Friday Features

April 8, 2011

2011-04-07T12:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature!!! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!!!

When Erin Gruwell began teaching her Long Beach high school students, she had a big challenge on her hands. Her students were lucky to make it to school without being shot at! Doing well in her class wasn't very important to them. Ms. Gruwell started thinking about other kids who had also experienced tough times and she decided to change her curriculum. (Curriculum means the stuff teachers plant to teach you!)

Ms. Gruwell introduced her students to two very powerful books, The Diary of Anne Frank and Zlata's Diary. Many of you already know the story of Anne Frank, a young Jewish girl who hid from the Nazi's during WWII, but you may not have heard of Zlata Filipovic. In November of 1991, Zlata was 11 years old and she began writing in her diary. She was very much like any other young girl, until war broke out in her hometown of Sarajevo in Bosnia. Soon, instead of writing about homework and parties, she was writing about what it felt like to be hungry, to be without electricity for long periods of time, and to watch her friend and family get hurt. Zlata and her family eventually escaped and moved to Ireland, where her diary was published.

Zlata said, "I started writing my own diary before the war in Bosnia because I wanted to have a place to record my childhood and create something that I could look back on and laugh, cry and reminisce. I wanted to see myself grow through my writing...When the Bosnian war started wit all its horrors and disrupted my happy and carefree childhood, my diary became more than a place to record daily events. It became a friend, the paper that is was made of was ready and willing to accept anything and everything I had to say; it could handle my fear, my questions, my sadness. I discovered the beauty of writing - when one can pour oneself onto a great white emptiness and fill it with emotions and thoughts and leave them there forever."

Ms. Gruwell's students figure out they had a lot in common with Zlata. Their lives were hard too, and maybe writing their own diaries would help them find their own peace. It worked!

Today, your assignment is to write down how you are feeling today. What is happening in your life? Today might be a happy day for you, or it might be the hardest one you've ever had before. Either way, writing about it will be a gift you give yourself. Writing about happy times can make them last. Writing about sad times can help you find your own answers and give you peace. You will find a SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT, when you read what you have written about your experiences!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!!!

March 25, 2011

2011-03-20T18:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

Through this year, I've shared many stories with you about different children who experienced the Holocaust and bravely accomplished great things during hard times. Mrs. Webster shared a special book with me earlier in the year, called "The Boys Who Saved The Children". It's about a group of young men who had the CONFIDENCE to TAKE ACTION, and save their friends and family members.

Ben Edelbaum lived in Poland and was 13 when the Nazi's invaded his village. All Jewish families were forced to move to the town of Lodz, and every able person was forced to work in Nazi labor camps. Sometimes there would be an "Aktion" which is the German word for action. In the night, Nazi soldiers would come into the neighborhoods and round up anyone who was weak or sick.

Ben and his friends worked in a factory where they re-made fur coats. They would take fur coats, take them apart and then stitch the pieces of fur together again to make new coats. Word spread that another "Aktion" was being planned for the children where Ben lived. He knew he had to do something about it. It was know that it would soon be the birthday of the wife of one of the German officers, Herr Biebow, who was in charge of the labor camps where Ben worked. He and his friends decided to make for her a VERY special, VERY beautiful coat. They couldn't work on it during the day - they had to work for the Nazi's for 10 hours every day. But at night, they sewed together tiny pieces of fur from lamb's paws to make a gorgeous, floor length coat. Ben would work by candle light, his fingers aching from the tedious work. Finally, the coat was finished, and Ben delivered it to Frau Biebow.

She was so thrilled with the coat that she actually sent Ben and his friends on a vacation! For seven days, they were able to sleep on beds with clean sheets and eat as much food as they wanted. There had been very little to eat in the Labor Camp. AND, best of all, the rumors of the "Aktion" stopped and Ben and his family and friends were safe, for awhile. Eventually, Ben and his family were taken to Auschwitz - a concentration camp, and only he and his sister survived.

In this story - there were tow kinds of CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION. One was the Nazi's kind and one was Ben's. Remember Mustangs, that in having CONFIDENCE and in taking action, you still have to choose between what is right and what is wrong. Whichever way you choose to go WILL change the world, for better OR for worse - it's all up to you...

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!!!

March 18, 2011

2011-03-17T19:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

John James Audubon LOVED being out of doors. He loved to hunt, skate and ride horses. His favorite thing to do, was to draw pictures of birds. His drawings reminded him of his childhood in France, where he would walk in the forest with his father.

In 1804, he was 18 years old, living in Pennsylvania, far away from his family. His attic room was a very special place to him. After working his farm, he would gather feathers, eggs, tree branches, pebbles and bird's nest and lay them out on tables. He would draw pictures of birds and pin them on his walls. People thought he was a little crazy. But his love for nature was so strong that he didn't care what people thought. He was CONFIDENT about who he was and what he loved - CONFIDENT enough that he continued to study and learn about the natural world where he lived.

John was most curious about where birds disappeared to in the fall and winter. Most scientists in his day believed that they hibernated in hollow logs or under water. John wasn't so sure. One scientist even believed that birds travelled to the moon each fall and returned in the spring. Holy Cow - Sci-Fi birds!

John was CONFIDENT that he could discover what really happened to the birds, so he took action. He found a cave in the woods where some pewee birds were nesting. He spent so much time in the cave that the birds became used to him. He was able to watch them and learn about their habits. As it became autumn time, he knew they would be leaving and he wanted to know where they would go and if they would come back to the same cave in the spring.

John James Audubon did something that no one had ever done before! He waited until the mother and father bird and flown away to find food, and he tied pieces of silver thread around one of each of the baby bird's legs. This in now called "banding" and scientists today, do it all of the time to study birds! When spring returned, so did John's birds. He found grown birds with silver thread tied to their legs, nesting near the cave where they were born.

John's CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION, made him the MOST famous painted of birds the world has ever known. Scientists learned from his discoveries, but many other regular people just enjoyed the beauty of his art work.

Each of you have special talents and abilities, Mustangs! Have the CONFIDENCE to continue to learn and grow, and you can also make the world a more beautiful place!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!!!

March 11, 2011

2011-03-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!!!

In March, our theme is the CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION! This means that you feel so good about yourself, that you have the courage to do good things! When I think of the CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION, I think of young superheroes like Spiderman or Superman. They are always ready to save people in need and battle evil wherever they find it.

The young woman I'm going to tell you about today, never wore a cape, climbed up the side of a building to catch a bad guy, or flew through the air. in fact, she didn't look much like a superhero at all!

Helen Keller was really smart as a baby; she learned to speak early and would make up hand signals when she didn't know the words to express what she wanted to say. When she was two years old she became VERY sick. There were no medicines then, to help her get well, and the doctors and her family thought she was going to die. She didn't, YAY!!! But the illness left her blind and deaf. That means that she could no longer see or hear anything.

For 5 years Helen's family tried to teach her and work with her, but it was very difficult. Helen made up signs and hand signals to try to communicate, but her family didn't always understand her and she would get really frustrated. She would throw tantrums. This means she would kick and scream and cause a ruckus! Finally, when Helen was about 7 years old, the Keller family hired Annie Sullivan to be Helen's teacher.

Annie taught Helen to use sign language - to speak with her hands. It wasn't easy, and it took a lot of work for both Annie and Helen, but Helen learned. Once she could communicate with her family and her teacher her world changed. She loved to learn about new things. Annie would teach her geography by digging in the dirt to create small rivers and mountains. She would spell out fairy tales into Helen's hands. Helen grew happier and happier.

