Sweet Butterfly of Youth
A butterfly of such size and delicacy that delights people of youth
Called upon our table, as if such invitation fulfilled
Would be only dreamt of in miraculous construe.
Alighting briefly upon the most of us there gathered,
While all sought refuge in conversation, and what was thought
Would nurture and sustain bodies so near to souls removed.

Touching hearts with such determination,
as deftness permits flight with you.
Now clearly a portrait is drawn, dream-spun and woven entwined of us,
Unveiled for life’s sweet sojourn past beauty to truth,
As savor we the brevity of our time, well spent together,
That becomes their moment of youth.

The time it takes to touch a heart or spend a life in fruitful quest,
In which God can search a soul,
Revealing Himself in simplicity and beauty and truth.
Such moments, rare, become us when we dare see life as children do,
In flights of small and trembling hearts,
Fluttering past the breath of morning dew,
Anointing us with their presence, in awe of us as we of you.

Our children gently chide us bid adieu this day,
This life so fragrant and new,
As sail we past the morrow, when flight they shall renew.
And in knowing such brief encounter will become us,
In fond remembrance of when,
Together we came to such sad discourse of fond farewell,
Us each departing this fleeting encounter with the other,
Sweet butterfly of youth.
-  by Wm. C. Anderson

For our Spring Adventure Trip we are headed to GRANBURY, TEXAS and will stay at the Arbor House Bed and Breakfast.

The Arbor House is a lakeside inn that opened in the spring of 1996 that quickly rose to international award winning status. The rooms have the charm of the Victorian Era and all the luxuries of the twentieth century. LeVonna and I were impressed with beauty of this place and the hospitality. There is much to see and do in the Granbury area and our students will spend time this week planning the activities and identifying what they want to see and do.

Granbury Beach

Breakfast is a special event at Arbor House is included along with afternoon refreshments and complimentary beverages. Their own blend of dark roasted coffee beans are ground fresh each morning and served piping hot. We will be seated at a linen covered table set with fine old china and polished silver. Breakfast is usually served in two courses: a baked-from-scratch pastry and then a generous plate of egg casserole, homemade bread or biscuits and fresh fruit. If you have special dietary needs, please let the staff know.

Rooms typically have peaceful boudoir with a queen-size bed(s) and reclining chairs for curling up with a good book. The private bathrooms feature such things as a marbled shower and sunny window box. Guests can enjoy the upstairs veranda of The Arbor House with its extensive views of beautiful Lake Granbury and the beach. Amenities include: cable TV, wireless internet, alarm clock and bath robes.

We plan to let our students relax and have fun and let the worries of the world pass them by and in comfort.

FINANCIAL: The total amount due for this trip is $389.00 for each student and parent guest or other guest. If you require a separate room for your family, the cost will, necessarily, be increased. Breakfast is included but Lunch & Dinner are not. Please provide funds for these meals, shopping and other special activities not on our itinerary. Please pay the trip fee by Wednesday, May 15.

We will gather at the school on MONDAY, May 20, between 5:00 p.m. & 6:00 p.m., to load suitcases, backpacks, etc. into the vehicles making this trip (and confabulate, sign forms, reminisce about past adventures, tell jokes (please bring some really good ones) etc. Please come on Monday (unless you are driving directly to Granbury & have submitted all paperwork).

We will meet at the McDonald’s Restaurant on Clifford Street at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, May 21 to caravan to Granbury. PLEASE BE ON TIME! We plan to depart and return home at 1:30 p.m. following lunch on FRIDAY. * Please check with Dr. Anderson to be sure he has ALL current telephone numbers to reach you. It is CRITICAL that we be able to contact you in case of an emergency or in case your child has misbehaved and has been auctioned off to the first bidder (should we find one).

Adventure trips are an integral part of the curriculum, and ALL students are expected to participate and join in the fun.

It is imperative that we have the following no later than Monday, May 20 at 6:00 p.m.

1) A signed & witnessed Release from Claims and Liabilities.
2) A signed Authorization for Emergency Medical Attention.
3) A signed Medication Authorization Form. We recommend you give written approval, under special instructions, for us to provide medication, with your authorization over the telephone. Otherwise, we will not be able to help your child. Please call Dr. A if you need help with this or just want to confabulate.

PLEASE NOTE: The Anderson Private School, its staff, administration or chaperones do not assume responsibility and are NOT responsible for the administration of medication to any student. Also, students are responsible for their own hygiene (taking showers, etc.) and their behavior. Students with serious misbehavior (such as refusing to obey our chaperones) will be asked to call their parents and go home. (Dr. A will cry! But, he will get over it and have fun with those who behaved & are still here.)

4) A verification (copy) of Health Insurance for your child(ren), if available. This will assist in getting medical/emergency care for your child.

Participants/parents/guardians/ and other guests are responsible for any & all damages to property owned by the Arbor House, the school, other establishments, or other persons.

* NO PARENT MAY DISCIPLINE ANY CHILD OTHER THAN THEIR OWN. Parents may report disciplinary concerns to Dr. or Mrs. Anderson.

NO ONE may enter the swimming area without ADULT supervision and the knowledge and approval of Dr. or Mrs. Anderson. NO exceptions!

Forms MUST be signed and witnessed no later than MONDAY, May 20. Please do not ask us to take care of this on Tuesday morning – our minds will be on departing, consuming gallons of coffee & other things.

NOTE: There will be opportunities for shopping and other entertainment. Please bring additional funds with you, if you wish to participate in other additional events that are not on the itinerary. Additional activities require the permission of Mrs. Anderson. (Dr. A is probably napping! Do not disturb him as he is dreaming of not being disturbed.)

Reminder: TUITION for 2013-2014 was DUE on May 1.

Thank You!

Bill & LeVonna

We of light and dreams and water weave,
Are tributaries of but one river,
Flowing in momentary disarray
To break upon the rocks of discontent
Then slow and calm and unite one day.

Yes, the rivers of our hearts
Someday will join as one,
Guided as they are from above,
To pour the contents of our lives
Into the vast ocean of God’s eternal love.

The Tempest
by William Shakespeare

Our scholars were dramatically successful in creating a tapestry of their unique talents woven from the fabric of dedication, hard work and the patient guidance of Director George Rodriguez.

My congratulations to one and all for accomplishing the difficult goal of presenting Shakespeare’s, “The Tempest” on stage at the Hardy Theater in the cultural district of Fort Worth.

Alexander Anderson will shortly have the final production video available on our website, andersonschool.net, for your enjoyment.

Included are a few photos of the preparation for and presentation of this outstanding production.

We will have more photos available through our Flickr page shortly, which can be accessed here.

And again, congratulations to everyone, including our students, parents, teachers and Director, George Rodriguez, for a job well done.

Very well done indeed!

Our plan for FRIDAY is to rehearse for our production of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest”.

All students will meet at the school for rehearsal on FRIDAY morning at 9:00 a.m. We will spend the entire day in preparation for our upcoming play. PICKUP will be at 3:00 p.m.

Theatrical performances will be on Monday, May 6 & Tuesday, May 7, 2013, at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets for Tuesday are $25.00 each and may be purchased at the door. Donations will be gratefully accepted for the Preview Performance on Monday. Additional contributions made to help fund our production are needed and sincerely appreciated.

Food and refreshments will be provided to the audience during intermission on Tuesday night of the production.

George Rodriquez directs our actors

PARKING is $5.00 across the street from the theater. Ask for IN & OUT Parking

On MONDAY and TUESDAY: We will meet at 9:00 a.m. at the Hardy & Betty Sanders Theatre, 1300 Gendy Street, for rehearsal during each day (from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.) and we will remain at the Hardy Theatre for evening performances at 7:30 p.m.*

Please provide funds for LUNCH and DINNER ($5.00 – $10,00 each). Students may not leave the theater without the permission of the Director, George Rodriquez and Dr. or Mrs. Anderson. Do not just disappear as Dr. A’s heart is weak from lack of exercise, his introduction to the technology of television many decades ago and over exposure to your children over many eons.

