Anna Lazzarini

@CalltoActivism 10

If you watched Kamala on SNL, rate her performance from 1-10!

@Yoda4ever Omg. So incredible. I can’t imagine our two doggos being so trained ! .

Capitola Venetians

A British writer penned the best description of Donald Trump I’ve ever read: “Why do some British people not like Donald Trump?” A few things spring to mind. Trump lacks certain qualities which the British traditionally esteem. For instance, he has no class, no charm, no coolness, no credibility, no compassion, no wit, no warmth, no wisdom, no subtlety, no sensitivity, no self-awareness, no humility, no honour and no grace – all qualities, funnily enough, with which his predecessor Mr. Obama was generously blessed. So for us, the stark contrast does rather throw Trump’s limitations into embarrassingly sharp relief. Plus, we like a laugh. And while Trump may be laughable, he has never once said anything wry, witty or even faintly amusing – not once, ever. I don’t say that rhetorically, I mean it quite literally: not once, not ever. And that fact is particularly disturbing to the British sensibility – for us, to lack humour is almost inhuman. But with Trump, it’s a fact. He doesn’t even seem to understand what a joke is – his idea of a joke is a crass comment, an illiterate insult, a casual act of cruelty. Trump is a troll. And like all trolls, he is never funny and he never laughs; he only crows or jeers. And scarily, he doesn’t just talk in crude, witless insults – he actually thinks in them. His mind is a simple bot-like algorithm of petty prejudices and knee-jerk nastiness. There is never any under-layer of irony, complexity, nuance or depth. It’s all surface. Some Americans might see this as refreshingly upfront. Well, we don’t. We see it as having no inner world, no soul. And in Britain we traditionally side with David, not Goliath. All our heroes are plucky underdogs: Robin Hood, Dick Whittington, Oliver Twist. Trump is neither plucky, nor an underdog. He is the exact opposite of that. He’s not even a spoiled rich-boy, or a greedy fat-cat. He’s more a fat white slug. A Jabba the Hutt of privilege. And worse, he is that most unforgivable of all things to the British: a bully. That is, except when he is among bullies; then he suddenly transforms into a snivelling sidekick instead. There are unspoken rules to this stuff – the Queensberry rules of basic decency – and he breaks them all. He punches downwards – which a gentleman should, would, could never do – and every blow he aims is below the belt. He particularly likes to kick the vulnerable or voiceless – and he kicks them when they are down. So the fact that a significant minority – perhaps a third – of Americans look at what he does, listen to what he says, and then think ‘Yeah, he seems like my kind of guy’ is a matter of some confusion and no little distress to British people, given that: • Americans are supposed to be nicer than us, and mostly are. • You don’t need a particularly keen eye for detail to spot a few flaws in the man. This last point is what especially confuses and dismays British people, and many other people too; his faults seem pretty bloody hard to miss. After all, it’s impossible to read a single tweet, or hear him speak a sentence or two, without staring deep into the abyss. He turns being artless into an art form; he is a Picasso of pettiness; a Shakespeare of shit. His faults are fractal: even his flaws have flaws, and so on ad infinitum. God knows there have always been stupid people in the world, and plenty of nasty people too. But rarely has stupidity been so nasty, or nastiness so stupid. He makes Nixon look trustworthy and George W look smart. In fact, if Frankenstein decided to make a monster assembled entirely from human flaws – he would make a Trump. And a remorseful Doctor Frankenstein would clutch out big clumpfuls of hair and scream in anguish: ‘My God… what… have… I… created?' If being a twat was a TV show, Trump would be the boxed set.” -Nate White

State Supt. @TonyThurmond hosted a #TeacherRecruitment Summit today and formally launched a coalition to further engage in the direct recruitment of teacher candidates on a statewide basis. (1/2) Read more: cde.ca.gov/nr/ne/yr23/yr2…

