her students got straight A’s for being Attentive, Animated and Affable (look that one up if you don’t know it).
I didn’t have much time to rest after returning on the 18th, because on the 22nd, I was hosted at Whittier Christian School by Jeri Samuelson and Pam Florin. (Another school visit long in the making!) It was my turn to be surprised because they had copies of SURPRISES ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY to sign, as well as the new paperback of TROUBLE ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY - and they’re not even officially out then. In fact, it was the first time I’d seen Trouble. I had a great morning!
I was about to crop this but thought those of you stuck in cold weather might enjoy seeing that palm tree out the window!
This past Wednesday, the 30th, I did a teleconferenced question and answer session with students from various schools in Orange County (CA) - which will be available to all students in that big school district. Good questions, kids!
On Saturday, the 2nd, it was a rare opportunity to speak to grown-ups as I traveled to Cal Poly Pomona to address the Chi State, Area XIII Conference of Delta Kappa Gamma Society, an organization that promotes “professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education.” I especially enjoyed meeting lots of good women doing good work … and we did some group singing which really revved things up! The group was so receptive, it was a speaker’s dream come true. Thanks to Gail Herron and Jean Bristol.
More events coming up, including that two week trip to the UK in March and I’m just trying to finish Humphrey book 5! And trying not to talk so much.