Word of Helen Keller spread. Everyone was curious about the little girl who could neither hear nor see, but was intelligent. President Grover Cleveland invited her to the White House when she was 8 years old. When she was 10 years old, she sent a letter to the famous writer, Oliver Wendell Holmes. He was so impressed with her writing skills that he had her letter published in a magazine! When she was 15 years old, she met Mark Twain, and the two of them became great friends. Helen went on to learn to speak; she graduated from college, acted on the stage, wrote a book and met with Kings, Queens and Presidents.

Though Helen's life was filled with challenges, she had the CONFIDENCE to learn, grow and TAKE ACTION.

If she could do it, Mustangs, so can YOU!!!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!!

February 25, 2011

2011-02-24T19:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

This past September, James Frye, a boy scout in Fort Carson, Colorado, chose his Eagle project. He wanted to honor his heroes - the service men and women of the 183rd Maintenance Company, who were headed out on a 12 month tour to Afghanistan.

He worked really hard to raise the money to purchase over 700 small American flags. With his Boy Scout troop helping, he folded these flags very carefully, so that only the blue surface was showing. Then, he distributed the flags so that the brave men and women of the 183rd could carry a flag with them at all times, to remind them of the country they served and of the people who were grateful for their sacrifice.

James set a great example for us Mustangs! It's not enough just to think about heroes! We need to thank them! Is your Dad your hero? If so, go home and tell him! Do you have a big sister who helps you out and makes you feel happy? Let her know that you appreciate the kind things she does for you!

Sometime, our heroes lived a long time ago, so we don't have a way to tell them "Thank you." But, we CAN follow their great examples! In that way, we show that we have learned from them and want to continue doing the good things they did while they were alive!

So today, Mustangs - Remember a hero; Thank a Hero; BE A HERO!!!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!

February 18, 2011

2011-02-18T05:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!!!

We're talking about Heroes in February. What do you think a hero is, exactly? The dictionary defines a hero as "Someone of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities."

I'll bet that most of you have heard the name of Anne Frank. She was a young woman who died during World War II, in a Nazi concentration camp, because she was Jewish. She is probably the most famous victim of the Holocaust. But it's not because of the way she died, it's because of the way she lived.

Anne was born in Germany in 1929. Her family moved to Holland when she was 4 years old, because they were worried about a man named Hitler, who was gaining power in Germany. He told the people of Germany that Jewish people were bad, so many Jews left the country to find safer places to live. Anne had a happy childhood in Holland. She went to school, acted in school plays and dreamed of becoming a writer or a movie star.

Unfortunately, when Anne was 11, Nazis invaded Holland and when she was 13, her sister Margot was ordered to report to a Nazi labor camp. The Franks knew that if Margot obeyed the order they might never see her again. So, they went into hiding in a tiny apartment above the building where Anne's father owned a business. During the day, Anne and her family, and the other people that were hiding with, had to be SILENT. They couldn't speak above a whisper. They had to walk on tip-toe. They didn't want anyone in the building to hear them. At night, when the workers in the building went home, they could walk around and speak as normal. Good friends, whom they trusted, would bring them food and news of the outside world.

Anne had a diary, which she named, "Kitty." Through her diary we see that Anne was full of life and full of hope.

When she was 15 years old, the hiding place was discovered. Anne and her sister Margot were sent away to Bergen-Belsen - a concentration camp in Germany, where they both died. In spite of the difficulty she encountered, we can be inspired by Anne's most famous quote from her diary.

"Despite everything, I believe that people are really good at heart."

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!!!

February 11, 2011

2011-02-10T19:11:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature, sponsored by your friendly Manila PTA!

This month we'll be talking about heroes - and since we're celebrating children this year, I'm going to be sharing stories of real live heroes who did courageous things as children!

During the opening ceremonies for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, two Chinese heroes were honored to march in front of all the Chinese athletes. One was the famous basketball star, Yao Ming. He played in the NBA for the Houston Rockets and stands at 7 and 1/2 feet tall. Walking into the stadium with him was little 9-year old Lin Hao.

Lin Hao had already been a national hero for months, ever since the earthquake in China's Sischuan province. He was a second-grader at Yuxixi Primary School in Yingxui Town. His town was in the middle of a giant earthquake. He was in class with 30 other students when the earthquake hit. He was able to climb out of the rubble to safety. He could have run home to find his family. Instead, he made his way back in to the school and rescued two of his classmates, carrying them to safety. He was hit by falling rubble as he made his way back in, injuring his head and arms. But that didn't stop him! While they were waiting for help he sang songs with his friends to help them stay calm.

Lin Hao was asked again and again why he had risked his life. He simply said, "I was the hall monitor, it was my job to look after my classmates."

I know that most, if not all of you have jobs in your classes. Some of you serve on our Manila Student Council. Maybe you think your job isn't important. You know what? Your job is as important as you make it. If you take your responsibilities seriously, you will make Manila a better place. You will be a Mustang hero!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!!!

January 28, 2010

2011-01-27T20:25:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

In 1996, a brother and sister named Dan and Betsy Nally were watching the news with their parents, just before Thanksgiving. Dan was 9 and Betsy was 6. They heard that many people in their hometown of Westwood, Massachusetts didn't have enough money to buy a turkey for Thanksgiving that year. This made them feel sad. Instead of just sitting around and feeling sad, they went to work! They got their parent's permission and went door-to-door in their neighborhood, asking for donations of turkeys to take to their local food bank. They collected 36!

They felt so happy about what they had been able to do; they decided to collect turkeys every year at Thanksgiving time, for the needy. Since 1996, they have collected enough turkeys to feed 3,5000,000 people! They have also inspired others to do the same thing. They created "Turkey's 4 America", so they could continue their work. There are kids all over the country now, who collect turkeys for their communities, too.

Now Mustangs - THAT is true Leadership and Responsibility! Dan and Betsy saw a problem. They didn't think to themselves, "We're just little kids - we can't do anything!" They went ahead and used their own ideas. Now, companies from all over the United States donate to their cause - they've even received an award from the President of the United States!

You have the power to do really good things, Mustangs! Be Leaders! Be Responsible! Don't wait for someone else to do what is important - go and do it yourselves! We believe in you!!!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

January 21, 2011

2011-01-20T17:34:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your friendly, Manila PTA!

When I think of Leadership and Responsibility, I usually think of super-important people who are doing super-important things. People who are world leaders or famous business people.

Studying about Leadership and Responsibility this month, has taught me that sometimes the most important place to be a leader, is the lowliest place. Responsibility is MOST needed when times are hard.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese Imperial Navy bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, killing and wounding 3,500 people. The United States immediately declared war on Japan and as a nation, we entered World War II.

War is a scary thing, and sometimes when people are scared, they do crazy and stupid things. Some Americans became scared of anyone whose ancestors came from Japan. Some Americans became so scared that they took all Japanese-American people from their homes across the country and moved them to relocation camps. One of these camps was located in Topaz, Utah.

Can you imagine what it would be like if someone came to your house and said that just because your grandfather was born in Germany, you couldn't live there anymore and you had to move away to be guarded like YOU had done something wrong? The Japanese-American children who were moved to Topaz had every right to be upset and angry. Instead, they drew pictures. They wrote in their diaries. They attended the camp school. They said the Pledge of Allegiance. They had the courage to love a country that did not love them back.

