The Last Day of School!

School is out for the summer! Please enjoy a few pictures from the last day of school.

I never thought I would make it to June 2. Somehow, by the grace of God and the support of my dear family and Ryan, I survived another year in second grade at Yellowstone. There were speed bumps along the way, but God is so faithful to those who trust in him. I never thought that 14 of my 16 students would be reading on second grade level by the end of the year. I never thought that I would survive several angry boys who liked to throw furniture, but God was faithful and I not only survived, they became my adopted sons. The saddest part about Yellowstone, and there are many sad things that we witness everyday, is the last day of school. There were more temper tantrums thrown in the last ten minutes of the school day than there generally are in a week. "Why do we have summer, Miss Holland?" "Can't we stay here with you?" "Do you think you could be my momma? I won't get in the way."

Yellowstone is their safe haven and refuge. Thankfully, we are going to year round school next year so they won't experien

ce long breaks at home. But for now, they have a teacher that misses them dearly, and prays for them daily, but is also very thankful for a break! :)

No, Jamrya does not want to kiss me...those are her pouty lips because she didn't get her picture taken with me first :(

She LOVES to pout and stomp when she doesn't get her way. One of my favorite memories of Jamyra was one Friday morning when Ryan came to visit our class. She started to smack her lips at him because he was helping someone first. He turned and said to her "Do you want to kiss me or something? Why do you keep smacking your lips at me?" That about did it with the smacking of her lips...at least for that day!

On the left are my two little monsters: Wilson and DeWayne. These two boys have caused my hair dresser to comment on the new gray

hairs in the back of my head. On the right are two of my brainiacs. For the most part, they came to school to learn and by the end of the year, were performing on third grade reading and math!

Rodeo!

Everyone tells teachers to get the flu shot because we are overwhelmed with germs each and every day, especially at Yellowstone, where ringworm, scabies, and a constant cold are the norm. I got the flu shot, and I also got the flu. This happened to fall the week of the rodeo field trip. In case you thought differently, the rodeo is THE field trip of the year. Each child receives $12 to spend on junk food, soft drinks and cotton candy and make the rounds to the pig races, mutton busting, petting zoo, and the list goes on. This trip is so much fun a week after you've had time to recover. To say the kids and teachers are exhausted after six hours at the rodeo is an understatement. With that being said, I was not able to go to the rodeo with all of my precious little munchkins. My sweet mom and sister, on the other hand, took one for the team and went with the class. See some very entertaining pictures below!

Cowboy hat? Check. Boots? Check. Sprite? Check. I'm having so much fun and not following any rules? Check. Check.

Callie Anne is the best. And, my class' favorite substitute in the world!

As my mom likes to say, this is her fifth child, William. All I can say about this one is that I love him and wish I could have been there for the pig races with him!

I think this is probably toward the end of the field trip...

DaMan

I don't know what words to use to explain this picture but here's a brief synopsis of the conversation that took place before I snapped a picture.

Miss Holland: DeWayne, do I need to call your grandmother so she can see how you're behaving in my class?

DeWayne: You can call her but she ain't gonna come up here.

Miss Holland: And why is that?

DeWayne: She don't got no gas so she can't get up here.

Miss Holland (to myself): How in the world am I ever going to get this child to sit in his desk and learn?!

While the exchange was somewhat amusing because of DeWayne's quick wit, it also hit me that this is a reality that their families face day in and day out. Often times, their lives are contingent upon gas in the car or money in their pocket. Credit cards and bank accounts don't exist, nor a saving account for that matter. How do you reach a 7 year old boy like this who's momma and grandmother don't have a way to get to school to meet with their son/grandson's teacher?

Prayer

To me, the best part of my job is getting to talk about Jesus with my students. It's something that I take for granted at school. I forget about those teachers that can't utter a word about religion, much less get to pray with their students. The sweetest part of the day is watching the kids recite the Lord's prayer with morning announcements. Here is sweet Deandre praying. I rarely close my eyes during the prayer because the sight of 16 second graders reciting the Lord's prayer is something I don't want to miss. If this picture doesn't tug at your heart, then you should come sit in on prayer request time. The weight of the world that rests on their shoulders is almost too much to bare. "I pray for my daddy to get out jail, my momma to get a job, to have my lights turned on, no more bugs in my house" are the most common prayer requests in my room that I would very much like to have answered for these sweet children.

Teaching 7 and 8 year-olds the power of prayer is the most precious, sweet time of my day!

