PICTURES ARE WORTH 1000 WORDS

Recently Kim Cheves, the Coordinator of the Children's Enrichment Program, sent these pictures of Ms. Tracy and Mr. Jose' in action with the children and fathers.  You can tell how much the children and parents love this program.  It is also important to note that the music and stories provide a brain workout for the students while having fun!  The CEP curriculum helps the students establish good listening habits, develop memory, foster physical coordination and gives them many opportunities to use their imaginations and self-expression.  They will never forget going on a safari through the jungle or “George” the turtle helping Ms. Tracy tell the heart story on Valentine's Day. For Valentine's Day the dads and granddads were invited to school for a visit.  Little did they know they would be dancing to Tootita!  Jose' led the classes on a jungle safari, where they crawled through a tunnel to escape bats and then danced with jungle animals to the beat of jungle music. (It almost makes you want to go back to school, doesn't it?!?)  You can see from the pictures that the kids, the parents, the teachers, and yes, the Arts Specialists, are having a great time.  Thank you for partnering with The Craddock Center to help us deliver happy and hope!--TLS   

FAREWELL TO MS. CONNIE     

All of us, especially the children she taught at ten schools, are finding it difficult to say goodbye to Ms. Connie.  She has played a very important role on the CEP staff as an Arts Specialist for five years.  Connie, who is a natural-born storyteller with a calm manner, could enthrall the children with her lively stories.  She has been a strong leader on the staff, quick to share her creative ideas and a great team player, who will be sorely missed.  We are happy to know she will continue to share her enormous storytelling gifts with children from kindergarten through high school who will be richly blessed by her creativity in getting important lessons across.  What good fortune The Craddock Center has enjoyed having Connie Chancey a part of the team.---TLS

NEW BOOK DRIVE BEGINS

We are so grateful to all of you who donated books last year. Giving children books to motivate them to read is one of the most important things we do and we certainly can’t do it without your generous support. If you are in a book club, literary society, garden club, church, Sunday School class, Bible school, please consider gathering books for the Story Express. Now we know some of you living across the country would love to join in this outreach with books, but shipping is too costly. We also appreciate financial donations used to purchase books and cover expenses to keep the Story Express rolling around these mountains. Or, if you prefer, you can send gift cards for bookstores. We will be taking books to all 1400 students by the end of school in May, and delivering books all summer. So thanks for remembering this critical need for books ranging from board books to early readers.--TLS    

I HAVE NO IDEA        

Why I’ve been thinking a good deal lately about Eleanor Roosevelt. Why Eleanor and not Franklin? If it were Franklin, I could account for my thinking by the fact of our recent celebration (Feb. 15) of Presidents Day. But  the fact is, on Feb. 15, I didn’t think of F.D.R. or any other president. On Feb. 12, I remembered President Lincoln and recited again his Gettysburg Address. On Feb. 22, I remembered President Washington, and read again his Farewell Address to the Troops. I do not associate Feb. 15 with any president, and certainly not with any president’s wife.

This is not to take lightly the wives of presidents. On the contrary, many of them have been persons of grace and strength who brought honor to the White House. And most certainly, I do not regard lightly Eleanor Roosevelt. In my judgment she was the most extraordinary of all the First Ladies. She gave her voice and her presence to the poor, to racial minorities, and the neglected of our country. Her endeavors brought on her widespread criticism. My own father voted for Franklin but wanted him to leave Eleanor at home. My mother praised Eleanor’s brave efforts.

But this is ancient history. Sixty five years ago Eleanor Roosevelt carried her husband’s corpse from the Capital. I was seventeen years old — a long time ago.

So, why am I thinking of her? Your guess is as good as mine. I know we sometimes wake in the morning with the memory of an event or a person vivid and clear. Or we wake with a tune playing in our heads and it refuses to go away. It is probably wise, rather than trying to chase way the image or silencing the tune, to embrace the image, to hum the song, let them enrich the day and then let them retire to the shades of forgetfulness.

And so I said to Eleanor, “Say something so that I can move on past this uninvited memory.” And Eleanor Roosevelt said, “No one can make you feel inferior without your permission.” Now I don’t think I will ever forget. — FBC   

WHY MUSIC, STORIES, AND MOVEMENT?      

Just imagine waking up in a cold home and getting dressed for school in front of a tiny electric heater.  Your stomach growls with hunger, but you must wait until you get to Head Start for breakfast.  The bell rings for class to start, but you don't participate because you are still remembering the night the sheriff came to get your daddy and you don't know why.  Will he come to get your mommy next?  Or will he come get you? Your teacher is talking, but you don't hear her.  And then, all of a sudden, the sound of guitar music gets your attention.  Suddenly Mr. Jose's music pulls you 100% into the classroom.  You begin to notice your classmates are finding their places on the rug and Mr. Jose' is playing “Itsy, Bitsy Spider.”  The next thing you know you are singing and feeling excited as a huge spider is pulled from the props bag that Mr. Jose' always brings to class.

You hear him call your name to come hold the spider while he plays the guitar.  It feels good to be a helper.  It also makes you happy that Mr. Jose' loves to hear you sing in the microphone.  Somehow the rest of the day goes better after Mr. Jose' brings music to your classroom.

I wish every one of you could observe the impact the Children's Enrichment Program has on the children.  I tell you the story of the little three year old described above as an example of the benefits of exposing preschoolers to music and the arts.  The teachers in all the schools  repeatedly tell us that on the days CEP is provided, their students are more alert and able to attend to the classroom activities the rest of the day.  Our hope is to one day be able to have the funds to expand the CEP so that each school has a weekly visit by the music Arts Specialist as well as the storyteller and movement Arts Specialist.  In order to do so we need all of you who have been giving scholarships of $140 to continue your support of the Children's Enrichment Program and for  140 new scholarships to be received.  Dr. Craddock said you all will respond better with a deadline.  So let's make the deadline April 30, which happens to be Dr. Craddock's birthday.  If you can only afford half a scholarship, you know there will be someone else in the same boat. So together we can do this. I am getting excited already. The kids will be oh, so grateful! — TLS    

JUST THOUGHT I’D ASK      

If anyone has a color printer hanging around that you might be willing to pass along to The Craddock Center.  We seem to be needing color more frequently these days and our trusty color printer has only one speed which is slow.  Please give Tammy a call if you have a color printer to spare.  It will make her very happy!--TLS