We learned a lot as a nation from this experience. We learned that fear is a bad thing. We also learned that greatness can come from places where you least expect it.

Stand tall Mustangs!!! Be leaders! You never know, the world may be watching!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!!!

January 14, 2011

2011-01-13T20:43:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

Good Morning Mustangs!! Have you ever heard of Benjamin Austen Gollaher? Is the answer, no? Well, my goodness! He may be one of the most important people in history! He was a boy in 1816, a long time ago. He lived in a beautiful, green valley in Kentucky, and he and his best friend loved to go swimming in Knob Creek.

One day when he and his friend were headed out to swim, they were warned that it had been raining and that the creek was too dangerous for swimming. Austen's friend had seen some partridges on the other side of the creek, and he wanted to go and get them. Austen could see that the water was too high for swimming, but his friend saw a fallen log that stretched across the creek and they both decided to try to walk across. Austen went first. Crawling, he inched his way carefully to the other side. He was safe! Next it was his friend's turn. He crawled carefully too, but not carefully enough. Oh NO!!! He fell in! The current of the rain-swollen creek tossed him up and down like a feather on the wind. He gurgled and choked as the water filled his lungs.

You may be wondering - where in the heck is Austen Gollaher??? I'll tell you where he is!!! He's searching the bank for a long tree branch. He finds one, rushes down the creek bed and reaches out to his friend, who grabs it and is saved! He pulls him onto the bank, pushes on his chest to get all the water out, and everything is okay. Do you want to know something AMAZING about this story? Austen's friend's name is Abraham Lincoln.

Abraham Lincoln is one of the greatest leaders who ever lived. He was one of the best Presidents our country ever had! But, he would never have lived to do all the great things he did, without his friend! Soon after this brave rescue, Abraham moved away to Indiana. Eventually, he became a lawyer and further down the road he became the 16th President of the United States! He believed that all men were created equal and that slavery was wrong. Under his leadership, slavery was abolished. (That means we got rid of it! Yippee!) He never saw his boyhood friend again. On day, in the very middle of the Civil War, Abe said, "I'd rather see Austen Gollaher again, than any other living man."

Austen lived out his days in Kentucky, working a farm and raising a family. You may say he lived an ordinary life. I say, being a good friend can change the whole world. Mustangs, you can show Leadership and responsibility each day, just by choosing to do good things. Make sure the world is a better place because you're in it!!!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!!!

2011-01-06T20:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

...and welcome to 2011! Let's start off this new year the right way - let's talk about LEADERSHIP and RESPONSIBILITY!

Colin Powell retired in 1993 as the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He had served for 4 years. This is a great accomplishment! Some would say that he was America's most important and influential soldier. It's even more impressive when you realize that at the age of 52, he was the youngest man to hold that particular position - plus he was the first African American! He is a great example of someone who shows us how to lead and be responsible!

If you would have met Colin when he was a boy, you may not have believed that he would have such a bright future. He grew up in New York and wasn't very interested in school. He loved his neighborhood - he loved the diversity, which means that he liked having friends from all different cultures and countries. He liked playing stickball and flying kites from the rooftops of his apartment building.

When he entered college, he joined the ROTC. This is a program that offers military training and scholarship opportunities. He enjoyed it so much that he signed up for a summer program - he was sent to Fort Bragg, North Carolina. By this time it was the mid 1950's. North Carolina is in the south, and in the south, African Americans were not treated very well. He had to sit in different sections of busses and theaters. He couldn't go to the park or to the beach. If he got sick, he couldn't go to a good hospital to get well.

This experience inspired Colin - he made up his mind that from that point on , he "owed it to himself and to the rest of his race, to better himself in every way he could. " And he did!

In 1991, he returned to his high school in the South Bronx, to speak to students who attended there. This is what he said.

"If you work hard, success will come your way. Stick with it. I'm giving you an order. Stick with it."

Great leaders inspire us to acheive great things. You can achieve great things Mustangs - don't giv up! Stick with it!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!!!

December 10, 2010

2010-12-09T18:13:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

Our theme for December is Fun and Excitement - which totally fits, because December is usually a really fun and exciting month! Today I want to tell you a special story, about how some fun and excitement was given at a desperate time in our World History, to the children of West Berlin, Germany.

In June of 1948, after the end of WWII, the capital city of Berlin had been divided. Russia controlled the Eastern half of the city, along with all of Eastern Germany. England, France and America controlled the western part of the city and the country. Josef Stalin, who was the leader of Russia, decided he wanted to control all of Germany, so he blocked all of the roads, railroad lines and canals that led into the city. Now, there was no way for the people to get food and supplies. They feared they would starve to death.

America, England and France were not about to let that happen! Since the three countries were working together, the called themselves "allies" which is another word for friends. From June 26th to September 30th, in 1948 the Allies few planes to an airfield in Berlin over 277,000 times. It took 4,500 tons of coal and food and other necessary items each day, to keep the people of West Berlin alive.

One day, a young pilot named Gail Halvorsen was standing behind the fence of the airfield, when 30 German children approached him. He was taking a break from the three round trip flights he made each day. The children thanked him for the food he brought them. He was touched and wanted to do something for them. From out of his pocket he pulled 2 sticks of gum. He was sad he didn't have more to share. He decided he wanted to bring some Fun and Excitement to these children who were going through such tough times. He told them to watch for his plane the next day, and that he would "wiggle" his wings at them.

Just as he promised he returned, wiggling his airplane wings. Then, the children stared in disbelief as dozens of tiny parachutes rained down from the sky. Each one was attached to candy! It seemed like a dream! Every day, Lt. Halvorsen dropped the candy parachutes from the sky, and every day the children of West Berlin watched for his airplane. He began to receive letters at his base in Frankfurt, Germany. One was from a little girl named Mercedes. It read:

"Dear Chocolate Pilot, we live hear the airfield...and our chickens think your airplanes are chicken hawks, so they become frightened when you fly over to land. They run in shelter and some molt with no more eggs from them. It is a big problem for us. We need the eggs. But when you fly over the garden and see the white chickens, please drop some candy there and all will be okay. I don't care if you scare them. Your little friend, Mercedes."

Mercedes watched for Lt. Halvorsen's plane every day, but no candy was dropped into her yard. One day, however, her Mom handed her a plain brown package - Lt. Halvorsen had sent her, her very own package of candy.

Lt. Halvorsen is still know today in West Berlin, by several different names; the Chocolate Pilot, the Candy Bomber, Unkle Schokolade - which means "Uncle Chocolate". He learned that real fun and excitement come from being kind to and serving others. I hope that you as Mustangs, will find ways to show kindness this month and I promise that if you do, you'll find plenty of Fun and Excitement!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!

December 3, 2010

2010-12-02T19:08:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature, sponsored by your friendly, Manila PTA!

On Monday, some wonderful Manila Mustangs were honored at the Stand And Shout! I want to tell you a little more about some super 3rd graders who are super examples of November's theme - the SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE!!!

Rachel Fullmer is a student in Mrs. Manuele's class. She is a very energetic and definitely has the Spirit of Adventure. She loves to make people happy by playing with anyone and everyone! Rachel has horses in her backyard and loves to invite her friends over so they can play with and feed the horses. She also loves to discover new things on a hill by her house. One day she even found a silver dollar! Rachel has a collection of all the interesting things she has discovered. Someday Rachel wants to travel the world, visit the Statue of Liberty, and ultimately, live in Paris.

