Home!

Fwd: Goin' Back to Cali

>

Vegas Baby!

A long layover, but I am too wiped out to gamble! I am currently sitting in the Vegas airport updating this blog with a few last things. It has been a magnificent adventure, learning experience, and energizer! I hope it was fun and educational to follow over the past week!

I will arrive to  Sacramentoo at about 11PM and then begin the drive home to Chico. I should be home about 1 AM which is actually 4 AM in DC.... I can't wait to see my family and my dogs! I am sure all my kids will be asleep, but it will be great to be home with them nonetheless. I will take tomorrow off and return to work Thursday. I look forward to seeing all of you!

Erin Gruwell with a Message for TMS Students

Erin and I laughed after the recording that the Men's bathroom sign appears throughout the clip....

Winding Down at the Library of Congress

Bill Feaver from Texas and I turning in our students' writing.

All of the Freedom Teachers brought copies of things their students have written and those things were given to the Secretary of Education! I gave a copy of the last three years of writing from the Writing Exchange.

Fwd: Another Incredible Day

>Above Ering Gruwell, My roomate Toey from Texas and me!
Below Erin with a copy of the last three years of Writing Exchanges!

>Robyn Marrotta, Freedom Writer wearing our beanie!

> Sent from my iPad

Congressman John Lewis addressing FW Teachers part I

This was undoubtedly one of the most amazing presentations I have ever witnessed! (17 minutes long)

John Lewis part II

More Amazing Speakers

Sent from my iPadWe were able to hear passionate speeches from Patrick Kennedy, Dick Gebhardt, and John Lewis! So incredible.
.

Freedom Writer to TMS Students

Auschwitz Holocaust Survivor Speaks to TMS Students!

Fwd: Newseum..

Sections of the Berlin Wall (West Side) after it came down!

The Antenna from one of the Twin Towers after the 9-11 attacks!

   

Freedom Writer to TMS Students...

Moving and Shaking

Above, Hanging with the OG's in front of the Capital!

Behind my Freedom Teacher friends is a building that houses nine of the most important positions in the US.
1. What building might this be?
2. Why have an odd number (9) instead of an even number???

Freedom Writer to TMS

Freedom Writer to TMS

Having Fun

Erin Gruwell and Freedom Writers Tanya Payne and Robyn Marotta.

Fwd: Speakers

Free Minds Speaker and Poet....after being incarcerated for 10 years at the age of 16.....  He now works to help establish better living conditions for those who are incarcerated.

Holocaust--Auschwitz Survivor Renee Firestone!

Freedom Writer to TMS

Amazing Panel Discussion

Yesterday afternoon, we gathered with some amazing people and discussed tolerance issues and ways to approach genocide in schools. Our speakers included: Ger Duany who was forcefully recruited as a child soldier in the Sudanese Civil War; Tresor Rusesabagina who is the son of Paul Rusesabagina and who they made the movie Hotel Rwanda about due to his efforts to help save 1200 refugees during time of mass genocide; Bunni Sek who was born in a Cambodian refugee camp and whose family lived in Cambodia when 3 million Cambodians were killed during the genocide; Renee Firestone, a holocaust surviver who was imprisoned in Auschwitz; Zlata Filipovic via SKYPE, author of Zlata's Diary, and surviver of the war in Sarajevo; and our Moderator Andrew Carroll who is the author of several bestselling books including War Letters.

Freedom Writer to Table Mt School students (round 4)

This is Michael, who has overcome overwhelming addiction to now be a business owner and a very fit person!

Freedom Writer to Table Mt School students (round 3)

Hanging with Freedom Writers...

Sent from my iPadI had some of the original Freedom Writers agree to send you all some personal messages! SEE BELOW!!!

Freedom Writers to Table Mt School students (round2)!

Freedom Writer to Table Mt School students (round 1)!

Here is a personal message from Tanya, an original Freedom Writer, to the students in Butte County Juvenile Hall!

Fwd: Touring the Monuments

> We toured the Washington Monument and all 200 of us walked to the Lincoln Memorial and the on to Dr. King's memorial.
>

>
> Erin Gruwell at the Lincoln Memorial...getting ready for the huge group picture.
> Sent from my iPad

Toey and I having some fun after a serious morning.

The Holocaust Museum

It was an intense morning. I chose to not take pictures while I was in the actual Museum, but I thought I would mention one of the pictures. There was a picture of what I imagine to be a mother and son who had been separated in a concentration camp, standing with a chain link fence between them. I just can't imagine this impossible situation and the fact that women and children were often killed first to eliminate the ability to reproduce or grow stronger. It is devastating, but crucial for us all to know, teach, and to make sure it doesn't happen again. 11,000,000 people died in the Holocaust.

