America, America

Lovely people and not one gun toting, good Ol boy in sight.
This is an unusual summer apparently and the heat continues. 32 yesterday with 88% humidity. Even a convertible won't save you from being hot hot hot.
Barbara arrange two school visits yesterday to Park Lawn and Country Court. They are in different school districts so have different superintendents. The superintendent was on site at country court and he was lovely. Things are the same but very different.
Like our education systems it has behaviouralist systems in place to manage relationships and behaviours. Schools in the same district have the same values, rules etc. I think it's called PBIS Positive behaviour in school. We have PB4 L available in NZ but it's not something I would follow. We have taken the developmental approach which is harder but has much longer term effects. I watched some great teachers in action yesterday and instinctively they used developmental theory to  facilitate learning. It's all about relationships and genuine caring. The children in those classes knew that no matter what, their teacher liked them, wanted to be with them and genuinely cared about their success. Kids and good teachers are the same everywhere.
I watched some children with special needs collect the eggs and feed the hens on the school property. They have a vege garden too but the ownership of that was with the groundsman I think.
Barbara used to take her dog Lucy to school with her as she was a certificated Therapy dog. Everywhere we went at the schools, the children asked where Lucy was and those that knew she has died were interested in her new puppy and wondering if the puppy would be a Therapy dog too.
I'm keen to get a lovely dog for school. Mmmmm.
In 1988 Barbara heard about reading recovery and got permission from her school district to come to Hoon Hay School to see it in action. She stayed with the then principal Ian Kennedy and his wife Marjorie. She stayed a few days with graham and I in our little house in Hillmorton before we built it into a big house.
Barbara was so impressed by NZ teachers that she brought the good news of RR back to Wisconsin and was trained in Illinois as a RR Teacher. She also loved the way NZ teachers taught literacy and numeracy as a natural extension of language acquisition.she has never forgotten what she learned and has countless videos of teachers at hoon hay school, one in particular, that she thought were great teachers. So I'm bringing back a couple of DVDs that she has made of the tapes because one of the beginning teachers she rated highly is a colleague and still just the same.
She has video of Ian and Marjorie who go to St. John Anglican Church in Rangiora. So there it's a small world after all.
Barbara has a favourite book shop so we've sat there a couple of times and drank coffee and browsed.
She showed me the beautiful home on the lake where she raised 6 children.  Photo next time.
Oconomowoc is the place of thousands of lakes and beautiful mansions on the lakesides. It used to be the summer homes for the rich and famous..
It is also Republican country and George W Bush is the main man.
Today we are off to Lake Michigan for a cruise. Who would have thought that this could have been on the cards a year or so ago. IVE GOT THE PHOTOS, THE TSHIRT, THE COMMEMORATIVE SPOON AND THE FRIDGE MAGNET TO PROVE IT.  Well maybe  just the photos. And even that's debatable. I loaded the pics to google before I put them on picassa and don't know how to import them again. Whoops
God bless America and me too please.