In Mrs. Long's class, George Degraaf has the Spirit of Adventure! He is always excited to try new things. He loves to go to Fruitland with his family. There, he and his family like to work in the water wheel. He also likes to go out in search of old bones. George likes to go rock hunting and find cool and interesting rocks. He also likes to climb and explore the mountains. George also likes to go to work with his Dad and help him at the welding shop. George is always eager for a new and exciting adventure.

Colby Gruel in Mrs. Wesel's class is always looking for adventure. He likes to jump off swings and play in the snow. Sometimes he even has snowball fights or goes snowboarding. He also enjoys having adventures with his little brother while they pretend to be in an imaginary world!

Having a SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE makes life more exciting! Thanks Rachel, George and Colby, for living life to the fullest!!!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!!!

November 19,2010

2010-11-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

Since we're celebrating the Spirit of Adventure, this month, I decided to share with you the story of Pocahontas! Pocahontas was a real, live Indian princess who was born in the year 1595. Her father, Chief Powhatan, was a powerful ruler.

In January of 1608, when Pocahontas was about 13 years old, her father sent her to lead a group of his people in bringing food to the struggling English pilgrims of the Jamestown colony. Most of these British settlers had been wealthy in England, and they didn't know how to work a farm and raise their own food. When their supplies began to run out, they knew they would never survive the winter. Powhatan's gift saved their lives.

Pocahontas' name meant "mischievous". She was spirited and fun-loving. She would spend time turning cartwheels with the settlers children and became good friends with John Smith - the leader of Jamestown. John Smith wanted the settlers of Jamestown to learn to farm their land so they could provide for themselves, but they disliked the hard work and eventually forced John to return to England. After he left, Powhatan's people and the Jamestown settlers had a hard time getting along. They would steal from each other and sometimes kidnap each other and hold hostages.

In 1613, a British trader named James Argall kidnapped Pocahontas. He thought that he could convince Powhatan to release some English captives if he knew that his favorite daughter had been taken. Although Pocahontas was a prisoner, she was treated kindly. She was taught to worship the way the settlers did, and even was baptized into the Church of England, and took the new name of Rebecca. A man named John Rolf, who taught Pocahontas about the Bible, fell in love with her and married her. When she was 19, she moved back to England with her husband, and gave birth to a son she named Thomas. She was very famous in England - people travelled from all over to meet a real American Indian princess. She even met the King and Queen of England! In the year 1617, when she was only 23 years old, she died of tuberculosis.

Though she lived a very long time ago, we remember Pocahontas and her adventures. What adventures to you have planned, Mustangs?

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!!!

November 5, 2010

2010-11-04T18:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature. Sponsored by your Friendly Manila PTA!

Do you dream of venturing on an African safari, rock climbing in exotic mountain ranges or flying to the moon? If so, you have a healthy sense of adventure! Almost 100 years ago, there lived a very special little girl who loved adventure, too.

Amelia Earhart saw her very first airplane at a stat fair when she was 10 years old, but she wasn't impressed at all. "It was a thing of rusty wire and wood and looked not at all interesting." she said. Ten years later, Amelia attended a stunt-flying exhibition, and then she changed her mind. A pilot spotted Earhart and her friend, who were watching from an isolated clearing, and dove at them in the plane. "I am sure he said to himself, 'Watch me make them scamper,'" she said.

I would have run away screaming, but Amelia, who LOVED adventure, stood her ground. She later said of that experience, "I did not understand it at the time, but I believe that little red airplane said something to me as it swished by." On December 28, 1920, a pilot named Frank Hawks gave her a ride that would change her life. "By the time I had got two or three hundred feet off the ground, " she said, "I knew I had to fly."

Amelia really believed in herself, which was a really great thing. She would face many challenges in her life as a woman who wanted to be a pilot. But the former tomboy was no stranger to disapproval or doubt. Even though in her day young girls were supposed to be prim and proper, the young Earhart climbed trees, "belly-slammed" her sled to start it downhill and hunted rats with a .22 rifle. She also kept a scrapbook of newspaper clippings about successful women who worked in film direction and production, law advertising, management and mechanical engineering.

She believed in herself, learned how to work hard and followed her dreams. She became a famous pilot and a famous woman in history. Your assignment for today is to find your own sense of adventure! Go ahead, climb a tree, jump in a pile of leaves, or imagine yourself discovering a new country. Who knows where a sense of Adventure will lead you!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!

October 8, 2010

2010-10-07T17:45:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

Mark Twain was a great writer He captured the American spirit with his tales of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn. His creativity was world renowned and he was one of the biggest celebrities of his time. His success, in large measure, was due to the curiosity he exhibited as a young boy.

Mark Twain's real name was Samuel Clemens and he was born in 1835. When he was 4 years old his family moved to Hannibal, Missouri - a little town on the banks of the Mississippi River. Do you love living in Pleasant Grove? Samuel loved Hannibal. When he grew up and wrote about Tom Sawyer, he based the town in the book on his home town.

Samuel had a very clever mind. One day, his mother asked him to white wash the fence that ran around the front of their yard. He didn't want to do it. Do you ever feel that way about doing your chores? He was curious about how he could get out of doing it, or at least, about how he could get some help. As he started in with the painting, his friends came by on their way to go fishing. He convinced them that painting the fence was super fun. When they begged for a turn, he wouldn't let them help unless they paid him, or gave him some of their best toys and treasures.

If that story sounds familiar to you, it's because he added it to the story of Tom Sawyer! Samuel also based the character of Huckleberry Finn off of his childhood friend, Tom Blankenship. Here's what he wrote in his autobiography.

"In Huckleberry Finn I have drawn Tom Blankenship exactly as he was. He was ignorant, unwashed, insufficiently fed, but he had as good a heart as ever any boy had. His liberties were totally unrestricted. He was the only really independent person - boy or man - in the community, and buy consequence he was tranquilly and continuously happy and envied by the rest of us. And as his society was forbidden us by our parents the prohibition trebled and quadrupled its value, and therefore we sought and got more of his society than any other boy's."

When Samuel was 11 years old, his father died of pneumonia. He soon became apprenticed to a printer, and then went to work on a riverboat. As a writer, he chose the pen name of Mark Twain, it reminded him of the happy times of his life along the river, hearing the riverboat captains calling out "mark twain", which mean that the water was deep enough along the river bank and the river boat wouldn't hit the ground.

What are you curious about Mustangs? What do you love? Use your creativity and write a story about Pleasant Grove - or maybe one about your friends. Who knows - someday maybe I'll be writing a Friday Feature about YOU!!!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!!!

October 1, 2010

2010-09-30T18:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

Curiosity and Creativity! What a great combo!

In Tokyo, Japan, in the winter of 1998, a very special lady named Fumiko Ishioka began a new job at the Tokyo Holocaust Center. It was a small museum, and she was the new director. She wanted to teach the children of Tokyo about the Holocaust. The Holocaust is a big word that refers to a horrible time when people who were Jewish were treated very badly, just because of their heritage and what they believed.

Fumiko wrote to other Holocaust museums all over the world, to ask them if they would send her some things for her museum. . She received a shoe, a sock, a bottle of poisonous gas, and a little girl's suitcase. The suitcase had belonged to a little girl named Hana Brady - her name was painted on the front.