And We're Off

One of four buses of our crew!

My Roomate

Sent from my iPadMy Roommate and friend through the Freedom Writers, Toey. He is super social and the kind of person everyone gets along with. He is my social crutch as we navigate through 200 teachers now!

The Freedom Teacher OGs

> Erin Gruwell (in red) asked us to come onstage...10 of the original 16 teachers who started working with her ten years ago. This number has gone from 16 to 400 over the years, but it is fun being known as the starting group and I adore these people!

FREEDOM WRITERS!

We are having our opening dinner and speakers...25 of the original Freedom Writers! Each one of them gave a short presentation about a segment of their lives.  It was amazing.  I recorded a few and hope to post. 

Living Conditions Have Improved!

I packed my bags and headed out of the hostel. A few stops on the Metro and I am now checked into my room at the Marriot Warden Park Hotel....pretty plush digs. I am excited that they roomed me with my buddy Toey who I met at a Freedom Writer event two years ago.

Connecting with Good Friends

Sent from my iPadThe Freedom Writer/Teacher event is starting to draw in our folks! I have known this group for ten years now, about the time we all started working with Erin Gruwell and the Freedom Writers. Debbie from Sacramento, Bill from Fresno, and Marvelous Marcia from Minnesota. Marcia (top) has raised over half a million dollars for her classrooms and schools to do amazing things!
.

New Friends

Sent from my iPadI met John at the Hostel and he really ran the show there. He is a published Poet and he would make everyone say HELLO in a different language before he would allow them in for the free breakfast. I was leaving the hostel and decided to run back up and give him a shirt. He was stoked and asked me to send him this picture!
1. How many different languages can your class say good morning in?

SKYPING from the National Air and Space Museum

A spontaneous SKYPE session with CPod from the National Air and Space a museum today!

SKYPING from the Whitehouse!

Sent from my iPad
We skyped with students from EPod today from the Whitehouse...We learned tha Ro Sham Bo is more than just a game! Rochambeau was in charge of 7000 French troops and fought alongside Washington in the American Revolutionary War.
.

Trying to SKYPE with F-Pod...

Roger hoped I would Skype from the Franklin D Roosevelt Memorial, but apparently students on F Were not able to do so today....bummer! I was ready to go.... Franklin D Roosevelt was elected to a whopping FOUR terms as president.....and he had a disability! He was diagnosed with polio at in 1921 and never walked unassisted again! Much of his presidency was spent in a wheelchair!
1. Why did many Americans NOT know he was in a wheelchair??
2. If Roosevelt was elected to four terms, why did he only serve 12 years?

Re: Thomas Jefferson Memorial

> Thomas Jefferson had a cool memorial, but it was small in comparison to other Memorials. Nevertheless, I would consider him one of the greatest for just three reasons....
> 1. What document did he write?
> 2. What did he help add to the Constitution?
> 3. What did he buy that helped cement the US as a GIANT?

The Martin Luther King Jr Memorial

Sent from my iPad

MLK has said and written some of the greatest things.
1. Pick one of these quotes and decide, write, or share with a peer what it means to you and how it applies to your life...

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication and any documents, files or previous e-mail messages attached to it, constitute an electronic communication within the scope of the Electronic Communication Privacy Act, 18 USCA 2510. This communication may contain non-public, confidential, or legally privileged information intended for the sole use of the designated recipient(s). The unlawful interception, use or disclosure of such information is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, or have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply email or by telephone and delete all copies of this communication, including attachments, without reading, forwarding or saving them electronically.

The Vietnam Memorial

Sent from my iPadTwo of my uncles were in the Vietnam War and returned home, but Bill had a HS friend who was listed on this memorial.
58,286 US Lives were lost in Vietnam.
Over half of those killed were under 22 years old.
The largest group killed were 19 year olds.
The entire memorial was funded WITHOUT government money. 9 million dollars in donations funded the project.
All 58,286 people's names are listed on the memorial! It is intense.

CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This communication and any documents, files or previous e-mail messages attached to it, constitute an electronic communication within the scope of the Electronic Communication Privacy Act, 18 USCA 2510. This communication may contain non-public, confidential, or legally privileged information intended for the sole use of the designated recipient(s). The unlawful interception, use or disclosure of such information is strictly prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, or have received this communication in error, please notify the sender immediately by reply email or by telephone and delete all copies of this communication, including attachments, without reading, forwarding or saving them electronically.