Uniform pants with a belt & red monogrammed school shirts are required. PARENTS / GUARDIANS / IN-LAWS / OUTLAWS / FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS are invited to be with us and observe, but PLEASE do NOT interfere with our rehearsals.

Dr. Anderson may be reached at 682-777-1908 (EMERGENCY)

IMPORTANT DATES

May1 – Tuition Due for 2013-14
May 21-24 Adventure Trip

MASON SEEKS GUIDANCE FROM
ABOVE AND AN ARM REST

LUNCH IS AT 12:00 P.M. AT THE THEATER. DINNER FROM 5:00-6:30 p.m. ALL actors are to report back to the theater at 6:30 p.m. for final preparations.

Ian and Mary Alice enjoyed Chandor Gardens

While attending Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, I recall being awakened about 3:30 a.m. one morning by the beautiful songs of a Mocking Bird, just outside my window (he was very, very loud). We lived on several acres close to a small river that ran through town. Wildlife was everywhere and, needless to say, I was in Heaven on Earth, as I am today.

When I was awakened by this talented bird loudly singing, I decided to just listen and count the different number of songs that I heard. I really had no idea that this small beautiful creation had an unlimited number of melodies. So I eventually stopped counting and became mesmerized, actually put into a trance by the music.

It was a new experience for me. I literally listened for over two hours, as I recall. I simply could not stop listening it was so very beautiful. My mind relaxed so much that I started to feel quite different. The feeling was not something that I can describe to you. It was uplifting, exhilarating, deeply and intensely moving. I can still recall how I felt to this day. And it is one of the reasons I treasure all of God’s creations.

Our feathered friends enjoy feasting

At the school we provide birdhouses, bird feeders and a bird bath for our feathered friends. And they provide an environment for our children that is virtually free of such things as misquotes (the deadliest creature that kills more people on earth than any other – known to carry over 550 viruses, and many of them, like malaria is estimated to have killed 655,000 people in 2010 alone, and yellow fever, among many others, and chiggers (a truly serious problem if you are bitten by enough of them), and other pests.

I have often wondered why city authorities in places such as Fort Worth do not expend funds and make some effort to distribute economically priced bird houses and helpful information on natural methods of controlling pests (such as leaving as many wasps/yellow jackets alone as much as possible, they eat mosquitoes for dessert and are not naturally aggressive) instead of spraying insecticides all over the place. Or, perhaps, offer tax or other incentives for utilizing natural methods and reducing the spreading of chemicals that are so toxic to us.

Our natural pest control patrol

Yes, the singing of that precious Mockingbird so many years ago (in 1968) inspired me to provide for many other birds. And more importantly, to provide a school environment that is pesticide free. We have been committed to utilizing only natural methods to free ourselves of pests for many years. We simply do not use pesticides.

For example, we rid ourselves of harmful varieties of ants (not all ants, some are actually necessary) by sprinkling mounds (when we find them, which is rare now, with raw hominy grits (yes, they must be raw) which are carried to the Queen much to her demise (which is a wonderful and natural solution provided by Chris Stoll, one of our former students, many years ago. Thank you, again, Chris). Fly paper, coupled with fly swatters, solves any problem we have with flies.

By the way, there is truly disturbing news that pesticide exposure has been linked by research to cancer, birth defects, infertility, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, gastrointestinal disorders, reproductive problems as well as neurodegenerative diseases such as: Dementia (later in life by as much as 70%), Parkinson’s disease (a Harvard study reported a 70% increase as well), Alzheimer’s disease, Type II Diabetes (Click here for study) and many others. In addition, studies show that chronic low-level pesticide exposure is associated with a broad range of nervous system symptoms: headache, fatigue, dizziness, tension, anger, depression, and impaired memory. And child IQ loss has been linked to pesticide exposure in the womb and can raise the odds for ADHD in children.

Lucas has the hat to run for public office

An organic diet is an effective way to reduce pesticides that are commonly used in agricultural production. It is easy to learn how to avoid foods with pesticides. Click here for information.

Please research the link to these diseases and pesticides on the internet. And it is easy to research natural methods of controlling pests. You will be pleased that you spent the time doing so, and much healthier in the long run. Some of these diseases can be more than deadly, they can be so debilitating that your last few years on earth become unbelievably miserable. So much suffering can be alleviated with a simple shift in your mind set and a few easy changes made in your life.

So, as you can see, the precious, innumerable and memorable songs of that beautiful Mockingbird were songs of salvation. We have provided for and saved many birds and other creations and, importantly, they have provided for and saved us. God’s creatures are among the greatest teachers.

Caty & Rylee in a meditative state

We plan to have an interactive visit to King Henry VIII’s England! Student Day at Scarborough Renaissance Festival is exclusively for students and is this Tuesday, April 30, from 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

We are invited to enter the realm of England’s legendary King Henry VIII and experience the intellectual, cultural, and artistic splendor of the Renaissance first hand and will experience a full day of demonstrations, shows, and educational interactions. The Royal Court and villagers welcome, and in fact relish, discussions about daily life in the Renaissance.

We will meet at the school on TUESDAY morning at 8:30 a.m. to caravan to Waxahachie to enjoy the day at the Scarborough Renaissance Festival. Please do not be late. We will spend the entire day just having fun. PICKUP will be at school at APPROXIMATELY 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. We may CALL you on our way back and let you know more precisely when to pick up your child(ren), but we MUST have a current telephone number that you will answer on Tuesday afternoon or Dr. A will act very sick.
Anderson Private School for the Gifted, Talented and Creative
andersonschool.net

Every Fountain Can Bring Hope

Why is the wind
Singing in the trees?
Why do we feel
The gentle flowing breeze?

Why, when all is lost
Can hope ascend to Heaven above,
When we are brought to our knees,

If not for love?

Our paths would never meet
Our hearts never beat
To join us, one to all,
Without love’s gentle call.

Every Child’s Heart                     Can Turn to Gold

From where do we come,
And what would we be told
Of the love that ever seeks
To turn our hearts to gold?

If not for love,
Gentle as evening’s breeze,
Flowing through a child’s life, Singing in the leaves,   If not for God’s love,       We would never be.

Every Path                 Can Lead to  Love

On FRIDAY April 19, 2013, we will meet at school at 8:30 a.m. to spend time preparing for our upcoming Shakespeare production: “The Tempest”.

Director, George Rodriquez, will assist our scholars with their individual needs relative to their roles and conduct rehearsals throughout the day.

Our visit last Friday to the beautiful CHANDOR GARDENS, in Weatherford was truly delightful. What a treasure we have found! I highly recommend for you to visit. You will also be inspired. Photos from our tour are available by clicking here.

It may surprise you, but it happens to be the one that have recently read! It is the last book that spoke to you, that softened your heart or inspired you to do something.

No, it is not the rarest or oldest book. It is not the one that fetched the highest price at auction. It is the one that has currency with your inner most desires. The one that causes your thoughts to turn the pages of your life. The one that feeds you, sustains you, invigorates you and places you gently in the arms of restful exhaustion.

So keep reading my friends and being read to. Keep the most valuable book open and may it fall gently from your fingers and flow the tenderness of your emotions into your dreams. Dreams that become the dawn of your new day, filling your heart and mind with hope for tomorrow and love for the new discoveries you have found between the covers of a new book.

Tomorrow is written by the books we read today.

