Take a Hike

My son Zack, the Z in the YouTube channel, RTWJAZ, and his best friend, John (the "J") decided in the late summer that they wanted to attempt the 46 Adirondack high peaks and document each hike through their videos. I was thrilled with the idea because since they will need adult accompaniment I happily volunteered to join the challenge as well.

As of late September, we got two down. Woohoo! Only 44 to go. I'm not afraid of the road more or less travelled and excited for this new adventure ahead of us. Video #1 below 👇

Warning: This video will get you singing Imagine Dragons and craving to be on top of the world, too.

Hike 

In the very early days of lockdown, I heard about this new book, Hike by Pete Oswald. His book birthday was approaching (March 17) so, I sent him an email and asked if we could virtually celebrate together.  He graciously declined since he was very busy (remote teaching, deadlines, etc) but appreciated the support. So here we are nearly eight months later and I'm still celebrating and thinking about this gorgeous, wordless picture book.  It would be the perfect gift for anyone looking to embrace a walk in the woods, not necessarily the high peaks, with someone special.

Check out this interview with Pete: http://www.letstalkpicturebooks.com/2020/02/lets-talk-illustrators-130-pete-oswald.html

46 Leaps

Zack, John and I each have a scratch off map of the high peaks.  It was satisfying to take that penny and scratch off Cascade and Porter.  Here are the photos from my leap log.  Goal: 46 leaps on 46 peaks.  #46leaps46peaks

Cascade Mountain: Peak Leap 1 of 46

Porter Mountain: Peak Leap 2 of 46

Notice the sneakers and old backpack. Yes, I'm still a novice.  Any guesses on what's on my Chanukah list? 

See you on the other side of March.  We've decided that as much as the boys might think they could hike now, it's probably not too smart to make #3 a winter hike.  But if we get a bunch scratched off by this time next year. Maybe?

PS:

Do you follow Kate Messner on Twitter or Instagram? She posts so many beautiful Adirondack photos. She was also a recent guest on the new video show Steve Sheinkin and I host, Author Fan Face-Off, answering questions on Breakout, a book that is set in those awesome mountains.

Hidden Figures

Now retired Mr. Reischer would offer an optional project to his fifth graders. "Immersions" were opportunities for kids to show off talents, traditions, hobbies and interests.  Dancers performed.  New foods tasted. Facts about sports shared. Shy kids donned their tap shoes.  Extroverts taught me more than I ever wanted to know about Star Trek.  Irish dancers impressed. And boy was that flan delicious.

Who really are our learners? Aspiring poets? The next Michael Phelps? An angel in the Nutcracker? Budding tennis star? We spend a lot of time getting to know our students while at school but what happens to them after 2:30 PM?

This year our building has implemented a new caring school community mental health curriculum.  Every morning, classrooms circle up and share. Word in the hallways is that this is helping all classes  connect with one another. It's like a mini-immersion every day and we all like that.

My 13 year old son, Zack, is one of these hidden figures.  Over a year ago, he and his best friend, John, started a YouTube channel, "Random Things with John and Zack." They vlog together and on their own.  Zack has written and performed a couple of original songs, both boys wrote and performed a skit called, "Homework is Meant for Home" and most recently, they recorded or received 200 "woahs" (watch the video to see what I'm talking about). Zack spent hours editing them into one video. I was impressed (how does he throw that woah to himself?) and I'm not just saying that because I'm his mom. But it got me thinking, how many of his teachers know what this studious student does in his spare time?

Can you identify the hidden figures in your school? What makes them tick? What gives them pleasure?  How do they fill the second half of their day? The next Spielberg could be in your midst; he may even be living in my house. 😎 Whoever and wherever they may be, let's all make sure to have fun seeking, showing and telling.

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This post would not be complete without a link to "Random Things with John and Zack"  and a plea for you to subscribe. Maybe the 300 subscriber special is just around the corner!