With the new school year about to begin, let’s remember that not every student went on a family vacation, visited an amusement park, explored nature or met new friends at a sleepover camp in the woods. Some students summer highlights include having a roof over their head and just enough food to survive. These students have been counting the days to return to school for safety, consistency, support, friendship, nutrition, and hope for the future! Thank you for everything you do for our students! #maslowbeforebloom Twitter @drp_Principal Join us at the “Maslow Before Bloom” Facebook group: Facebook.com/groups/maslowb…

Why “Maslow Before Bloom”? There was a boy named JJ. He was very little when two of his siblings died in a fire. JJ survived but had severe asthma as a result of exposure to inhaling a great deal of smoke. Mom fell out of the picture and grannie raised him and his cousins. In reality, the streets raised JJ. JJ was an explorer and a “frequent flyer” to the counselor and assistant principal’s office. Some of these visits were due to disrupting the class and others were daily stops on his wandering around the building tour. There were times when he would look pre-occupied or deep in thought. When asked about it, he either could not articulate what he was thinking or said he’d rather not speak about it. As difficult as JJ’s behaviors could be in class, there was something very likeable about JJ. He was a salesman, negotiator, and finagler. JJ had great eye contact, a big smile, and an infectious laugh. The day before winter break, JJ was sent to the office for being extremely disrespectful to a substitute teacher. The assistant principal lectured him (probably yelled at him) and told him about how disappointed he was in JJ. The conversation went on to how many people were in JJ’s corner and how maybe JJ was just wasting their time if he wasn’t going to step up and do the right thing. JJ cried for the first time that anyone at school could remember. He promised that he would do better and that he was sorry for letting everyone down. Word spread through the building that the Assistant Principal “stuck it” to JJ. Several staff members stopped by the Assistant Principal’s office to give him a high five and to thank him for being tough on JJ. The assistant principal went home and felt proud of himself for making JJ cry and for teaching him a lesson. He then went on to enjoy winter break with his family, knowing that things would be different and easier with JJ when they returned in January. A few days later on Christmas day, I received a phone call from the head principal. JJ had a severe asthma attack and died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. I went to JJ’s funeral. Grannie told stories about JJ as a baby, toddler, and as a child. She smiled and cried as she detailed memories of his mischief and also the many kind and thoughtful acts he did for his little sister. Grannie then talked about how much he liked his school, his friends, and playing kickball. Grannie paused, surveyed the room, and looked me right in the eyes. She said that the person he loved the most and the one who cared most about him was Dr Bryan Pearlman - his assistant principal. I got up and left. I was crying uncontrollably. I would have given anything to have five more minutes with JJ. I would have apologized for my behavior and for making him cry. I would have promised him that I would learn more and do better moving forward. I would have told him about how much I enjoyed spending time with him. I would have told him about how amazing he was! Shame on me. I didn’t know anything about mental health or trauma. I suspended kids and really believed that they would come back with a better attitude and improved behaviors. I kept sending the same students home over and over and really expected a different outcome (this is the definition of insanity). This was particularly ineffective for students dealing with anxiety, depression, or trauma. Take some time to think about your own “JJ”. Think of one new thing you will try that may help the relationship and reduce the negative behaviors. I think of JJ every day. I miss him so much! Christmas is always the hardest time. I remember that phone call like it was yesterday. “Maslow Before Bloom” Join a community of caring educators, mental health professionals and others who are committed to helping all students to succeed in school and life at the “Maslow Before Bloom” Facebook group: Facebook.com/groups/maslowb….

I can’t get over these images from the James Webb Space Telescope! They’re igniting curiosity and wonder in a whole new generation.