On FRIDAY April 12, 2012, we will meet at school to depart at 9:00 a.m. to arrive at 10:00 a.m. at the CHANDOR GARDENS, at 711 West Lee Ave. Weatherford – Telephone 817-613-1700.

Our Docent- guided tour starts at 10:00 a.m. We will spend approximately 1½ hours on our tour. Following the tour, we will travel to the Whistle Hill Café to enjoy lunch. Following lunch, we return to school. Pick-up is at School at 3:00 p.m.

Chandor Gardens is a unique world-class paradise featuring an enchanting array of creativity, color and beauty. The gardens were lovingly designed and created by renowned English portrait artist Douglas Chandor over 70 years ago yet remain a spectacular marvel.

When Douglas Chandor married Weatherford native Ina Kuteman in 1935, she convinced him to build their home and garden in the heart of her hometown. Although his claim to fame was his talent as an artist, Douglas found his real passion as a gardener. He once told Ina that his talent for painting was merely a means that enabled him to fulfill his dreams of building a “living artwork”. Douglas Chandor’s destiny would be to turn these dreams into a reality.

The gardens, originally called White Shadows, were carved from 4 acres of rock-hard terrain that was once a cow pasture. The project began in 1936 with the aid of picks, shovels, dynamite and mule-drawn plows. Truckloads of topsoil and tons of boulders were brought in to transform the barren cactus-dotted property into a peaceful haven enclosed by hedges and walls. Chandor devised a series of garden rooms, each with individual character and stunning views, all connected by meandering walkways. His creation combines the styles and ambiance of Chinese and English gardens with such delights as fountains, grottos, and even a mountain waterfall.

The Chandors worked tirelessly together in the gardens until Douglas’ death in 1953, at which time Ina renamed them Chandor Gardens as a tribute to her husband. The gardens remained open to the public until shortly before her death in the late 1970s. Because there were no direct heirs, the property remained unattended, overgrown and deteriorating for 20 years. In 1994, local residents Charles and Melody Bradford purchased the estate and took on the enormous task of restoring the gardens and home. In what could only be described as a true labor of love, they painstakingly spent years clearing and cleaning away the debris of decades of neglect. Many large old trees, Douglas’ original wisteria and boxwood plantings, and his magical hardscapes remained. Everything else was replanted by the Bradfords, and thanks to their efforts Chandor Gardens was once again transformed into a lush tranquil delight.

Please observe the POLICIES of the Garden. Uniform pants with a belt,polished shoes & red monogrammed school shirts are required.
PARENTS/GUARDIANS/NEIGHBORS/SIBLINGS/ are always invited to participate on our trips
.
FINANCIAL: Admission: children – $2.00  / Adults $3.00

IMPORTANT DATES
April 30 – Scarborough Renaissance Festival
May1 – Tuition Due for 2013-14
May 6 &7 (Mon. & Tues.)  Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” at the Sanders Theater

And the young philosophers in my class are learning from their studies of aspects of infinity, subatomic particle physics and modern medical discovery, that we are quickly headed into a time when death and dying will be no more. Life, itself, may become infinite.

Neurosurgeon, Dr. Joseph Strout, recently observed that, “The only things you can be sure of are death and taxes, but don’t be too sure about death.”

So it is becoming important, in this moment and not so late that time can become irrelevant or subservient to a newly defined reality, to ask truly important questions. And our children have posed some that are significant.

Will love prevail?  Will our capacity to love expand to fill the expansive void of the Universe? What will indefinite living be for, if not for love? Can we foresee an infinite trace in time filled without our enduring love? And ultimately, what will we and the depths of our compassion for one another evolve into being? Can a life unending resolve itself into anything other than what dwells within?

The future poses challenges beyond anything you or I can imagine or comprehend. And we must prepare our children, and their children’s children, with the insight and the courage to cherish life enough to love beyond the self and far, far beyond tomorrow.

In the narrow focus of our brief existence we cannot fathom the responsibility that is ours. We will never be privileged to know.

Joe Henry beautifully unfolded our hope for the dawn of a new day for mankind in lyrics interpreted by John Denver,  “And the Spirit fills the darkness of the Heavens. It fills the endless yearning of the soul. It lives within a star too far to greet us. It lives within each heart and is the hope.  It’s the fire and the wings that fly us home.”

And another insightful artist paves the way for the legacy we weave in the tapestry of life beyond:

 “If I create from the heart, nearly everything works,
if I create from the head, almost nothing.
- Marc Chagall

On Friday, April 5, 2013,

we will meet at 10:00 a.m. at the EAST entrance of the FORT WORTH ZOO, 1989 COLONIAL PARKWAY (817-759-7500).
Pick up will be at the EAST Entrance at 2:30 p.m.

Please Note: Uniform pants with a belt, & RED monogrammed school shirts are required. PARENTS / GUARDIANS / FRIENDS are always invited to participate on our trips. Comfortable shoes are highly recommended. Please dress for the weather.

Admission:
Adults (13+) $12.00/Children (3-12) $9.00 (2 & under) Free/Seniors (65+) $9.00 Please pay at the ZOO.
Parking $ 5.00 per vehicle, cash only.

Please be on time or the Lions will growl.

Gift Shops: Yes. Lunch: Yes (please provide funds)

IMPORTANT DATES:
April 30 – Scarborough Renaissance Festival
May1 – Tuition Due for 2013-14
May 6 &7 (Mon. & Tues.) – Shakespeare at the Sanders Theater May 21 – 24 Adventure Trip
Emergency Telephone No: 682-777-1908

A . n . d . e . r . s . o . n
Where precocious children are nurtured & appreciated

Don’t forget your camera.

On Friday, March 22, We will meet at 11:00 a.m. for lunch at McKinley’s Fine Bakery and Cafe, 1616 S. University Drive (817-332-3242) and then attend the 24th Annual Texas Indian Festival/Market and Southwest Showcase at the Arlington Convention Center.

The Show Hours on March 22 are from 1 PM to 7 PM. The Admission Price for Adults is $12.00, Children (under 13) are Free.

Pickup is at the Arlington Convention Center at 4:30 p.m. or at the school at approximately 5:00 p.m. Please be patient – sometimes traffic delays us.

A single admission is good for the entire weekend. Admission price includes all shows, performances and demonstrations for all three days.

Location: The “Arlington Convention Center” which is very easy to find adjacent to I-30 and directly beside “Six flags over Texas” and “The Ball Park in Arlington” at 1200 Ballpark Way (817-459-5000). Parking is directly beside the show building and is $5.00.

We plan to attend these Main Stage performances on Friday:

2:30 – 3:00 p.m. - Ehecatl Aztec Dancers

3:00 – 3:30 p.m. - Shelley Morningsong

3:30 – 3:50 p.m. – Gathering of the People

3:50 – 4:20 p.m. – Splash!Animals

The Ehecatl Aztec Dancers offer a visually spectacular mystical dance group with Thunderous rhythms, unique sounds, dazzling costumes, mystical dances and high energy performances. This act is a favorite at every festival! Standing room only crowds are always thrilled and mystified by the sights and sounds of this phenomenal act at every performance! Dr. A may paint his face and try to act normal, whatever that is. Just humor him and step over his body if he is napping.

The Morningsong Band & Zuni Dancers. This Native American songbird is an award winning performer and recording artist that brings a strong element of native spirituality and tradition woven with contemporary music to moving performances. From soul stirring music..to the wonderful dances of the Zuni people, this amazing act is promised to spellbound!

Brings Plenty will present A Gathering of the People - an enchanting experience as Mo Brings Plenty presents amazing, spellbinding and truly soul stirring “gathering” performances of the people. After seeing this act, we will be touched.

Splash! Animals is an award-winning conservation focused live art experience that combines art, music, choreography and features endangered species. The show always begins with a blank canvas and in less than 10 minutes, the speed painting performing artists produce beautiful portraits of endangered animals for our delight and amazement!

