Joy Keeps Us Alive

“All truth passes through three stages.
First, it is ridiculed.
Second, it is violently opposed.
                   Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”     
– Arthur Schopenhauer

Have you noticed how the good spirits of happy people affects others. You can actually observe the anxious and overly stressed visibly thaw in the presence of those with joy in their hearts.

One insight that is necessary in understanding the nature of joy: It is contagious. And it not only spreads, but changes people who come in contact with it. If you garnish life with happiness, if you bring your joy to work you, the glow of your being truly touches others.

And what Is Joy? It is a powerful force in human nature. More powerful than you can ever imagine. It literally draws us toward the highest purpose of our existence, and becomes the most complete expression of our love.

I enjoy the writings of and listening to His Holiness, The Dalai Lama [click here for link] (meaning “Ocean of Wisdom”). And in a favorite quote of mine he states, “I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness.” So let us explore the deeper meanings of our lives and seek the guidance of those, like the Dalai Lama, who can help.

The Art and Science of Joy

Becoming successful in our search for happiness is not just pleasant – it is essential. It is required for life to exist. Without joy, our motivation to continue with our lives is absent.

And there are countless millions who made a decision not to exist without it. They were left with no hope of ever rediscovering the most essential ingredient in the formula of life. They were never told that joy and love were the same – that happiness creates a love of life and a reason for living.

No, it is not money or success and accomplishment that truly matters. The search for true happiness has far more value than these. It has a higher purpose. Joy naturally flows and branches out like a mighty river, when we generously share everything we possess and the happiness we have known. And all those things we think we possess, we can covet for a very brief time on this earth. We cannot really own anything. We are merely the very temporary custodian of things.

In our voyage of discovery I believe we need to look to poetry, which is at its essence, philosophy, crafted and adorned with a love of beautiful expression. I recommend you read the works of the great poets and prophets of happiness. And start with Kahlil Gibran [click here to link]. You will love the majesty and beauty of the language with which he clothed his beautiful thoughts and remarkable insights.

In “The Prophet”, he unveils an essential truth of life and living: “Your joy is your sorrow unmasked. And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears. And how else can it be? Joy and sorrow are inseparable. . . together they come and when one sits alone with you . . . remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.”

Gibran’s deep and abiding insights can help to bring about a clearer understanding of the nature of being, and the nature of being human.

He states, “When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.”

Kahlil is telling us we have much to be thankful for – even the sorrow that brings us pain, which is the mirror of all the joy we have been so blessed with. And he reminds us of so many other things that we typically do not reflect upon. But these can, once again, become pathways to happiness:

“And in the sweetness of friendship, let there be laughter and the sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed. And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.”

Another fountain of joyful knowledge you can find in the writings of Cat Thompson, who writes regularly for Experience Life. You can learn more about her work at http://www.emotionaltechnologies.com. She reminds us that we too carry mysterious worlds deep within our subconscious and can commit to personal joy as a life process.

In so doing she recommends that we forget about money. In any decision-making process involving money, take money out of the picture and see if your decision would be the same. The path toward material wealth is one of the most time-consuming, joy detours imaginable.

She knows that joyful people want everyone to be joyful. And that may be the biggest reason of all for us to commit to our own happiness – because we affect everyone around us. Joy is so contagious.

Missy spends the day at school

TRIP PLANNED FOR FRIDAY

We will meet at 9:30 a.m. at Half-Price Books, located at 475 Sherry Lane, north of Ridgmar Mall –Telephone: 817-732-4111. At approximately 10:45 a.m. we will travel to the FOOD COURT in the Ridgmar Mall to enjoy lunch. Following (burp) lunch we will walk to the RAVE 13 THEATER, located in the Mall at 2300 Green Oaks Road, telephone (817) 566-0025, to enjoy the highly acclaimed new movie Captain Phillips, rated PG13  Younger students may view another film to be selected with the blessing of Mrs. A. PICK UP will be at the Rave Theater at 2:30 p.m.