Many children came to Fumiko's museum and they loved to look at Hana's suitcase. They wondered about her. What did she look like? Where was she from ? Fumiko decided to try to find out about her! She wrote many letters and travelled from Japan to England, to Czechoslovakia, to look for clues about Hana. She found them! She learned that Hana was born and grew up in a little village named, Nove Mesto in the country of Czechoslovakia. When she was 7 years old in 1939, Nazis invaded her country. She and her older brother George were no longer allowed to go to school. She was really sad when "Snow White and the Seven Dwarves" came out - and Jews were not allowed to the movies!

Eventually, the Nazis took her mother and father away, and she and George were sent to live in a camp, far away from their friends. It was there that Hana learned to draw! Fumiko found many of Hana's beautiful drawings. She drew pictures of trees, of families working in fields - of people getting off the train at her camp.

Fumiko learned that when Hana was 13, she was taken to another camp - a horrible place called Auschwitz. She died there. Fumiko also learned that Hana's brother George was still alive - and that he was living in Canada! He was so happy to learn that Fumiko's museum was honoring the sister he loved so much, that he flew all the way to Japan to meet her.

Fumiko's curiosity helped her discover Hana's creativity. Hana's beautiful drawings show us that there is beauty in the world, through the eyes of a child, even when the world is going awfully wrong.

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!!!

September 24, 2010

2010-09-25T19:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!!!

It's our last Friday Feature about "Belonging" and I thought we should recognize the "heart" of Manila. When someone talks about the "heart" of something, they may be referring to the very middle. Mostly, they are meaning the place where the most important things happen, or a person who makes where they are a very special place to be.

Think really hard Mustangs. Where is the very middle of our school??? Think-think-think...it's the library! Our library is definitely a very special place. When you go into the library you get to have some quiet time. You get to grab a really great book and sit in a comfortable place. Most importantly, you get to have Mrs. Webster read to you once a week!

I remember our library before Mrs. Webster came. It was okay, but when she took over - HOLY COW!!! She turned it into a cozy and fun place to be. She worked really hard to bring in more book, and to decorate it so you would feel at home there. I think she did a really great job.

Do you know that when I need help writing Friday Features, Mrs. Webster is always sharing great books and stories I can use? I think she's AWESOME!

She knows where all of the books are, and she really wants you to read them, so you can learn and grow. Mrs. Webster takes really good care of our books. She also takes really good care of us.

So, to Mrs. Webster, the heart of our school, we say HUZZAH! We thank you for sharing great books with us and most of all, for creating a place in our school where we can all belong and have fun.

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!

September 17, 2010

2010-09-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your friendly, Manila PTA!

Ron McNair was only 9 years old in 1959, but he had a plan! He lived in Lake City, South Carolina and he LOVED the library. All the librarians knew his name and they would wave to him and smile whenever he came in.

Ron loved books about aviation - that's a fancy word for flying airplanes. On this day, he picked out several. A kind lady named Mrs. Fielding saw Ron and offered to check his books out for him. You see, Ron was African-American and back then, it was against the rules for African-Americans to check out books from the library. Ron thanked Mrs. Fielding, but like I said, he had a plan.

Ron knew that the rules said he didn't "belong" in Lake City the same way the white kids did. He didn't think that was right. He took his books up to the check-out desk and asked the librarian to let him check out his books. Guess what - she didn't check them out. She called the police instead!!!

The police called his Mom, and she asked Ron to follow the rules so he wouldn't get into trouble. He said, "I can't Mama, it's wrong. The rules are not fair. Why can't I check out books like everyone else?"

Mrs. Scott was the head librarian. She had watched all that had happened. She like Ron; she knew in her heart that he was right. She went into her office and got Ron...his OWN LIBRARY CARD!!!

Ron grew up to become a pilot and eventually, he became an astronaut. In 1986 he became a hero, when the space shuttle Challenger exploded, and he lost his life. Do you know what? The Lake City, South Carolina library is now dedicated to him! Because of his courage - everyone could belong at the library!

Mustangs, are you brave enough to make sure everyone can belong?

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

September 10, 2010

2010-09-09T21:21:00.001-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your friendly Manila PTA!

September is the month where we are learning about belonging. Have you ever stopped to think about all of the places where you belong? You belong in America, in Utah and in Pleasant Grove. You belong in a family. You belong here at Manila. You belong with your friends. Maybe you also belong to a sports team, with a group of piano students, or a dance group. Maybe you belong to a church.

All of us don't belong to all of the same groups, but each of us has several places where we have things in common with the people around us.

In the early 1960's a boy named Mel Martinez was enjoying a happy childhood in Cuba. Almost overnight, a revolution changed his country into a very unhappy place. He was 14 years old and was very proud to belong to the Catholic Church. He attended Catholic school and loved and believed strongly in his religion. After the revolution, the government persecuted anyone who was religious, and Mel's parents were afraid for him. He refused to hide his beliefs. Because of this, his parents sent him away to America, to be safe.

Can you imagine? One day Mel belonged with his family, in his hometown, in his school and at church - even on his school basketball team. The next day, he was living in a country where he didn't speak the language, with a foster-family he didn't know. It was four years before Mel's family was able to join him in Florida, but all through this difficult experience Mel did not lose his sense of belonging.

He knew that he still loved and belonged to his family and to Cuba, and he began to do everything he could to belong with his new friends in America. Today, Mel Martinez has an important job at a large banking corporation. He has served as a U.S. Senator from Florida, and as the head of Housing and Urban Development. He's also an outspoken advocate for people immigrating to America. He has even written a book, called, A Sense of Belonging.

Even when he was away from everything that was familiar to him, his sense of belonging helped him get through tough times. Mel Martinez's example to us can help us to remember to be strong when we have to face things that are uncomfortable and unfamiliar. Remember! Manila Mustangs, stand strong - you belong!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!

September 3, 2010

2010-09-04T16:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly Manila PTA!

Ruby Bridges was only 6 years old - that's right! 6 years old. She had taken a special test in kindergarten and because she was so smart, she was being transferred to a new school! On November 14, 1960, four federal marshals (or really important policemen) came to Ruby's house to take her and her mother to her first day of 1st grade. When she got out of the car at William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans, there were crowds of people yelling and shaking their fists at her. She couldn't understand why!

She spent her first day of school , sitting in her Principal's office, but on the 2nd day, she met her teacher, Mrs. Henry. Every morning, Ruby would walk with the federal marshals past the crowds of angry people and every day she and Mrs. Henry would hold class together in an empty classroom. Ruby didn't understand why there were no other students in her class, until one day, a little boy in the hall way told her that he wasn't allowed to play with her because she was an African American. Ruby finally understood! All of the angry people decided that she didn't belong in a school of white students, because she was black.

Ruby told the following story,

"From her window, Mrs. Henry always watched me walk into school. One morning when I got to our classroom, she said she'd been surprised to see me talk to the mob. 'I saw your lips moving,' she said, 'but I couldn't make out what you were saying to those people.'

'I wasn't talking to them,' I told her. 'I was praying for them.' Usually I prayed in the car on the way to school, but that day I'd forgotten until I was in the crowd. 'Please be with me', I'd asked God, 'and be with those people too. Forgive them because they don't know what they're doing.'

Even though lots of angry grownups decided that Ruby didn't belong - she made a place for herself by never giving up and by showing love and kindness, especially to those who were unkind to her! We all have days when we wonder if we belong! The secret to belonging is to be glad to be you and to show kindness to others!

Your assignment today is to decide to help someone else "belong." Find someone you don't normally talk to , and invite that person to hang out with you at recess. Or, help someone out today with a subject you are good at, but they might struggle with. Every one of you is a special part of Manila and for this school to be the best it can be we all need each other!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!