Everyone, including parents, friends and neighbors, are invited to join us this (and every) Friday for an unusual and breathtaking experience. Again, We will meet at 11:00 a.m. for lunch at McKinley’s Fine Bakery and Cafe, 1616 S. University Drive (817-332-3242). From there we will caravan to the Arlington Convention Center. Bring your feathers and face paint! Dr. A may not be recognizable.

Our trip last Friday to the Doss Heritage and Culture Center in Weatherford was wonderful! The Center showcased the talents and skills of fiber artist Katrina Wright and our children had a truly delightful time exploring the fabulous museum and taking turns being inside the authentic Stagecoach. It was a privilege to learn so much about the artist who made the Stagecoach and what it represented.

Our thanks to the beautiful staff and docents at the Doss Center. Weatherford has so much to be proud of in this precious jewel reflecting the heritage and culture of Parker County. I encourage everyone to visit.

Anderson Private School
For the Gifted, Talented & Miniature GOLF fanatics

On Friday March 8, 2013,

We will meet at 10:00 a.m. at Hidden Valley Miniature Golf at 8621 Jacksboro Highway, Lakeside, Telephone: 817-237-5463. Please ask for a map if you need one.

Then we will travel to CiCi’s Pizza for LUNCH. Pick up is at 1:00 p.m. At CiCi’s or at school at 3:15 p.m. (your choice). Please feel free to join us for lunch!

Students are NOT to leave hidden valley or the restaurant without the approval of Dr. or Mrs. Anderson.

FINANCIAL: $7.00 per game please pay Dr. A. OTHER: Please bring funds for lunch, if needed. Refreshments: Yes!

Uniform pants with a belt & red monogrammed school shirts are required.

PARENTS / FRIENDS / NEIGHBORS, are invited to participate on our trips.

Hidden Valley is Rated #1 miniature golf facility by Ft. Worth Star Telegram and has an 18 hole course – one of the areas largest courses,

Spread out over more than an acre of pristine astroturf, Hidden Valley has an 18-hole course. Multilevel greens offer varying vantage points to navigate the windmills, water hazards, and other renewable energy obstacles as you begin your hunt for the hole. A lighthouse is in the center of the course and the calming fountains and waterfalls help summon your zen (Kevin?)

Emergency Telephone: 682-777-1908
andersonschool.net

IMPORTANT DATES

Mar. 11 – 15 (Next Week) Spring Break Holidays

Mar. 29 & April 1 (Mon. & Fri.) Easter Holidays

April 30 Scarborough Festival

May 1 Tuition Due for 2013-14

May 6 &7 (Mon. & Tues.) Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” at the Sanders Theater

May 21 – 24 Adventure Trip

A . n . d . e . r . s . o . n .

we will leave from the school at 9:00 a.m. sharp (o.k., maybe not sharp, hopefully not dull) to caravan to the Doss Heritage and Culture Center in Weatherford. The Mission of the Doss Heritage and Culture Center is to collect, preserve and exhibit the heritage of Parker County and Texas.

The Museum offers Parker County’s rich tapestry of cattle barons and cowboys. Broadway and television stars, chuck wagons and stagecoaches shared and showcased in galleries that are truly awe-inspiring and reflects all that is Parker County.

Our docent guided tour will begin at 10:00 a.m. Sherry will be our guide.

Following our tour we will dine at the Whistle Hill Cafe and then return to the Anderson School. Pickup will be at the school at 3:00 p.m.

The Doss Center incorporates three distinct and educational galleries that display impressive presentations, including exhibitions from local to world-renowned artists and craftsmen.

PARENTS / GUARDIANS / FRIENDS are always invited to participate on Friday.

Comfortable shoes and clothing are highly recommended for activities on this day.

FINANCIAL: Admission: $3.00 Adults, $3.00 Seniors (60 years and older or you look like Dr. A), $3.00 Students, Children under 6 and Members FREE

GIFT SHOP: Yes!

LUNCH: We will dine at the delightful Whistle Hill Cafe.

The DOSS CENTER is located at 1400 Texas Drive, Weatherford, Texas 76086

Directions from Fort Worth: From Interstate 20 west take exit 408 onto service road, turn right onto Texas Drive off service road. Proceed past shopping center on the left, through the four way stop at Austin Elementary. Go approx. 2 blks north on Texas Drive and the Doss Center will be on the left, on the corner of Texas Drive and Park.

Sculpted Stitches

at the Doss Heritage and Culture Center showcases the talents and skills of fiber artist Katrina Wright. The exhibit began February 12.

Katrina Wright has been around art in one way or another all of her life. Growing up in the Southwest, her family frequented galleries and museums where she got to see first hand how art becomes history. Encouraged by her mother and paternal grandmother, she started crocheting at the age of three, knitting at the age of six and dabbling in needlepoint along the way.

Although she started sewing at an early age, it wasn’t until Wright received a sewing machine as a present from her husband that she really took to it. Beginning with home decor items and then venturing into the world of traditional quilting, her skill set grew and she realized she had found her own artistic medium.

“I find inspiration in simple things like a flower dancing in the breeze or the ever-changing sunsets. I use fibers, many of which I hand-dye myself, to realistically ‘sculpt’ and ‘paint’ these images,” said Wright. Inspired by God’s creation, Wright uses both natural and man-made fibers to create unique pieces of art.

She enjoys the challenge of forming the fibers into recognizable images that otherwise might be captured in paint or on film. Currently, she is endorsed by Sulky of America and is a member of the Studio Art Quilts Associates.

The artist lives in Texas with her wonderfully supportive and creative husband, their two gifted and spunky children, whom they home school, and one little, scruffy dog who thinks he owns the place.

Items from this exhibit are on sale and benefits proceed the Doss Heritage and Culture Center in our effects to collect, preserve, and exhibit the history of Parker County and Texas.

ALSO,

We will learn about the famous and infamous cowboys who made Texas a name known throughout the country from the end of the Civil War to the turn of the century. Rugged men and women who brought the cattle to market by driving them along trails to market forever cementing themselves in the annals of Texas history.

The new Trail Drivers exhibit opened to the public on February 20th at the Doss Heritage and Culture Center in Weatherford. The cattle drives of Texas represent a critical period in the history of Texas. The drives made by these courageous cattlemen helped the Texas economy recover and thrive after the Civil War.

The Trail Drivers exhibition tells the story of Texas longhorn cattle drives in the 19th century and highlights the stories of Charles Goodnight and Oliver Loving. Parker County played an integral role in the development of the Goodnight Loving story and that legacy continues today.

Visitors will learn about Charles Goodnight’s Chuck wagon design and how Loving’s body returned to Weatherford after he met his untimely death on the trail.

IMPORTANT DATES:

Mar. 11 – 15 Spring Break Holidays

Mar. 29 & April 1 (Mon. & Fri.) – Easter Holidays

April 30 – Scarborough Festival

May 1- Tuition Due for 2013-14

May 6 &7 (Mon. & Tues.) – Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” at the Sanders Theater

May 21 to 24 – Adventure Trip

Emergency Telephone Number:

682-777-1908

A. n. d . e . r . s . o . n

Where precocious children are nurtured and appreciate.

A frequent visitor to our school is named Missy. She is the adorable puppy belonging to Rylee (shown playing chess).

Here we provide a picture of just how cute Missy is.

Our students are invited to bring animal friends (who are friendly) to spend the day with them at school.

On Friday, Feb. 22, 2013

we will have C.P.R. & FIRST AID TRAINING at SCHOOL. Drop off at 8:30 a.m. & Pick up at 3:15 p.m. at the school.