Kylee finds a keeper at Fossilmania

Plot & Details:

‘Captain Phillips’ is a multi-layered examination of the 2009 hijacking of the U.S. container ship Maersk Alabama by a crew of Somali pirates. It is through director Paul Greengrass’s distinctive lens – simultaneously a pulse-pounding thriller, and a complex portrait of the myriad effects of globalization. The film focuses on the relationship between the Alabama’s commanding officer, Captain Richard Phillips (two time Academy Award-winner Tom Hanks), and the Somali pirate captain, Muse (Barkhad Abdi), who takes him hostage. Phillips and Muse are set on an unstoppable collision course when Muse and his crew target Phillips’ unarmed ship; in the ensuing standoff, 145 miles off the Somali coast, both men will find themselves at the mercy of forces beyond their control.

Rylee studies the fossil record. She found Dr. A on page 3.

MPAA Rating: PG-13, Genre: Drama, Run Time: 134 min., Director(s): Paul Greengrass, Starring: Tom Hanks , Max Martini , Catherine Keener , Michael Chernus , Corey Johnson, Themes: Daring Rescues,Hostage Situations, Pirates, Hijackings, Tone:Claustrophobic,Menacing,Tense, Atmospheric, Forceful, Intimate,

The starting time may change, please be patient. Dr. A may become anxious but popcorn always helps.

Our new wild turkey enjoys company

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 (wake him gently with the smell of warm popcorn if necessary) or Mrs. Anderson.

Everyone enjoyed shopping at the Fossil Show

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:

Nov. 25-29         Thanksgiving/Fall Break
Dec. 5-6             Texas Assn. for Gifted & Talented Conf. (No school)
Dec. 20               Last Day of Fall Semester
Dec. 23 – Jan. 7  Winter Break Holidays
Jan. 24                 Fort Worth Stock Show

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

Where precocious children are nurtured, appreciated
& eat a lot of popcorn!

Who is HAPPY and WHY? / Fossilmania is Friday

IT’S  OFFICIAL !

Hey, it’s a school for the creative! (And always fun with a funion bag.)

The Danes are the happiest people on the planet. According to the UN’s 2013 World Happiness Report [click here to view report], Denmark beats every other country on a global happiness scale.

The United States isn’t especially happy. It came in 17th place, between Mexico and Ireland.

Many Copenhageners have fun on a bicycle.  In Copenhagen, where half of the people pedal to work. Cycling is one of the best ways to explore. And, importantly, it is a lot of fun. So get a bike! It will be relaxing and remember: you, too, can feel young and be happy again.

Dr. A, is this man ontologically significant or wax?

Public transport in Denmark is efficient. It takes only 15 minutes to travel from the airport to the center of the city by metro, and the trains run 24 hours a day.

Copenhageners are law-abiding, a by-product of being contented with life. Even at 3 a.m. on an icy cold night, with no traffic in sight, they’ll wait for the green light at pedestrian crossings. Having law-abiding citizens contributes to being happy, since crime and victims of crime are reduced.

And Copenhagen is extra-green. The Danish capital has electric buses, recycling citizens, clean harbors and shops selling clothes made from organic materials. And over 60% of the hotel rooms are certified eco-friendly.

I thought it was another one of Dr. A’s Tall Tales!

Unbelievably, three-quarters of the food served in public institutions is organic. Also unbelievably, you will find only ONE organic restaurant in Fort Worth, the Spiral Diner [click here to visit website]. It is also vegetarian. Our school, by the way, has made several trips to enjoy the cuisine and hear presentations on healthy eating. When your healthy, you feel better and you are happier.

Next year, Copenhagen will be the 2014 European Green Capital, an award that recognizes cities with consistently high environmental standards. This is only the beginning: By 2025, Copenhagen plans to be the world’s first carbon-neutral capital. All of this is indicative of and contributes to being healthy, which results in being happy.

Creating a truly joyful person requires creating a happy society. You are much more likely to be happy, if the people around you have joy in their hearts. Like the song says, “Make someone happy, make just one someone happy, and you will be happy too”.

I can’t see how I am going to buy these glasses.

My Personal Recommendations:

I have been asked, from time to time, what have you done to be so happy? Well, allow me to share a personal perspective, garnered from years of reflection and digestion. (By the way, my Dad was from Denmark.) My suggestions are (and will be continued in weeks to come):

1. Get a bike.

2. Get out of town. Jericho, Byblos, Hebron, Damascus, and Susa all lay claim to being the oldest city. For about ten thousand years we have huddled together in these artificial contrivances. But prior to the invention of the town, people were not uncomfortably stuck so closely together.