Mikey was a student who exhibited some of the most extreme behaviors for a young student. He had already received three superintendent level suspensions before he completed third grade. Mikey had more days out of school than in school. The behaviors included many physical altercations with students and staff, destruction of school property, consistent and significant disruption of the classroom (and school), and eloping from campus. As principal, I really should have been listed as the teacher of record for Mikey, since he was in my office every day for several hours. Mikey was off-task pretty close to 100% of the time. Nothing in my toolbox worked well to reduce the negative behaviors. A colleague suggested that we give him a “special job” in the building with more responsibility than his behaviors had warranted. At first I thought this was a very bad idea. But what choice did I have? Nothing else had worked. Worst case scenario, this too wouldn’t work and I would be in no worse place than where I had started. I asked for his recommendation. He suggested that we put him in charge of announcing the buses at arrival and dismissal. I told him that this sounded like a really bad idea. The thought of giving Mikey a walkie-talkie seemed to be a recipe for disaster. Mikey used words that even made me blush. Each classroom had a walkie in it too. I could just picture the damage control that I would have to do after Mikey used a four-letter word for the whole world to hear. My colleague reminded me about what I had to lose and the fact that nothing else had worked. I went digging in our school’s basement and found an old bright orange crossing guard vest (circa 1985), a really beat up “Lil Captain” badge, and a Radio Shack walkie-talkie. On Friday afternoon, I called Mikey down to my office. I asked if he would be interested in a job at school. He asked for some information about the job. I told him that we really needed help with buses arriving and leaving each day since Dr. P was really bad at it. Mikey agreed that Dr. P was really bad at it and he said that he would like that job. I gave him his uniform and asked that he report on Monday morning. Very early on Monday morning, I heard a mini-van door slam closed. I looked out the window and recognized the mini-van and the student walking up our sidewalk. Mikey walked straight into my office with a dry cleaning bag over his shoulder. He sat the bag down and pulled out a perfectly cleaned and ironed crossing guard vest with a very shiny badge on it. Mikey put these items on and saluted me. He said, “Captain Mikey reporting for duty sir”. He then took out the walkie-talkie. It had a “Captain Mikey” label on it (his mom must have used a home labeling machine to make this for him). I looked carefully at him and realized that he was completely serious, completely excited about his new job, and had a big smile across his face (I had never seen him smile before). Mikey was very successful with calling buses as they arrived. In addition, our dismissal process ran like clockwork with Captain Mikey on the job. I have to admit that he was much better at this job than I was. Captain Mikey expanded his job description to help younger kids as they crossed in front of the buses. He even became the king of giving fellow students high fives and morning greetings. Mikey’s behaviors reduced by at least 95% almost immediately. Even students with the most challenging behaviors have the potential for turning it around. Mikey rose to the occasion, felt needed, experienced success for perhaps the first time, and his behaviors improved significantly. Thank you for doing whatever it takes to help students to succeed in school and life! Join the “Maslow Before Bloom” Facebook group: Facebook.com/groups/maslowb…

At a hearing at the State Capitol today, State Supt. @TonyThurmond and his special Task Force on Inclusive Education secured a pledge from publishers to continue to diversify textbooks and instructional materials for CA students. 📖

How to Help Students Resist Their Phones and Develop Better Digital Habits edutopia.org/article/health…

Tam district stops all classes for anti-fentanyl webinar marinij.com/2023/04/28/tam…

In 1987 an estimated 800,000 people flocked to the the Golden Gate Bridge for its 50th anniversary. The weight of the large crowd caused the bridge to sag 7 feet, flattening its usual convex shape. Engineer Daniel E. Mohn reaffirmed the bridge was not overstressed as a result of Bridgewalk '87.

Let’s all get behind @MarinSupe @MarinCountyCCR and donate ( time , money , equipment etc) …. Our support will insure our students are ready for life when they graduate!!

Everyone needs to watch this!!! Grace Linn, you are my hero! Thank you for your powerful voice, your bravery, and showing up with your truth! #Freadom #FinallySeen #StopBanningBooks

This is my message to anyone who has chosen the path of hate. Please listen.

A recent @APA study showed teens who limit to 1 hour of social media a day feel better about themselves. While I LOVE social media, I think this @NPR piece does a fantastic job at highlighting we ALL should be better about our time on social media. ow.ly/YoUH50N51K9

I fully admit social media has convinced me of some ailment and/disorder 😬 With the current state of mental health worldwide, kids need our guidance and help NOW. Self-diagnosing and medicating via social media is a real issue we need to get in front of. ow.ly/5L5P50N7nX8

@burkemaryjane They do like apples…I’ve never left pears, but that makes sense!

Our backyard deer seem to like both apples 🍎 and pears 🍐..