Gingerbread Man Scavenger Hunt

Here are a few pictures from the "Gingerbread Man" scavenger hunt around Yellowstone while we were reading the wonderful children's story in November. Imagine 32 second graders on a scavenger hunt around the school to find the gingerbread men that ran away while they were at PE. Such a fun activity!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

This semester has been a bit crazy so I apologize for the lack of posts. I have 16 smiling (most of the time) faces in room 109. Sixteen may seem like a small number, but I assure you that their personalities and attitudes make up for the small number! Here are some snapshots of the last semester....

Two words: heart melter. This is Wilson and he was in my class last year...he's taking a victory lap.

I don't know what else to say except this boy has got me wrapped around his finger.

This little muffin is Deandre. This pictures sums up the first day of school after taking several pictures. Although he is one of nine children, living in extreme poverty, he comes to school with a smile on his face and enjoys life to the fullest (Although this picture doesn't necessarily speak for his happiness but I had to post it because I think it's hilarious!) When Deandre is upset, he comes and sits in my lap where I can feel his anger instantly melt away. It's amazing how the sense of touch affects a little boy, especially when those moments of love and care are few and far between.

Yellowstone in the Houston Chronicle

Houston Chronicle recognizes Yellowstone Academy!

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7240743.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+houstonchronicle%2Ftopheadlines+%28chron.com+-+Top+Stories%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

The birthday girl!

A few weeks ago, I took the birthday girl to get her nails done and then to "Build-a-Bear" for her 5th birthday. Daniyah chose purple polish for her nails along with little white flowers. She insisted that I get my nails painted turquoise....she couldn't quite grasp that I was there to keep her still while the poor lady had to re-do her polish several times because she kept squirming! Here's a picture of Daniyah drying her nails at the nail salon.


Afterwards, we headed to the Galleria to get her stuffed animal. She chose the bear and the Dallas Cowboys' cheerleader outfit all by herself! Daniyah had a little skip in her step and a sway in her hips as she walked around the Galleria, proudly holding on to Mary. Not sure where she got the name, but she held on to her new best friend as if her life depended on it. We made our way back to her apartment complex on the other side of town where her mom and brother were waiting to hear about our adventures...I asked her brother what he had been doing all day...he told me that they couldn't do much in the summer. Because his mom doesn't have a car, they have a tough time going anywhere outside of their apartment complex unless they walk. His mom is very ready for the school year to start so she can be more proactive in the job search. Please continue to join me in praying for the kids of Yellowstone and their parents. Specifically, pray for safety of the kids and that we can be a light for Jesus in their dark world.

Gone Swimming!

I don't know why I keep taking kids from Yellowstone swimming, but I guess subconsciously I think it's really fun! This is Wilson wearing a swim cap that we had laying around at the house. I picked up William, his sister Ralia, and his cousin, Baby Ken. Yes, Baby Ken is his name. He introduced himself and I thought he was kidding...after asking him again, I was assured that his name was in fact, Baby Ken. We went swimming next door, where Wilson assured me that he knew how to swim. In case you were wondering, Wilson defines swimming as being able to stand up in the water. I was watching Wilson and the two other kids when I saw Wilson's float flip over in the middle of the pool where it's a little deeper. At this point, I still thought Wilson could swim according to my definition of swimming. After seeing him flail around in the water for a few seconds, and after the reality of Wilson drowning set in, I jumped in, Baywatch style, to save him. Thankfully, Wilson was fine and had just swallowed a lot of water. He grabbed on to me as if his life depended on it. We got out of of the water and decided it was time to go back to my parent's house to get a snack. Needless to say, swim time was over. Wilson and I talked a long time about swimming and how HE WILL get back in the water. He said the only way he'll do it is if my dad accompanies him. Looks like we'll have another outing!

My dad got home from work a little bit later...the minute he walked in the door, Wilson had his arms wrapped around him, ready to show off to Baby Ken that he knew Mr. Holland. (Wilson came with us to one of David's games last spring). Of course, he's part of the family now. I love Wilson's ability to bounce back after his scary incident in the pool. It was wonderful to see how Wilson felt like he belonged with our family, and was comfortable at my house. This is a barrier that is often hard to break with kids at school. I took them home later, a place not too far from Yellowstone.

A story I love to tell people is about the first time I took Wilson home. It was almost dark and I asked Wilson if I would be safe dropping him off. He told me I wouldn't be safe if it got dark because people start shooting late at night. This is the best part....he said, "But don't worry Miss Holland, I'll make sure nothing happens to you." Sure enough, I walk him to the door and he stands there, with his house phone in hand, and watches me walk to my car. Don't you see the hope for Wilson's life? Doesn't he have potential? I can see him doing the same thing one day with his wife and kids. I love this boy!