I have never been more relaxed and contented, than when I finally realized that cities are no place for human beings. It took a half-century to realize this, but it did finally dawn on me (actually, I think the sun was in a beautiful retreat when this happened). My stress levels diminished considerably after a few hours, not days or weeks. The fresh air, the communion with all the beautiful birds and other life forms I had forgotten existed, the unbelievable sunsets, the sounds of quiet (you can actually hear the sounds of silence), the open spaces that open up the mind, the feel of the wind and warmth of pure sunlight are all absolute goods.

Oh yes, we need cities, if for no other reason than to remind us of what life was like. I slowly drive into one frequently and then drive faster to get out. After all, they come with frequent warnings related to air pollution and high mortality rates relative to traffic accidents, crime and general insanity that results from too many people being pushed into tight spaces with predictable psychological maladies.

One of these girls is not like the other.

But the most important reason I love living outside of metropolitan madness, relates to lowering measurable levels of unnecessary, and even unrecognizable, stress. I find myself actually looking at people I now greet and I think about what I am saying when I greet them. I have resigned from my thoughtless robotic rhetoric learned from decades of being in small spaces and around too many people and always in a big hurry.

By the way, there is a large body of research, which I recently shared with my students, that proves we can only do one thing at a time [click here to view report]. The illusion persists that we can multitask, but in truth we are only capable of merely switching our thoughts, rapidly sometimes, back and forth. I now fully realize this by having my nearest neighbor several acres away, which permits me to actually entertain a deep and prolonged thought. What a sweet and delightful freedom. Single task to live longer, stress less and be happy.

We cannot explain all behavior. Now I know what was meant when the Indian said, “White man speak with forked tongue”.

So my friends, get out of Dodge and savor the freedoms God intended you to enjoy!

We will continue our findings on being happy next week.

Our parents say our weekly weblogs are both useful and inspirational. Let us know what you think.

Our destination for FRIDAY, October 25, 2013 is: The SOMERVELL COUNTY EXPO CENTER HIGHWAY 67 in GLEN ROSE, TEXAS to enjoy Fossil Mania. We will depart from the school at 9:00 a.m. to arrive at approximately 10:30 a.m. for a self-guided tour and a LATE LUNCH in Granbury. We will return around 3:30 p.m. Please be patient if we are late.

Fossil Mania is a highly motivating science project that can be enjoyed by the entire family. Friends, family and neighbors are invited join us.

FINANCIAL:  No fee required.

Mom, you can probably get a refund for the makeup.

LUNCH:  Please provide funds for lunch & snacks & fossils.
GIFT SHOP: Parents may want to provide jobs around the house to let child(ren) earn money to spend. They will want to purchase something slightly older than Dr. A.

Emergency Telephone: 682-777-1908. The telephone may be out of range. Uniform pants with a belt & red monogrammed school shirts are required. Tuck your shirt in & wear a belt, and you will be allowed to act normal and participate.

Please do not make references about Dr. Anderson being an old fossil during this trip. He is sensitive & not for sale, so please do not put price tags on him (especially if they are below one dollar). And thank you, Natalie, for the truth in advertising price tag last year: “Priceless”.

O, I morphed into this.

Students are NOT to leave the Exposition Center or eatery at any time for any reason, including the need to secure a ride or use the restroom, without the approval of Dr. or Mrs. Anderson.

QUESTIONS? 817-448-8484.

Why America’s Education System Is Obsolete

You cannot have more fun than making noises into a fan!

“Much education today is monumentally ineffective. All too often we are giving young people cut flowers when we should be teaching them to grow their own plants.”  – John W. Gardner

Our competitive advantage of innovation is at risk because of America’s poor system of schooling, according to research by Harvard professor Tony Wagner.

Our schools teach to fill children with knowledge instead of focusing on developing innovation skills, learning to love one another and instilling the motivation to succeed.

To quote Wagner: “Today knowledge is constantly changing, growing exponentially… Today knowledge is free. It’s like air, it’s like water. It’s become a commodity… There’s no competitive advantage today in knowing more than the person next to you. The world doesn’t care what you know. What the world cares about is what you can do with what you know.”