May 21, 2010

2010-05-20T21:51:00.001-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your FRIENDLY, Manila PTA.

"Now it's time to say good-bye - to all our company...M-I-C-K-E-Y...M-O-U-S-E.

Well Mustangs, it's been another fabulous year - and now it's time to say good-bye. Summer vacation is just a week away! Most of us will be coming back next year, for more good times and more Friday Features - and some of us will be moving on to new adventures.

To those who are leaving us - we love you! Manila has been a better place because you were here. We wish you well - know that a part of us goes with you!!!

To those who are coming back again - make this summer the best one yet! Learn some new things - go visit some new places - make some new friendships. Let's make Manila even better next year, by making ourselves better this summer.

Next year our theme will be "Celebrate Children" - and it will be easy to do, because our Mustangs are the best children around!

See you real soon!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

May 14, 2010

2010-05-13T18:53:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!!

Howdy Mustangs! Have you ever wanted something so very badly, that you worked and worked and worked and tried and tried and tried to get it?

Jack Skellington was the Pumpkin King of Halloween, in Disney's "The Nightmare Before Christmas". But he wanted something more! He wanted to be Santa Claus instead. He created spooky Christmas ornaments and presents, learned Christmas carols in a minor key and even figured out how to make reindeer skeletons fly! After all his hard work and effort, he was ready for Christmas Eve...and...it was a DISASTER! Jack didn't get the praise and the glory he had expected. Most people chose not to replace Santa with a skeleton. Jack was discouraged. He'd worked so hard, and he didn't even get what he wanted.

Mustangs, we have some big things coming up! Some 4th and 5th grade students are trying to get into Student Council, and next week we have the tryouts for the Talent Show! I know that each of you who are "trying out" or "running for election" are working really hard and you each want to succeed in accomplishing your goals. The facts of life are this. Not everyone gets what they want - sometimes EVEN after working really hard.

When this happens, is it the end of the world??? HECK NO!!! If you don't make it into the talent, does it mean you don't have talent? HECK NO!!! If you don't make Student Council, does it mean you can't be a good leader? HECK NO!!! Today, I want to celebrate each of you who are trying to accomplish good things. Just because you won't always be successful, keep trying and try super hard not to get discouraged when things don't go your way!

I think each one of you are TOTALLY AWESOME!!!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!!!

May 7, 2010

2010-05-06T22:04:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

It's time to celebrate, Manila! We've made it to May! We only have a few weeks left until summer break and there are all kinds of fabulous things ahead! We have the Dance Festival, the Talent Show, Field Day, and then, all the fun that comes with summer vacation!

I though we could start out the month, by celebrating an important holiday that's coming up on Sunday. It's Mother's Day! One of my favorite Disney movies celebrates a very special mother. Have you ever seen "Dumbo"? If not, you really should! Dumbo is a sweet little baby elephant with GINORMOUS ears! His ears are so big that all the other elephants make fun of him, and make him feel badly. Can you guess who's always there to comfort him? That's right - it's his Mom! In the movie, during a time when both she and Dumbo are very sad, she sings a song to him - the lyrics go like this:

Baby mine, don't you cry

Baby mine, dry your eyes

Rest your head close to my heart

Never to part, baby of mine

Little one when you play

Pay no mind what they say

Let those eyes sparkle and shine

Never a tear, baby of mine

If they knew sweet little you

They'd end up loving you too

All those same people who scold you

What they'd give just for

The right to hold you

From you head to your toes

You're so sweet, goodness knows

For you're so precious to me

Cute as can be, baby of mine

Mustangs - you each have a mother who feels the same way about you!!! You are so lucky! I hope this weekend you will take some time to thank your Mom for her love and care, and that you'll find something nice you can do for her!!!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!

April 30, 2010

2010-04-29T20:58:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your friendly, Manila PTA!

Here's our last Friday Feature about the CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION. Let's make it a great one!

Have you ever watched the Disney movie, "Pinocchio"? He is that little puppet who has the chance to become a real boy. And...oh man...does he have confidence?! Baby, he's got LOADS of it! The only problem is that he lets his confidence get him into trouble all of the time. He disobeys his father, skips school, tells lies and even ends up running away to a very dangerous place, where he turns into a donkey!!!

Eventually, he figures out that being obedient is better and SAFER and he heads for home to apologize to his father, and to try to start over. Only GUESS WHAT!?!?!? His father has gone out to look for him, and in the process is swallowed by a giant whale! Finally, Pinocchio uses his CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION, for good. He risks his life to go out and save his father.

We all make mistakes, Mustangs! Some of them are small and don't seem to matter too much. But some of them are big. Some of them make our friends or family members feel badly. When that happens, it's REALLY hard to try to fix things, to say we're sorry and to promise and try to do better. It takes a whole lot of CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION when we know we've been wrong.

Pinocchio found that out! In the end, because of his courage he is able to become a real boy. We can be better at being "real" boys and girls and eventually, "real" men and women, when we can recognize our mistakes and use our CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION to fix them.

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

April 23, 2010

2010-04-22T06:17:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!!!

We've been talking this month, about how having the CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION is a very good thing! It is! Nothing good can happen for us if we're never brave enough to make some decisions on our own and take some risks. However, for this virtue to work really well, we need to add in some caution, some study and some thought. Sometimes, if you just jump into action without thinking first, you can really get yourself into trouble!

I have a great example for you - Ariel from Disney's "The Little Mermaid." Come on - you know her story! She loves everything about the human world and wants to learn more. Her father gets pretty upset with her, because he knows there is danger and he wants to protect his daughter. Ariel doesn't want to be protected - she has the CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION, so she does.

She goes to visit that crazy octopus/witch woman and gives up her voice so she can lose the fins and get some legs instead. The deal is that if she can make Eric fall in lover with her, Ariel can stay as a human and if not, Ursula gets to transform her into a creepy seaweed-lookin' thingy. You know how it ends! Ariel wins Eric's heart - Ursula freaks out and turns into a giant sea monster - Eric steers a ship just so, and BAM!!!! Happy Ending!

Do you know what's kind of funny? It turns out that Ariel's dad had the power to turn her into a human all along. If she would have obeyed him, communicated with him, and spent some time learning what he had to teach her, she could have avoided a WHOLE lot of trouble!

LESSON OF THE DAY: Most of the time, your parents and teachers know loads more than you do. They care about you. Listening to them and learning from them will give you wisdom. This will make your CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION much, MUCH more effective!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!!!

April 16, 2010

2010-04-15T21:15:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!!!

When my son Nicholas was a little boy, his favorite movie was Disney's "The Lion King." (It may very well still be!) In the story, Simba is a lion cub, learning and growing under the direction of his very wise and loving father, Mufasa. Simba's evil Uncle Scar murders Mufasa, but convinces Simba that his father's death is his fault. Ashamed and frightened, Simba runs away and plans to never return to his home.

Simba lacks the CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION. Why? Well, something rotten happens to him! His Dad dies and he gets the blame. It isn't fair!!! He is just a cub - how can he fix things? Running away is a much better idea, right?

Do you ever lack the CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION? (Here's a heads up - EVERYONE does, sometimes!) Usually, when we are afraid to stand up and DO what's right, it's because we come up with excuses. Sometimes, they even seem like really good excuses. But in the end, excuses are just something to hide behind. It's hard to take any action if you're too busy hiding.