Certifications will be issued to successful learners (CPR & First Aid). Our friend, Chris Leech, with Premier Safety will again conduct classes for us.

PARENTS / GUARDIANS / FRIENDS are always invited to participate on Friday.

Comfortable shoes and clothing are highly recommended for activities on this day.

FINANCIAL: Fee for both classes:$ 20.00 for children and $25.00 for adults.

GIFT SHOP: Yes! The gift of life – the one your child saves with new knowledge (It may be yours). Now that’s a bargain.

LUNCH: Dr. and Mrs. Anderson will provide Pizza today!

IMPORTANT DATES:

Mar. 11 – 15 Spring Break Holidays

Mar. 29 & April 1 (Mon. & Fri.) – Easter Holidays

April 30 – Scarborough Festival

May 1- Tuition Due for 2013-14

May 6 &7 (Mon. & Tues.) – Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” at the Sanders Theater

May 21 to 24 – Adventure Trip

William Shakespeare

Our students have reviewed five plays of William Shakespeare and selected “The Tempest” to perform in our annual  Shakespeare production, to once again be under the direction of George Rodriquez, who brilliantly inspired students throughout memorable presentations of Othello, Henry V and Richard III (available to view on this website). Plays reviewed by students this year included: The Tempest, As You Like It, Henry IV, Julius  Cesar & Much Ado About Nothing.

George Rodriguez

You are invited to join us on May 6 and 7 for ”The Tempest” at the Hardy & Betty Sanders Theater in the cultural district of Fort Worth. Our plays will begin at 7:30 p.m.

The process of studying five different plays, not previously  performed, familiarizes students with Shakespeare and selecting one empowers them through decision making. Our challenging Shakespeare plays evolve into a testament to courage and dedication our students exhibit. Other past productions have included Hamlet, Macbeth and  Midsummer Night’s Dream.

We have discovered that children come to love Shakespeare as much as we do, when they are introduced in a dynamic, interactive manner.

On Friday, Feb. 15

We will meet at 10:00 a.m. at RAVE 13 THEATER, located in the Mall at 2300 Green Oaks Road, telephone (817) 566-0025, to enjoy the movie Life of Pi, rated PG. Younger students may view another film to be selected with the blessing of Mrs. A. At 1:00 p.m., we will walk to the FOOD COURT in the Ridgmar Mall to enjoy lunch. Following (burp) lunch we will travel to Half-Price Books, located at 475 Sherry Lane, north of Ridgmar Mall –Telephone: 817-732-4111.

PICK UP will be at Half-Price Books at 2:30 p.m.

Movie Synopsis: After deciding to sell their zoo in India and move to Canada, Santosh and Gita Patel board a freighter with their sons and a few remaining animals. Tragedy strikes when a terrible storm sinks the ship, leaving the Patels’ teenage son, Pi (Suraj Sharma), as the only human survivor. However, Pi is not alone; a fearsome Bengal tiger has also found refuge aboard the lifeboat. As days turn into weeks and weeks drag into months, Pi and the tiger must learn to trust each other if both are to survive.

This is an amazing story of a boy in his search to find God and his incredible will to survive. This film is so well done you don’t just see it, you feel it – almost become one with it. We laughed, we cried – the acting and cinematography was so well done, you fell very emotion of Pi just looking in his eyes. Every emotion he had on his journey you feel right along with him. It is a must see for everyone; there are several powerful messages.

RUN TIME – 2 Hours and 5 Minutes – RATING – (PG) The starting time (10:10 a.m.) may change, please be patient. Emergency Telephone 682-777-1908
If you arrive late, we shall have departed with your child(ren) and will return to school. Please call and let us know if you will be late.

Students are NOT to leave the bookstore, food court or theater without the approval of Dr. A or Mrs. A.

FINANCIAL: We have been told Tickets are $5.00 but this may be incorrect – please pay at the Box Office Please provide funds for a good book and funds for lunch. Refreshments: Yes!

Uniform pants with a belt & red monogrammed school shirts are required.
PARENTS / FRIENDS / NEIGHBORS, are invited to participate on our trips.

IMPORTANT DATES:
Feb. 18 (NEXT Monday) President’s Day Holiday
Feb. 22 C.P.R. & First Aid Training (on campus)
Mar. 11 – 15 Spring Break Holidays
Mar. 29-April 1 (Mon. & Fri.) Easter Holidays
April 30 Scarborough Renaissance Festival
May 6-7 (Monday & Tuesday) Shakespeare at Sanders Theatre
May 21 – 24 Adventure Trip

A. n . d . e . r . s . o . n
Where precocious children are nurtured, appreciated and eat a lot of popcorn!

As we hoist sail on the mast of our dreaming,
And steer our course toward keeping us free,
With no oar in the water or sail bent skyward,
Shall we cross over the deepening sea?

Can we stay the course of our country’s freedom,
If we cannot keep our sight on the shore?
The sea of tomorrow will billow and swallow
The Nations of people who can do no more.

Without the vision to cherish our children
Having no courage their cause to put forth,
The Captain won’t sail the ship of our Nation;
He shall never steer us to destiny’s port.

With sails unfurled for the winds our yearning,
With no greater love than we show our own,
The Captain won’t cut the ship from her mooring;
He shall never sail her tomorrow for home.

Copyright 1992
words & music by Wm. C. Anderson & Annie A. Anderson
www.andersonschool.net

Hi, Y’all,

 Just thought you might want to have a look at a lecture Kevin just did for his master’s program at the University of Southern Mississippi.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m46_g_gbiA

 He is loving grad school and is in a good place.  He is happy to be learning and researching for his thesis.

 Alex is also doing well at the Air Force Academy.  He is a junior and is co-captain of the men’s tennis team. He is doing well in his studies and is majoring in computer science where he plans to go into in the Air Force when he graduates.

 We have built our “forever” home in Hilton Head, SC and love it here!

 Hope y’all are doing well and thanks for the foundation you gave our boys!
Linda

For you come to love all humanity
And humanity becomes you.

And the greatest part of you
Becomes a part of everyone you come to love.

We are here for a purpose.
And it lies outside of ourselves
And the Noble Ideals we share.

It lives and breathes within the lives of others,
Not so fortunate as ourselves.
It lives as well as it may.

A child must possess the knowledge
That there is love,
That love exists,
And that it may be found
In you.

For a Mother and for Father
Love truly blossoms evermore
When children find:

“Tis true
There is poetry all around,
Beauty flows from everything,
But by far
The most beautiful poem
Is you.”

 - Wm. C. Anderson

]]> http://asgtc.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/barbara-saunders/ Tue, 05 Aug 2008 03:41:38 +0000 asgtc http://asgtc.wordpress.com/2008/08/05/barbara-saunders/ [commenting on previous post http://asgtc.wordpress.com/2008/07/06/the-crisis-today/]

I love this post. My mother, a teacher and the daughter of a teacher who attended segregated public schools in the 1930s and 1940s, chose the private school to which she sent my sisters and I because, she said, “I could not stand the rigid desks and rows in the public schools. When I saw kids sprawled out in the halls, talking and laughing, that was the place I want you kids to go!”

I have a hard time believing that “reformers” don’t notice that the schools for the intellectual and socioeconomic elite are more – not less – free, relaxed and playful.

www.andersonschool.net

Secretary Brock:

How can we fix American education?

In the last 25 years, spending rose 240 percent and performance has barely changed. Only 68 percent of students graduate from high school.

We need the very best among us to become teachers, and we need to ensure that standardized tests of rote knowledge don’t drive education away from the very things that have made America special: critical thinking, creativity, innovation and teamwork.

www.andersonschool.net

We shared an abhorrence of those things that distract children from academic and thoughtful pursuit. Their love of reading meshes beautifully with our first love. We forbid homework and ask our students instead, to spend this precious time establishing a life-time habit and love of reading – with a requirement that each child read or be read to, for at least one hour each evening.