Hi! I’m Kirby, and I am here to dog blog. So, bla, bla, blark.

Avoiding risk is normal but: “We penalize mistakes,” says Wagner. “The whole challenge in schooling is to figure out what the teacher wants. It’s a compliance-driven, risk-averse culture.” Innovation, on the other hand, is grounded in taking risks and learning via trial and error.

Educators should take a note from design firm IDEO with its mantra of “Fail early, fail often,” says Wagner. At Stanford’s Institute of Design, he says they put forth ideas like, “We’re thinking F is the new A.” Without failure, there is no success.

Henry Ford failed and went broke
five times before he succeeded.

Young innovators are intrinsically motivated, he says. They aren’t interested in grades and petty reward systems. Parents and teachers can encourage innovative thinking by nurturing the curiosity and inquisitiveness of young people, Wagner says.

And this leads me to ask, “Why is suicide the second leading cause of death for college age students?” Why is failure, which can lead to such a tragic consequence, even noted or recorded? Why do we allow schools to punish scholars with failure and then compound the loss of self-esteem and lower achievement recognition by mathematically averaging success with failing grades?

There are specific causes for children, of all ages, becoming self-destructive. And one major cause is our inability to recognize the very dangerous commodity that failure can become when placed in the wrong or inexperienced hands. The power to succeed belongs in the hands of those whose future depends upon it. And it is an immense power.

There is tremendous value in failure, if it is placed it in a proper and positive perspective. Some great inventors and innovators survived antiquated, heartless and mindless institutional attempts at harassing and frequently annihilating anyone shy of perfection. But others, by the millions, have not survived. And the loss of such potential cannot even be estimated.

If we were to eliminate just one dozen of our most successful inventors, our societies would be set back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Yes, you would be in the dark, with none of the electronic devices to help you stay informed and pass the time. And you probably would not even exist.

Punitive and degrading assessment policies that penalize children so harshly, effectively crippling them, in my not-so-humble opinion, constitutes the equivalent of what can be equated to mass murder. These institutions of learning lack the wisdom and compassion and understanding to be permitted direct contact with our fragile and deeply loved children, our future innovators and leaders.

At our school, we have eliminated the antiquated nonsense of subjective grades and reports cards (along with dreaded homework, which according to research, is the number one cause of failure in secondary grades). With a required mastery level of 90%, no one receives a grade below an A. Students simply work on an instructional objective until this level is achieved and without time constraints.

As a result, failure is placed into a more positive perspective. It is actually valued. And, in fact, can be viewed philosophically, as the finest teacher available. Especially if it is seen within the context of the results of experimentation or research or exploratory activity.

Failure should not be wielded like a weapon to extrinsically motivate children to be successful. Accomplishment, in and of itself, is highly motivating. And, importantly, it is positive re-enforcement. Negatives are simply not needed – and they can become highly destructive.

Jack London received six hundred rejection slips
before he sold his first story.

Where would we be if Thomas Edison did not value the failure he encountered and knew was so essential for success? Edison held a world record of 1093 patents for inventions such as the phonograph, motion picture camera and last, but not least, the light bulb and laid the foundation for the modern electric age.

As an inventor, Edison made over 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?” Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

Professor Tony Wagner says that parents of innovators encourage their children to play in more exploratory ways with “Fewer toys, more toys without batteries, more unstructured time in their day”.

A new female wild Turkey & male African Guinea are gifts from Rylee & Kylee.

Wagner concludes, “The culture of schooling, as we all know it, is radically at odds with the culture of learning that produces innovators.”

Wagner is not suggesting we change a few processes and update a few manuals. He says, “The system has become obsolete. It needs reinventing, not reforming.”

I agree. Our children carry with them, in their pocket, something that connects them to the world wide web. They do not need to know everything. The can easily access information before you even get the opportunity to finish asking the question.

We need to instill a true passion for living and for learning. Let us begin by learning and teaching our children to love one another and, in the process, rediscover the joy we misplaced but existed since birth.