Simba grows up a bit and gets tired of hiding - he goes back to face hi uncle and reclaim his family. Making excuses was easier - but taking action is much more rewarding, and soon he finds himself the father of a little cub of his own to love and to teach.

Mustangs - don't be afraid! Don't make excuses! Figure out what's right, take a deep breath and take some ACTION!!!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!!!

April 2, 2010

2010-04-01T21:59:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature. Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

When your bedroom is messy, what do you DO? When a bully is picking on someone on the playground, what do you DO? When you can see that your teacher is tired, and your class is acting crazy, what do you DO?

This month of April we will be talking about the CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION! It's usually pretty easy for most people to tell the difference between what is right and what is wrong. It is NOT easy to stand up for what's right and DO something about it!

In the Disney movie by the same name, we meet a young girl named Mulan. She lives in ancient China; she is kind of klutzy and she doesn't feel very good about herself. However, she REALLY loves her family. When her elderly father is called to go to war, she knows that he will be in great danger because of his poor health. So, she dresses up like a boy and goes to war in his place! Yikes! Nowadays, girls wear pants and t-shirts all the time, but back then if girls were caught pretending to be boys, they were put to death!

Preparing for and going into battle are difficult things to do, and Mulan has to work extra hard to keep up with the other young warriors. You know what? She doesn't give up and in the end she saves the Emperor and all of China!

You may think that this is a very imaginative fairy tale - but Mulan was a very really young woman, who truly did fight in her father's place and became a war hero. What's the difference between her and you? I hope there's NO difference, Mustangs! I hope when you see that something needs to be done, you DO it!

Even if it's hard. Even if you're scared. Because you have the CONFIDENCE TO TAKE ACTION!!!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

March 26, 2010

2010-03-25T20:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

Today is our last Friday Feature about having a SENSE of ACCOMPLISHMENT, so I saved one of my favorite Disney movies to share with you. It's called "Follow Me Boys". It's about a man who really, truly learns what it means to have a SENSE of ACCOMPLISHMENT.

Lem Siddons plays in a jazz band, travelling all over the country. On the side, he studies some dusty old law books in the hopes of becoming a lawyer someday. One day, however, he stops in a little town and decides to stay. It just so happens that in this town there are a bunch of boys who are always getting in to mischief and it is decided that a new Boy Scout troop should be organized. Lem volunteers to be the Scoutmaster.

Now Mustangs, I know that some of you are Cub Scouts and Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts. Have you ever thought about how much time your leaders spend to teach you and prepare fun activities for you? Let me give you a hint - it takes A LOT of time!

Being a Scoutmaster takes up most of Lem's extra time, and maybe you guessed it - he never becomes a lawyer. He actually begins to think that his life doesn't amount to much. In the end, all of his Scouts (some of who have grown up and become Dads and lawyers and doctors themselves) honor him and help him to see that in serving, he has accomplished more than most people ever do.

The GREATEST things you will ever accomplish, Mustangs, will be the things you do for others. You can changes some one's life and make the world a better place when you give up some of your time and talents to be helpful and kind. We talked last week about having balance - working hard and playing hard. This week I want to throw in that serving hard is another part of having that balance, which makes having a SENSE of ACCOMPLISHMENT a GREAT thing!!!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!

March 19, 2010

2010-03-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature. Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

Prince Naveen and Tiana are two characters from Disney's "The Princess and the Frog". They both have a lot to learn about having a SENSE of ACCOMPLISHMENT! Prince Naveen has never had to work. He expects that everything he wants will be given to him - he just wants to play around and have fun all of the time.

Tiana is just the opposite. Her Daddy was never able to ope the restaurant he wanted to and she's decided to work toward the same dream. She works all of the time. She never lets herself have a break or have any fun, because she wants to succeed so badly. She is what you might call a "work-aholic". Neither of these two characters can truly experience a SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT the way they're heading. When they go to visit Mama Odie, deep in the Louisiana swampland, she teaches them a thing or two.

She tells Prince Naveen, "Prince Froggy is a rich little boy, you wanna be rich again. That ain't gonna make you happy now. Did it make you happy then? No! Money ain't got no soul; money ain't got no heart. All you need is some self-control - make yourself a brand new start."

Then, she tells Tiana, "Miss Froggy, might I have a word? You's a hard one, that's what I heard. You daddy was a loving man, family through and through. You your daddy's daughter, what he had in him you got in you."

Basically, she tells Naveen that he needs to learn to work, and Tiana that she needs to learn to appreciate the friends and family around her and not work too much. Mama Odie teaches them about balance.

Sometimes, when you get home from school and have tons of homework, it's really important that you get busy, right away and get it finished. Sometimes, it's more important that you help you little brother with his homework for awhile, hang out with some of your friends, or spend some time with your Mom, telling her about your day. (Of course, you need to make sure you finish your homework later!!!) You'll feel a great SENSE of ACCOMPLISHMENT, when you balance good, hard work with good, hard fun!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!

March 12, 2010

2010-03-11T22:35:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

I LOVE writing and reading the Friday Features for you, Mustangs! It's a whole lot of fun! I feel a real SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT - which is a good thing because that's our them for this month!

Accomplishment is defined as "carrying through; putting into effect; carrying out a task; to achieve or to gain with effort." Accomplishment is basically a fancy way to describe work! Everyone has groaned over their chores once or twice in their lifetime - I know I have! But, in the following song from Disney's Mary Poppins, we learn that there's a trick to enjoying your work, while getting it done right!

"In every job that must be done there is an element of fun.

You find the fun and SNAP! The job's a game.

And every task you undertake becomes a piece of cake

A lark, a spree! It's very clear to see that.....

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down - the medicine go down - medicine go down

Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down. In a most delightful way.

A robin feathering his nest has very little time to rest

While gathering his bits of twine and twig. Though quite intent in his pursuit

He has a merry tune to toot. He knows a song will move the job along.

Chorus

The honey bees that fetch he nectar from the flowers to the comb

Never tire of ever buzzing to and fro. Because they take a little nip

From every flower that they sip.

And hence they find their task is not a grind.

Chorus

One of the secrets to accomplishing things is to have fun along the way. Sing a song, reward yourself with a treat when your job is done - and definitely smile!!! Finishing a job correctly will make you feel great! Give it a try!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!!!

February 26, 2010

2010-02-25T21:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature. Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

We have come to the end of our February Friday Features! (Ah - there's nothing like a little alliteration!) Are you CURIOUS about what we'll talk about today?

In our Disney movie of the month, "Alice in Wonderland", Alice says, "Curiosity often leads to trouble."

Do you think that's true? Alice is a little girl who is bored with who she is and what she's doing one afternoon. She ends up confused and lost and longing to go back to where she was in the first place. Actually, I've just described exactly how it feels to grow up. Her curiosity did lead her into trouble - the trouble that comes naturally when you go from being a kid to being a grown-up!

Growing up can be tricky. It takes the proper mix of curiosity and creativity to make it through successfully. Be careful, however. You need a plan! Take note of the following conversation between Alice and the Cheshire cat:

Alice: Oh, no, no. I was just wondering if you could help me find my way.

Cheshire Cat: Well that depends on where you want to get to.

Alice: Oh, it really doesn't matter...

Cheshire Cat: Then it really doesn't matter which way you go.

Mustangs - figure out where you want to go. Then, let your Curiosity and Creativity take you there. You can do it!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!!!