As with the Finns, we believe that overly strict rules do not translate into dedicated scholars. We harbor only three rules: to be kind, to be kind and to be kind. And when you think about it, that covers just about everything.

At the Anderson School visitors are sometimes mildly shocked to find such things as: barefoot boys (and girls) fluttering down the hall (they really do feel more relaxed and at home this way), or a child asleep in bed during the school day (why fight Mother Nature – if you are tired, rest! After a nap, children are energized and ready again to learn and play) and a mild, low-grade level of chaos.

This is normal behavior for the young and can become highly productive. It provides opportunity for the interplay of ideas and hopes and dreams as kids banter back and forth. And there are intangibles that result: the modeling of creative flux, improved self-esteem and self-confidence and the intrinsic motivation generated by the children themselves. Since our bright students are busy teaching and working with each other, the tendency is toward non-stop communication, as they group themselves according to interests, not age. Typically, you find a very young scholar teaching older types and excited to share knowledge.

At our school students keep the same teachers for many years. We actually get to know them and we treat each other like family. Why not? Are we not really related in many ways? We promote self-reliance and autonomous learning, minimize competition, assail perfectionism, promote informality and a relaxed home-like atmosphere, remove the harmful and potentially devastating emphasis upon grades (no grades or report cards are provided – scholars are expected to perform at a mastery level of 90% without time constraints) and, importantly, we eliminate homework. As educators we have had plenty of time during the day to get the job done.

And parents are essentially not qualified to teach at home and do not have the time or patience. They worked hard all day and the boss did not assign them homework. Parents would not tolerate this. They would find another employer. But your children cannot simply find another teacher. They are riveted to a desk, with little hope of finding the time they need to do the real work of kids – they need to play.

We also provide the freedom to do such things as: progress at your own pace, allow children to prepare their own meals and dine whenever they like (some “graze” throughout the day) and play whenever they complete morning or afternoon assignments (a few will work all weekend so they may play at school). This is real academic freedom and allows for the independent use of personal judgment. We want our children to practice making many, many decisions while they are young and under our guidance.

After all, they will be making every decision regarding their own lives, and our own lives, and in a few years. So be very kind to your children, for in the end, they will be all you have left.

And don’t be shocked if your children can’t survive on their own in the near future, if you did every thing for them and made their every decision. They may become so dependent that they NEVER leave home. It happens.

Some schools are largely successful because they truly realize that, “Less is more”. To be less demanding equates to more time at home with mom and more time to play and this always leads to a more psychologically healthy person – someone who really WANTS to go to school the next day (and perhaps more importantly, knows how to play).

Our children are more relaxed, energized and ready to study, rather than being burned out, bored, fatigued and more deeply depressed than they will ever say – which can result in their becoming anxious, obnoxious, angry, rebellious and unwilling to continue what has evolved into drudgery and a loathing of going to school.

And when you think about it, wouldn’t you rebel if you were stressed out, overly assessed, classified, compared, bored, structured, selected and sorted ad nausium. Why, revolutions have occurred for less – revolutions of the mind and of the family. We see many children today who are dropping out mentally, socially, emotionally, physically and in other ways that more frequently become destructive.

I have been asked why the educational systems are imploding? What’s broken and what can we, as parents and educators, do to fix it?

Essentially, our educational systems are imploding because:

1. Our schools are now devoid of essential academic freedom,
2. They are saddled with the ineffective and truly oppressive No Child Left Behind Act and its sinfully negative byproducts and
3. Schools lack the fiery furnace of competition in the free market place.

The solutions are simple but, in our present static state of mind, probably unavailable. However, if ever we do decide to act we know what to do:

We need to provide each student, through their parents, the funds to purchase their schooling wherever they choose to go. The natural and highly beneficial effect of competition for this money would produce results similar to every other commodity in the marketplace. Beautifully crafted, thoughtful and productive products in the form of innovative and dynamic curriculums and remarkable institutions of learning would be engineered by our gifted educators in competition with each other. But importantly, regardless of the outcome, they would serve to please our parents and children.

But we have become imprisoned to the precept that government can extrinsically motivate schools and teachers, utilizing the negative bias of assessment and with such harsh and punitive prerogatives as the loss of employment for teachers and administrators, virtually worthless and shameful labels, accusations, inevitably harmful performance evaluations and even the unthinkable closure of entire schools. Such closures are so severe that one can imagine less damage being inflicted to a school community even in time of war.

This punitive, fear based system shall never produce overall sustainable positive results, especially for those children most in need. This system is far beyond broken. It poses a very real-time danger to our society. This obviatedly biased bent toward negative reinforcement is a conceptualization rejected many years ago in the study of child behavior.

Our boat is now sinking by the bow and no longer in sight of the shore. We seemingly cannot even identify the real problems with our schools. But we act like we do really know who or what is to blame. So we keep felling the trees around us in order to glimpse a sliver of the light of understanding from above and do not even know there is a fragile and endangered forest all around us.

For our underpaid, overworked and unappreciated educators should never have been marked and targeted. They are not to blame! And our children should never have been used as pawns in this unintelligible game.

We now find it virtually impossible to patch our ship of state, in light of the large, gaping holes created by fear, a focus upon self-serving and selfish interests and an inability to locate words such as equitable, fair or open-minded in any dictionary to be found in our capitals of government in Austin or Washington.

What can parents do to help children attain success and be the best they can be?

Well, if your child is truly suffering (and can you believe you are paying for this abuse with your taxes or tuition?) I recommend removing them from any oppressive and harmful environment immediately (that means today!).

Then, you may want to take them for refreshments to a fun place (they may actually remember having fun). There you can apologize for not sheltering them from the storm, for not protecting them or truly being their advocate and being there for them when you were needed. It helps to let a child know you are human and make mistakes.

It will also help if you let them know that you will now and forever more be there for them and not allow anyone else or any other school to make them so unhappy and miserable again. After you wipe the tears from their eyes, take a moment to wipe away yours. And remember, if your child forgives you, it is in the past. It is over. Now you can go forward and forgive all those who transgressed against your beloved children. Just don’t vote for them again. Have mercy on the next generation.

Now, plan the future. Let your child help you. Explore the many other avenues available (and there are many). Remind yourself how thankful we all are that Thomas Edison’s mother removed him from such a school at a very early age. Now that’s what I call – seeing the light! With over 1100 patents to his name, we can all be thankful that she removed him from school, which now enables us to watch a great movie tonight, with sound and the ability to record it. A compassionate decision for one deeply loved child, has led us all out of the dark and into the light. Thank you Mrs. Edison! So just follow her example and start by stopping the pain.

Next, you will need to examine what happened to our schools and to your child. And that is a complex journey fraught with unbelievable intrusions into the coliseums and colloquiums of academia.

Special interests, and not so special lawmakers, intruded into the sacred spaces of our children’s classrooms, their home away from home, assuming they knew more than highly trained and devoutly dedicated educators about what your children needed. When in fact, teachers were well qualified and simply needed to be left alone.

Lawmakers could have helped the wonderful, beautiful, caring and ever-giving teachers by paying them a decent wage and providing more money for materials (many, many teachers have spent their own meager funds on your children and without you ever aware of it). But we, as individuals, elected people who obviously did not know how to educate children, and much more importantly, how fragile they are or how to care for them. Their pride went before our fall.

Simplicity

I fondly remember many years ago my good friend, who was a State Representative, Homer Dear, a wonderful and loving retired school teacher and administrator, calling to ask what should be done, in my opinion, legislatively.