We are planning activities for FRIDAY, October 14, 2011. Our destination is: The PALACE OF WAX & RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT, 601 East Safari Parkway, Grand Prairie (I-30 & Belt Line Road- 7 minutes East of Six Flags, (972-263-2391)

We will depart at 9:00 a.m. to arrive at 10:00 a.m. We will first enjoy a brief visit to the video arcade, gift shop, fantastic photos, and wax hands (ask for the special price for our group), then have an early lunch at 11:00 a.m. to avoid other large (many calories) groups. Following lunch we will enjoy self-guided tours of the Palace of Wax and Ripley’s Believe It or Not, which, believe it or not, should last approximately two hours.

Our dog, Saffy, has 4 more votes for President. She is deaf and will not listen to Lobbyists. And since the country has gone to the dogs, well, go figure!

This is a history, science, literature and art museum where learning becomes a unique experience. The fear section can be avoided by the young, faint of heart or just plain scared (like Dr. A, who has been known to scream and cry and embarrass us). The not-so-brave may exit to the gift shop (that’s a scary place) and show Dr. A how to escape a frightful future and avoid touring the rest of the exhibit.

Is that a note attached to Athena? I think it’s for Mom.

FINANCIAL Fee: $8.00 (includes TAX & a little money for gas). This discounted price is a group combination ticket–the regular price is $15.95. It does NOT include Mirror Maze. Please pay Dr. A.

LUNCH: Please bring funds for lunch. Dr. A may require C.P.R. following ingestion of a fat, I mean hot dog. GIFT SHOP Yes! Please do not purchase anything to scare the cowardly Dr. A! He is already afraid of all children, a few parents (you scary ones know who you are!), his wife, his dog Rosie, and one particular chicken in the petting zoo.

Uniform pants with a belt (required to participate) & red monogrammed and tucked in school shirt are required. Jackets should be NAVY blue.
• Family, neighbors and friends are always invited to enjoy Friday with us.
• Students MAY WEAR COSTUMES on Friday

Drop-off will be at the School at 8:30 a.m. Pick-up will be at the Anderson School at 3:15 p.m. Please be patient – traffic conditions, goofing off or a reluctance to ask for directions (a male thing) may delay us. Dr. Anderson may be reached on his cell telephone – EMERGENCY. If he does not answer, keep calling! He’s old, retired (twice) & busy or pretending to be busy.

We don’t explain them, we just train them.

IMPORTANT DATES:
Oct. 25 Fossilmania in Glenrose
Nov. 25-29 Thanksgiving/Fall Break
Dec. 5-6 Texas Assn. for Gifted & Talented Conf. (No school) Dec. 20 Last Day of Fall Semester
Dec. 23 – Jan. 7 Winter Break Holidays

Like the Sound of Salvation

Farrah, Kylee and Ian enjoy Mrs. Wendi’s Class

As our lives spin faster and faster out of control, we cannot help feeling that, perhaps, it is simply too much to cope with. And we are not alone in feeling this. In fact, it is shared by countless others.

Were you aware that suicide is the third leading cause of death for our young people age15-24 years. (1st = accidents, 2nd = homicide).

And I must ask, “Why?”  Why is it a cause of death at all?

Kylee loves bringing Lucky to school

My friends, let us chart the hidden boundary of our lives. What truly exists is mostly hidden in dimensions unexplored. It is uncharted. And the pathways to our awareness lay on virgin soil.

As Rod McKuen has intoned with such insight and compassion, “And Love, Love is full of flaws. Who knows the cause? Living in a memory, of a Love that never was”.

Professor Lacey and Instructor Wendi Williams delight in watching Farrah, age 3, learn Latin

And that, my friends, is what others have privately shared with me. There simply was, for them, no loving memory. Despite appearances, they felt abandoned and truly all alone. There was no one to share their deepest feelings with. No one cared enough to spend even a few moments to listen, just listen. And in listening, do so without judging.

Kylee enjoys feeding our Turkeys, Chickens & Guineas

What our children, of all ages, are needing is to discover that someone, perhaps you, simply cares. You may assume that someone cares for everyone. But, by the millions, it not true.

You may be as shocked as I am to learn that suicide is the fifth leading cause of death for our very young children age 5-14 years. I found this to be unbelievable. After all, we are referring to young kids fourteen years of age and under.

Director, George Rodriguez, discusses William Shakespeare (one play will be selected by students to perform in the Spring)

And this unfathomable tragedy is compounded knowing that destroying yourself is the second leading cause of death among college students.

