November

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I Don't Understand Thanksgiving. The idea is to focus on the positive but isn’t part of positivity changing what is currently wrong?

Is it enough to just focus on what is right at the present moment? Just seems like there should be another holiday at the same time to also think about how things can be better and not only be thankful for what you already have. I don’t think it is positive to just stay content with what you have. I don’t just mean that in a material way. The day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday where many have pointed out the paradox of being thankful for what you have one day and then plunging into extreme commercialism the next. This isn’t what I am referring to.

On the last few pages I talked about my surprise at all the good things that were happening when I reflected on the schools I attended. It now made me realize that this is something to be immensely grateful for that I didn’t think about at the time. I remember teacher saying things like “this thing you are learning now is something they teach in college.” How incredible to have adults that believe in your capabilities at such a young age that they don’t just slack off and say “oh they are just kids let's keep it at a low level.” How easy that would be to do for an educator to only put in the effort relative to what they are getting paid. So I have to say a massive thank you to all the teachers who chose to not do that because this is one of the main things that has allowed for a better society. This year Seattle was voting on school funding and several in my family were questioning why it should be supported. There are a lot of institutions that I think we as society should strongly question funding. Religious Institutions pay zero in tax but the moral backbone they provide is highly debatable (see my section on truth as it relates to moral on page four and five.) I am not sure they should get away with such financial benefits even if they could firmly prove their value (in Europe they are not tax exempt) but given how shaky religious beliefs can be that society just owes it to them to throw so much support behind them.

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From my perspective better education is one of the pillars that can save society. We throw the term “savior” around a lot.

As I contemplate the term now days I am beginning to think that if everyone can justify that word it isn’t a person but a society. If society at large can’t start to agree on some basic values I think we are doomed and that is what I think the term “the lost” means today. I attended a church service earlier this year where the topic of money was brought up. As I look back on finances as an adult a lot of new thoughts came to mind now that I didn’t consider as a child, I mean of course they would, how could I have a mature understanding of a topic that mostly governs the adult world. I'll continue this topic in the next article but I thought it would be nice to have an intermission to look at some videos. These serve as a memory for the important parts of school and to commemorate the value it provided.

Thanksgiving

Growing up this I remember being told -
Be grateful in all this which you have bathed,
Devastation overflow in that other abode.
and yes I was thankful to be so unscathed.
Its been long since I have much different slant.
Bind thanksgiving to your highest potential,
just that others may live in scant
being your best is really what should be prudential.

Golden Apple Award for Band leader Cuauhtemoc (Moc) Escobedo. He would have started teaching around the time I went there.

KomoNews article about boy with down syndrome who wanted to be Mascot.

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A movie about Eckstein operating the school during the 2020-2021 pandemic. That is cool they thought to do this!

Golden Apple Award TV special about Terri Stone. A great talk on how she instructs the kids how to deal with their inner critic.

After watching this classroom video I learned many things I can use for my current job. Would have never expected that!

Golden Apple Award Winner Kristin Bailey-Fogart

A video production class from the nearby community center.

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