My immediate response was mandate relief. The volumes of dictates from our zealous state agency and the legislature were so voluminous that no one on this planet even knew everything that was required of a school. He then sponsored a bill to provide such relief. Naturally, it was defeated. No one is going to tell the legislature that much of what they did is actually too much and leading toward a dastardly day of self-destruction (this is the impending implosion). But in essence Homer knew what needed to be done. And now you know.

Freedom

Simply stated: remove nearly all of the governmental laws, mandates (typically unfunded-thank you), guidelines and regulations relative to education, substantially realign and reduce the size, scope and budget of the state regulatory agency (eliminating well over a billion dollars that funds this unbelievable megalopoliptic and essentially counter-productive enterprise) and get every one, and I mean every one out of the teacher’s way and out of the teacher’s classroom. On your way out, buy her (or him) a cup of well-earned coffee.

This can significantly contribute to the academic freedom that Dr. Reed Dawson, a beloved Baylor professor of mine, warned in 1973, was perilously close to death. He was right. The infamous and highly destructive Texas Assessment of Basic Skills test, and its destructive off-springs (T.E.A.M.S., T.A.K.S., etc.) was about to be unleashed upon our unsuspecting and naive populace.

Academic freedom, as with all the productive and beneficial benefits that any freedom provides, was about to be targeted and totally destroyed. And it began with this blunt instrument of institutional sin in 1980. Simply stated, this oppressive test now needs to be abolished and accompanied by an apology to all of its victims, and there are many.

Now, after you give back freedom to teachers to teach, come back in one year and you and child will be well on the road to being happy. Trust me, teachers knew what to do all along. How many years did our educators spend in a college or university preparing to take an oath of poverty, so he or she could have the honor of teaching your child?

Yes, the teacher can do the job. Just get everyone out of her (or his) way. Remember, in the successful schools, such as Finland, less is more. And it always has been. Isn’t that even in the Bible? Simplicity must replace the absolute mess that we have today! By the way, Finnish schools, the highest achieving in the entire world, value exactly this – simplicity.

Finance

Finland sets the example for us again, in providing roughly EQUAL per-pupil funding. The gap between the best and worst performing schools in Finland was the smallest tested.

So what happened to our free enterprise system and the competitive market place? You know, the one we preach about from on high in every school in America. The system that created such wealth for us, that we have reached record levels of obesity, consumption and waste. Why is the competitive marketplace of our free enterprise system provided an exemption in the marketplace of knowledge? Do we not yet realize that competition is the primary catalyst for excellence in our economic society, that it is the engine that drives us to unsurpassed prosperity?

Or are we not willing to vote for people of courage and conscience or recruit those rare individuals to run for public office who are willing to sacrifice an innate defensiveness and desire for self-serving interests for the sake of what is most precious in our lives – our children.

To date we have not mustered enough courage or votes to really change anything. And my fear is that we may never do so! This boat full of unwilling and highly dependent people who will soon need to have everyone bailing the waters of indifference, and neglect. The perilous sea has already reached the water line and mighty Casey has struck out. Stay tuned, the game will resume overseas. What’s that gurgling sound?

Can you even imagine educators from other countries observing that our system of public education strives to, “leave no child behind” while we post a drop out rate for Fort Worth I. S. D. of 46 percent, 25 percent nationwide and almost 80 percent along the border? Let’s compare that to 4 [that’s FOUR] percent for Finland.

Ladies and gentlemen, we left half of our children at the starting gate. And we did not just leave them behind, we abandoned them with no hope that they will ever truly flourish and prosper (but, on the bright side, we meagerly raised the minimum wage with them in mind, didn’t we?).

Ultimately, these lost children will never even be able to sustain themselves, much less impact this system that has been so neglectful to so many. And the system we created and perpetuate to this day will, one day soon, not be able to support them or their children. The weight of so much water will cause this listing ship to topple over. (Have you ever tried to live on the minimum wage?)

We left many of our children with little hope that they will ever truly thrive in our highly competitive economy. Our focus upon minimum skills for all has evolved into a minimum wage for many.

Our mediocrity has become merit to us, the mediocre. And our children did not deserve this! They are the victims of our now tired, cowardly, self-centered neglect.

It is a sad commentary that our fear to change what needs to be changed
is now the driving force behind the fall of twenty-first century Rome.

Dr. William C. Anderson, Co-Director
The Anderson Private School for the Gifted, Talented and Creative
817-448-8484
andersonschool.net

e-News Update for Feb. 8, 2013

On Friday, 2-8-13 we will meet at the Texas Civil War Museum (817-246-2323) 760 Jim Wright Freeway
(Loop 820). We will dine at a nearby eatery.

Drop-off will be at the Museum at 9:30 a.m. Pick up will be at the MUSEUM at 2:30 p.m., if the creek don’t rise, which is highly unlikely considering our recent meteorological epistemelogy. Defined narrowly, epistemology is the study of knowledge and justified belief, and my belief is that it may not rain!

FINANCIAL $8.00 fee for students. This fee funds our docent program, slush fund for delusional confederates reenacting the war and not fully accepting of Robert E. Lee’s surrender, and entrance to the museum (with a great lesson on soldiering). Please pay Dr. Anderson. – Correct change will result in a very high opinion of you!

LUNCH: We will dine at a nearby restaurant. Please provide funds. GIFT SHOP: Yes! They have a GREAT gift shop with items related to the war we have not necessarily lost!

Uniform pants with a belt & red monogrammed school shirt are required. Polish your shoes, the rebels are recruiting this week. This fabulous museum can be enjoyed by the entire family,

Students are NOT to leave the Museum or restaurant at any time for any reason, including the
need to secure a ride, go off to war & whip the Yankees (which also requires a uniform, powder and gun)
or use the restroom, without the approval of Dr. or Mrs. Anderson.

MUSEUM RULES * No loud talking, running, or jumping or one of the new Anderson school staff will get you. (They are ALL ex-school principals. Notice their threatening gaze searching for any sign of misbehavior! * Stay with your chaperone at all times. If Dr. A seems jittery, he has had enough! Just him offer coffee with cream.

* Use clipboards for worksheets. Do not lean or write on exhibit display cases or walls or, you guessed it, Dr. A.
* No food, drink, candy, or gum is allowed inside. Give these items to Dr. A., he knows what to do.
* The museum has video surveillance & alarms so don’t be alarmed and please smile. No “wheeled” footgear allowed.

They reserve the right to refuse service and rough up those who do not wish to follow the rules of conduct. Now, there are exceptions and one of them is Dr. A. He is a good guy and he won’t remember the rules. And he already looks roughed up. Your children are responsible for his appearance, and it is a little late to apologize.

IMPORTANT DATES

Feb. 18 (Monday) President’s Day Holiday
Mar. 11 – 15 Spring Break Holidays
Mar. 29 & April 1 (Mon. & Fri.) Easter Holidays
April 30 Scarborough Renaissance Festival
May1 Tuition Due for 2013-14
May 6 &7 (Monday & Tuesday) Shakespeare Play “The Tempest” at the Sanders Theater
May 21 – 24 Adventure Trip

Emergency Telephone Number: 682-777-1908
A . n . d . e . r . s . o . n

Hi, Y’all,

Alex played in his second collegiate tournament this past weekend.  He caught a cold the night before he left for Boise State and did not do great in singles, but he and his new partner, Taylor, won the doubles title!  He is a very happy camper right now (and today’s a holiday!)  You can read here:

http://www.goairforcefalcons.com/sports/m-tennis/recaps/101010aab.html

Hugs,

Linda

Freshman Alex Grubbs

Kevin is presently a senior at the University of Texas at Arlington and is looking forward to graduation.