I cannot tell you how many times students and strangers and friends shared with me a deeply sincere thank you for caring enough to take a few moments and listen, just listen. Sometimes, after listening, I must wait until I get home to wash with my tears .

And I must confess that today I am happy. As Rod would intone, “The reason is you see, once in while along the way, Love was good to me.”

To begin a journey of hope for someone, anyone, you must open up the heart a little, just a little to begin with. After all, it is a fragile pathway. It is lined with memories of the sorrows and the joy, the happy and the pain and the deep longings, some with unforgettable regret.

Ian loves feeding the wild birds (and himself)

But holding back the tears, after all the years, will never let them wash away loves wounds unseen. There is  a blessing in knowing that those who hurt you are people you never really knew. And, you discover, they never knew themselves.

I am reminded of the simple but powerful lyrics to the song,
“What a Wonderful World” –
The colors of the rainbow so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces of people going by
I see friends shaking hands saying how do you do
They’re really saying I love you.

Yes, we tell others we love them in the simple things we do – with a warm smile, a happy greeting or a sincere expression of concern.

But it is more than love we convey. It is so much more. In that brief moment of joy, with a sparkle in your eyes, in the heartfelt warmth of your words or in a timeless moment of thoughtful concern, we plant a deep seed of hope for someone living in quiet desperation. And everyone is in need of hope.

To stop in mid-stride of a bustling and busy day to say, “You are in my prayers” or “I pray that God abides with you on this Blessed Day” can change the course of mighty river of despair that flows unimpeded through the seemingly hopeless life of someone in need.

You are, my friend, like an island in the sea. The sea is the silence that pervades the lives of desperation all around you. It is the gulf, and many millions have been lost at sea. Yes, the island is your voice in the void, much like one in the wilderness, much like a beacon in the frightening dark of night, like the sound of salvation.

Our Savior did not give His life for you in vain. His Sacrifice gives us the strength to help one another.

The next person you meet is far more fragile than you can ever know. That beautiful person is truly a reflection of all the love and all the joy that resides deep within you.

If you want to come alive, breathe life into someone else, anyone. The hope you give will spring forth by simply looking deeply into the eyes of a friend, a neighbor or a stranger and igniting a desire to more fully live this life, by knowing that someone, somewhere, simply cares – that they are loved, loved by you.

Love profound is eternal. And your love will live beyond your being. It will dwell within every heart you meet and echo throughout eternity with every lonely person you warmly greet.

We are made in His Image. Can you not already hear the voice of God? The one you spoke to in a loving manner can.

William Shakespeare – Friday

Our plan for this FRIDAY is to continue to REVIEW 5 SHAKESPEARE PLAYS and prepare to vote to select one for performance in the Spring. All students will meet at the school on FRIDAY morning at 9:00 a.m. We will spend the entire day getting introduced to William Shakespeare and five of his plays that we have not previously performed on stage.

PICKUP will be at the school at 3:00 p.m.

William Shakespeare was a highly respected man of dramatic arts who authored plays and acted in some of them in the 16th and early 17th centuries. His reputation as a dramatic genius wasn’t fully recognized until the last century.

Beginning in the early 1800s and continuing through the Victorian period, acclaim for William Shakespeare and his work reached its peak. In the last century new interest in performance has been rediscovered.

His plays today are popular and reverently studied and interpreted in performances with diverse cultures. The genius of Shakespeare presents real human beings in a range of emotions and that transcend their origins in England. He is now recognized as the greatest playwright in western civilization.

William Shakespeare (26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616)

IMPORTANT DATES:
Oct. 14 Columbus Day Holiday
Oct. 18 Ripley’s Believe It or Not & Wax Museum
Oct. 25 Fossilmania in Glenrose (Dr. A is NOT for sale!)
Nov. 25-29 Thanksgiving/Fall Break
Dec. 5-6 Texas Assn. for Gifted & Talented Conf. (No school)
Dec. 20 Last Day of Fall Semester
Dec. 23 – Jan. 7 Winter Break Holidays

YOU are invited to be with us and observe, but PLEASE do NOT interfere with our preparations for in-depth study of these five plays or Dr. A munching down of a delicious pizza (he is not supposed to have this, but please do not tell Mrs. A.).

