1st Days

This year marks a new beginning over here in the school department.  After much deliberating and praying, we enrolled Squirt at a private Christian school for 1st grade.  Said school is a 30 minute drive, but the magic bus system picks her up 4 minutes from home, making it doable.  We're so happy to have her in a smaller, nurturing environment and are eager to get involved in this school community.  After week #1, so far, so good.

Dude is finishing elementary school at the same public school and is off to roaring start.  We're excited about his teachers and the interesting, hands on stuff they'll be doing in 5th grade.  He has been given the vocation of Sanitation Engineer, which sounds fancy to him.  I questioned the "sanitation" title, but whatever.  Just yesterday he made a speech to his classmates, trying out for student council.  This might have been my favorite school related thing I've done with him.  He was pumped up on day #1 to get involved in this and wrote a killer speech (see below).  I came to hear him (of course I did) and we await the results today.  I'm not sure who will have a harder time if he doesn't get elected.  Yes I do.  I will.  For sure.  He'll be just fine.

This is the speech Dude successfully delivered for his Student Council audition.  I couldn't have been more proud of him.  He used visuals of each character, which caused him to stand out (in my humble opinion).

Hi, my name is Rylan Vogelzang.  I’m wondering if I can join Student Council!  I have special needs and I’ll tell you more about that at the end of my speech.  Here’s why I want to join Student Council.  I will be highlighting being SAFE, RESPONSIBLE, and RESPECTFUL using characters you might recognize!

Being Safe

I choose Joy and Fear from Inside Out for being safe.  I added Joy because if you have Fear by itself, you would be afraid of everything.  But if you add Joy you can be happy and safe at the same time.  It’s important to be safe at school to not bump into other people, not to fall down the stairs like I did already, keeping your hands to yourself, to not blow your anger top, to use kind greeting words, and not running on the black top or running into trees.  

Being Responsible

Blazion is a Yokai character who is a lion with a firey mane.  I’m choosing him because he enspirits or possesses you to be MOTIVATED.  Motivation makes you pumped up and ready for the day!  Blazion will make you want to FINISH Math, Science, Reading and all your subjects and be responsible for your work.  Boom, boom, boom!  Without motivation, you might feel lazy and say, “Whatever, I don’t want to do this.”  Blazion’s tribe’s name is BRAVE.  Bravery can help you make new friends, to talk to people if you’re really quiet, to try new things and other stuff like that.  I have to be brave to make new friends because you never know if they’ll like you.   

Being Respectful

I choose Baymax from Big Hero 6 for being Respectful.  He helps people when they’re sick or hurt.  He’s kind, squishy, and I chose him because I love robots.  The owner who made him said he would help a lot of people and he did.  He made sure they were safe and gave his own life in the end of the movie for Hero’s life.  He has to pay attention to the people around them and be respectful to his friends.  As students we have to listen to our teachers and put others first to be respectful.  

I want to be on Student Council because I believe Peabody needs to be SAFE, RESPONSIBLE, and RESPECTFUL.  I also want to join student council to teach people about what it means to have special needs.  Special needs are things you were born with or got during life.  Having special needs means it’s hard to control your brain.  I have Tourette Syndrome and I can’t control my noises and ticks.  Other kids with special needs might not read well like Dyslexia, or have seizures like epilepsy or have blood sugar problems like Diabetes.  I want to be an example for kids with special needs because I have special needs.  I’m not contagious and you can be around me and other kids with special needs.  I want to be a part of this because I want everyone to learn about special needs and to be nice to kids like me.  I want to encourage other kids with special needs to do hard things like join Student Council!

GIVE TURKEY HIGH FIVES EVERY DAY!