I remember the day Scarlett arrived so many years earlier. She was the runt of a litter of 14 puppies. There wasn’t much left that mother nature gave to the last puppy born from this large family of English Setters. She needed so much. This female puppy eventually became a member of our family and lived with us for 17 and 1/2 years and in all that time never came in heat. She was remarkable -  at the same time the most valuable and the most worthless dog I have known. And we truly loved her.

She had in her blood line five national champions. The problem was – all five names were the same. The in-breeding produced an animal that nobody wanted, but us.

When the end finally came for her I could not bear the thought of losing her so I asked my dear friend and older student, Sam Latham, to bury her. And he most graciously consented. It proved to be his last of many acts of kindness to me and this school. And now Scarlett remains buried in our hearts and vibrant in our memories, with eyes still searching ours for a big hug and a kind word of welcome.

Life provides us with a few moments, precious moments, to capture a reflection of real love. And today I share one of those with you in the photograph of Scarlett with one of her many friends. The student is Katy and she is the student that brought tears to my eyes yesterday with the softly spoken and gentle words, “I miss Scarlett”.

Well, I miss her too.

Our friends, be they large or small, children or pets, wild ducks or even a small spider hard at work spinning a intricate web, teach us so much about love and laughter and life. They teach us to greet each day with joy, to have fun and play and savor the the flavors of life. And importantly,  teach us to be kind. They are among life’s greatest teachers. And the greatest lesson they offer is to love one another unconditionally.

Scarlett, in her dying breath, as I held her in my trembling arms, taught me one last lesson – that life is brief at best. We need to open up our arms and never pass by any living creature without sharing a moment of joy, for tomorrow may never come again.

wi

The children of our school deserve all the praise we could possibly offer. They were presented with a truly daunting challenge and rose to the occasion. Parents are still calling me and Mrs. Anderson with words of praise and encouragement for continuing the tradition of presenting Shakespeare each year in the future.

Our special gratitude goes to Richard and Karen Fox for their continuing support, which enables our theatrical productions to continue. And our admiration and gratitude to Robert Clover-Brown, a citizen of the USA since 2006, Cambridge University graduate and dynamic actor, for his informative and entertaining introduction of Richard III and his times, to our audience. To have Robert, as Shakespeare Man, with us on this auspicious occasion was indeed a delight.

We are already planning next year’s production. Our students, with the help of parents, will select the play for next year. Members of selection committee (yes, any student/parent may join us) will read five of Shakespeare’s plays and then meet to discuss, deliberate and debate the selection, and vote. This process provides inclusion, study, research and lively and entertaining discussion.

Again, thank you one and all. You have performed magnificently!

Red Bull makes the blood sticky; this is a precursor to a range of cardiovascular problems.

Red Bull is banned in Norway, Uruguay, and Denmark.

Last year, 3.5 billion cans of Red Bull were sold globally. Its primary ingredients are caffeine and sugar.

Being the mother/advocate of a gifted learner, I applaud you Dr. Anderson, for your willingness to concisely state you assessment of the current educational collapse in our country. I know for a FACT, based on experience with my daughter, that the public school was not willing to educate my daughter. You stated it beautifully, they have the talented educators, they just do not allow them the FREEDOM to teach the INDIVIDUALS as they need to be taught. They have spent the time and money to be sure that the children have been labeled deficient in some way go get what they need to be successful. But they have completely ignored the other end of the spectrum that is just as in need of attention and care. Again, i will go back to the distinction of INDIVIDUALS, children are just that, individuals, not buckets of like kinds. So either way, children need to be treated as individuals and taught as such.

I need to give kudos where kudos are due!

I have been actively searching for the correct educational model for my daughter, Iyan, since she was seven. She started school at the tender age of three and had we known how to identify what we were seeing in her behavior in school, we would have been able to identify her giftedness earlier. Unfortunately, she went through many years of frustration and anguish, as I searched for a way to satisfy her zest for learning. The traditional classroom was not a successful environment for her, University model education was not a fit, homeschooling didn’t work (I am not qualified), public school, in the highest level classes, didn’t work (boring)….help!

My child had grown bitter, angry, troubled, mixing with the wrong people, spent more time in the AP office than in class(he liked her…she was a great conversationalist), none the less she was being referred to the alternative school. I started searching again… The Lord led me to Anderson… I took a leap of faith and moved my family from Houston to Fort Worth for hope to save my daughter from a fate worse than death, having to stay in the public school.

In three short weeks, my daughter has started to smile and laugh again. She is not angry anymore (except when the boys really annoy her… that is normal), she gets in the car everyday and comments that she had a good day and actually talks about what she did that day, with details. Wow! A far cry from the previous, boring I hate school. She gladly irons her pleated navy skirt and wears hose with her navy blue pumps with a little heal, amazing. Before she wore only black, black and black.

My daughter of 12 actually looks like a young lady again. Dr and Mrs. Anderson thank you for responding to the call that the Lord put on your hearts to minister to gifted children. I know that you are blessed to do what you do and I am blessed as a parent to support you in being the educators of children, mine included. The world is a better place because of your daily efforts with the children you teach and the lives you impact. God bless you and your family.

Elizabeth Holloway-Wren
Mother if Iyan Wren, Student of Anderson Private School

www.andersonschool.net

Thursday November 20
8:30PM Eastern Time (5:30PM Pacific)

Common Misdiagnoses and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults: What Parents, Educators and Psychologists Need to Know

90 Minute Webinar Presentation – Presented by James T. Webb, PhD

SENG Webinar Event

Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnosis of Gifted Children and Adults

Details:

Date:November 20, 2008

Time:8:30 Eastern Time
(5:30 Pacific Time)

Location: Participate at home or office using your computer.

Because they lack training, mental health professionals are misdiagnosing gifted and talented children and adults as having mental disorders. The characteristics of gifted/talented children and adults – particularly if not understood at school, home, or work – often are mistaken for significant behavioral or emotional problems that can be misdiagnosed as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Conduct Disorder, or Bi-Polar Disorder… Parents and educators, therefore, must become more informed about these issues.

However, for other children and adults, their giftedness is related, but often overlooked, for diagnoses that are accurate such as Existential Depression, Bi-Polar, Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder, Sleep Disorders or Multiple Personality Disorder. That is, these children and adults do indeed have dual diagnoses – giftedness and some disorder. It is important that the aspects related to giftedness not be overlooked or misunderstood by professionals.

This session provides information to help parents, educators, and health care professionals understand how they can differentiate gifted behaviors from behavioral pathology. Dr. Webb will describe commonalities and contrasts between the characteristics of gifted children and adults and the behaviors described in the DSM-IV that are used by mental health professionals to make differential diagnoses. In addition, Dr. Webb will discuss dual diagnoses and how treatment approaches with gifted children and adults often need to be modified. Sign Up Today!

Dr. James T. Webb founded SENG in 1981, and is the lead author of award winning books including Misdiagnosis and Dual Diagnoses of Gifted Children and Adults, Guiding the Gifted Child, A Parent’s Guide to Gifted Children, Grandparent’s Guide to Gifted Children, and Gifted Parent Groups: The SENG Model. He was previously President of the American Association for Gifted Children, on the board of directors for the National Association for Gifted Children, President of the Ohio Psychological Association, and a member of the Council of Representatives of the American Psychological Association. Dr. Webb was recognized as one of the 25 most influential psychologists in a national survey published in Gifted Child Today. www.giftedbooks.com

For more information, contact office@sengifted.org, phone 845-797-5054.

This Webinar is provided by SENG, www.SENGifted.org.

Special thanks to Applied Gifted Ed and Todd McIntyre, for providing technical guidance for this event.

SENG is committed to sharing complex issues relating to the social and emotional needs of giftedness. Webinars reflect the opinions of their speakers and do not necessarily represent the philosophy of SENG. SENG invites your comments and discussion about this webinar following the session.

www.andersonschool.net