Dr. Anderson may be reached at 682-777-1908 (EMERGENCY & RUMORS, ALIEN ABDUCTION STORIES (one of his favorite subjects), EXAGGERATIONS (he can relate), ETC.)

The Only Real Measure of Time / Shakespeare & Other Miss and Mr. Adventures

The wind tunnel is high excitement.

” If a little knowledge is dangerous,
where is a person who has so much
as to be out of danger?”   – Thomas Henry

Our challenge as lovers of learning and life, is to know that for this love, this passion for knowledge and living to survive and thrive, we must learn to love  each other. And as difficult as that may seem to be, it is not. The path to love lies through the lens of becoming, essentially, non-judgmental.

Caleb proves to be a true scholar

Try to imagine yourself one hundred years from today and still alive (which is becoming more and more possible, as our life span is extended with dramatic discoveries in technology and medicine).

What difference will it matter that someone, so long ago, did something to upset or offend you. It will not be remembered. Time will wash away all memory. And if you chose to forgive that person, your heart erased the transgression immediately. I have discovered that one of the beautiful facets of forgiveness is that it not only heals the heart, it also removes the pain.

Look philosophically through the lens of love. Tomorrow is yesterday – in one short breath, in one sigh, in one tear drop, in one regret. The only time you truly possess is this moment. Yesterday is but a memory, tomorrow a dream. But this moment possesses all the possibilities and all the hopes of a lifetime.

So my prayer for you is to see the world in a drop of rain or hope in the setting sun, as you hold tomorrow in your arms in the embrace of your child and feel the very real warmth of a smile.

Mrs. Anderson and Rylee share a higher level thinking activity with others.

The beat of your heart is the only real measure of time. Tomorrow is after the next beat, and yesterday, just before. And your heart will never cease to herald joy in all the moments to be.

The Heartbeat of Heaven echoes throughout the history of humanity in the purest sound of love that resides within each loving moment we spend with our child. Yes, it can be heard now. And its echoes can be heard, on and on.

Live in this moment. Love in this moment. For this moment is worthy and rare and truly all we possess. Do not judge it. Do not weigh it against another. And importantly, do not deny it.

This day is the purest gift God can provide. Blessed is this moment. Love it and share its joy with the next person you meet, and it will be yours forever.

Caleb and Alden celebrate the birthday of Mary Alice

Caty and Ian enjoyed petting a snake at the Fort Worth Zoo.

Our plan for FRIDAY, October 4 & 11, 2013, is to continue our REVIEW of five SHAKESPEARE PLAYS in order to prepare our students to vote and select one for a public community theater performance in the Spring of 2014.

This will continue our wonderful learning experience in the in-depth study of Shakespeare and his remarkable works. And, importantly it will further empower students, in enabling them to critique and assess those plays we study in-depth.

We want our children to familiarize themselves with a variety of Shakespeare’s works, in preparing to make an intelligent choice regarding the live, on stage production of one they choose.

Alex Anderson shows Kayla Stone a new computer lab.

All students will meet at the school on FRIDAY morning at 9:00 a.m. We will again spend the entire day with noted Director and Actor, George X. Rodriguez, as he familiarizes students with William Shakespeare and his life and time.

Our plan, as in the past, is to dedicate more days (including the next two Fridays) getting introduced to the English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language, through the process of reviewing five of his plays that we have not previously performed on stage.

The latest Shakespeare performances by Anderson scholars may be viewed on our website andersonschool.net.

Mrs. Krasner, Instructor in Science, helps students observe life forms a little smaller than they are.

Mason contemplates a new assignment.

PICKUP on Friday will be at the school at 3:00 p.m.

Farah enjoyed meeting a new friend at the Zoo

IMPORTANT DATES

Oct. 14 Columbus Day Holiday
Oct. 18 Trip to Ripley’s Believe It or Not & Wax Museum
Oct. 25 Trip to Fossilmania in Glenrose
Nov. 25-29 Thanksgiving/Fall Break
Dec. 5-6 Texas Assn. for the Gifted & Talented Conference (No school)
Dec. 20 Last Day of Fall Semester
Dec. 23 – Jan. 7 Winter Break