February 19, 2010

2010-02-18T18:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

February is the month for Curiosity and Creativity! Last week we started talking about the Disney Movie "Alice in Wonderland." Did you know that the story was written by a man named Lewis Carroll? He was sooooooo creative! I'll bet you didn't know that he invented Scrabble! He also created a new kind of word called a portmanteau word. A portmanteau is a French word for suitcase. You know how a suitcase has two sides that fold and lock together? A portmanteau word is a word that's combination of two words. Mr. Carroll first invented this kind of word in a poem called "Jabberwocky" in his book "Through the Looking Glass."

'Twas brillig and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:

All mimsy were the borogoves,

And the mome raths outgrabe.

This is how the poem begins. In his book, Humpty-Dumpty explains some of the words in this poem, to Alice. He says,

"Slithy" means lithe and slimy...You see it's like a portmanteau - there are two meanings packed up into one word. Mimsy is flimsy and miserable. (There's another portmanteau for you!)".

Creativity is a great thing. All of us have thoughts and ideas. Creative people are just like you and me; it's just that they share their great ideas with others! The next time you have a great idea for a new game to play, a song you'd like to write, or a new kind of fun word - share it!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!

February 12, 2010

2010-02-12T07:10:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

Happy Valentines Day, Mustangs!

February is Curiosity and Creativity month! There's no better Walt Disney film to illustrate both Curiosity and Creativity, than Alice in Wonderland.

One day, Alice is sitting by a river near her home, listening to her sister read from a history book. She becomes very, VERY bored. Has that ever happened to you? (You know, have you have been bored by something you HAVE to listen to?) Suddenly, a white rabbit with a waistcoat (this is a fancy word for a vest) and a pocket watch comes running past and Alice becomes curious. Curious is a word that means "having the desire to know or learn."

I know that if I saw a rabbit dressed in human clothes, reading the time on a pocket watch, I'd probably want to know what in the heck was going on, as well!

Sometimes curiosity is thought to be a negative, or bad thing. There's a saying; "Curiosity killed the cat." This makes curiosity sound dangerous. But really, it isn't. The desire to know and learn is FABULOUS! People who are curious are usually really smart, because they want to have understanding so BADLY, they spend time figuring out the answers to their own questions.

Think about it this way - are you curious about the math problems you'll be learning about next week? Are you curious about the meanings of the spelling words on your test for next Friday? Are you curious about the next book you'll read - the next paper you'll write - the next report you'll preset? If you're curious, odds are, you'll do a better job!

Get curious Mustangs! Take some time to be curious and see how many wonderful things you'll learn!

Thanks for listening and have a great day!

January 29, 2009

2010-01-28T12:39:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature. Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

What happens when a great leader goes away?

Walt Disney died on December 15, 1966. It was a very sad day. Rolly Crump was a Disneyland artist, who helped design the Haunted Mansion ride. He said that everyone who worked for the Disney Company, felt that they worked directly for Walt Disney - and so the day he died, everyone was lost and sad. The flag on Main Street in Disneyland was lowered half-way, or at "half staff." This is a sign of great respect. The part stayed open, even though all the workers were broken-hearted, because they all knew Walt would want it that way.

Was that it? Was that the end of Disney's dreams? Heck NO!!!! Disney once said, "If you can dream it, you can do it." Disney's dreams had been so big and so wonderful, and the people who worked with him wanted those dreams to all come true. One employee said, "We lost Walt, but we didn't lose his spirit and his love."

Everyone got busy and went to work - and the Disney Company is still growing, changing and thriving today. There have been new movies, new theme parks all over the world - lots of growth - lots of dreams coming true.

So, when good leaders go away, the lessons they taught and the examples they gave stay behind and keep changing the world for the better. I've got one last Walt Disney quote for you - "It's kind of fun to do the impossible."

Keep that in mind, Mustangs. What sorts of impossible things will you try? How will you choose to change the world?

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

January 22, 2010

2010-01-21T17:29:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature. Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

And, Welcome to the Wonderful World of Leadership - sponsored by Walt Disney!!!

Last week we talked about one of Walt's early failures. From then on, he took many risks because he wasn't afraid to fail - he knew he could get through it! He became a very popular man in Hollywood and people loved to listen to him talk of his dreams and future plans.

An important part of being a good leader, is understanding what is truly important. Walt once said,

"The most important thing is family."

Can you imagine what it would be like to have celebrities and politicians - wealthy and powerful people, wanting to spend time with you? It would be pretty cool - and it would make you feel really important! Walt could have spent his time in this way. Instead, he made sure he was home from work every night in time to have dinner with his family. His daughter Diane said,

"Daddy never missed a father's function no matter how I discounted it. I'd say, 'Oh Daddy, you don't need to come. It's just some stupid thing.' But he'd always be there, on time."

It was Disney's love of family that inspired him to build Disneyland - a place where families could have fun together. How many of us have been able to create some happy memories with our families - because Walt knew what was important?

Mustangs - each of you can be great leaders - just make sure you don't forget the important stuff!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

January 15, 2010

2010-01-14T19:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature. Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

What makes a great leader? Walt Disney knew! In the fall of 1918, he decided he wanted to serve his country and join the military. He was only 16. Because he was so young, he served by driving an ambulance and chauffeuring officials of the Red Cross around France. Most ambulances were covered in camouflage - Disney covered his with cartoons he drew himself!

When he returned from France, he wanted to become a commercial artist - designing artwork for advertisements. This soon lead to his experimentation in animation. He started a company, named Laugh-O-Grams, and created The Alice Comedies, about a real little girl and her adventures in an animated world. Unfortunately, his company failed.

You may wonder why I'm telling you about a failure in Walt Disney's life - aren't I supposed to be talking about what a wonderful leader he was?

Well, Walt didn't let failure stop him. At the very young age of 22, he packed his bags, took the prints of The Alice Comedies, and pretty soon his hard work and belief in himself brought great success.

Great leaders suffer failure - just like everybody does. They just don't let it stop them. They learn from their mistakes and move forward. You can do the same thing Mustangs!!!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

January 8, 2009

2010-01-07T23:08:00.001-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature. Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

We'll be talking about LEADERSHIP this month, Mustangs. The word leadership, means "to go before or with and show the way." The great writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once said,

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

Walt Disney was a great leader. What would the world be like today if he had never lived? We'll be talking about just that over these 4 January Fridays! We'll see what kind of a trail he left for us to follow, and will think about what we can do to be great leaders, too.

Disney was quoted as saying, "All the adversity I've had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me...You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you."

A kick in the teeth, huh? OUCH! But you know what? He's right! Being able to get through tough times is one of the qualities of a great leader. So for today, when you face something DIFFICULT, remember that you can let a challenge help you grow in leadership. You can do it!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

December 18, 2009

2009-12-17T13:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature. Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

Have you seen "Mickey's Christmas Carol"? I have to tell you - I LOVE this story! "A Christmas Carol" is a story, written by Charles Dickens in 1843. In the Disney version, Mickey plays Bob Cratchit, a poor little mouse who works as a clerk for Scrooge McDuck.

Scrooge is pretty cranky and greedy and mean and AWFUL! One night Goofy, Jiminy Cricket, the Jack-in-the-Beanstalk giant and Pete, visit Scrooge as spirits, to help him see that being selfish only makes you unhappy. Afterwards, Scrooge decides to change and learns that sharing what he has is FUN and EXCITING!

Did you know that the popular holiday greeting, "Merry Christmas" actually came from "A Christmas Carol"? Pretty cool, huh? Most people in Dicken's time said "Happy Christmas." It's also true that the way Dickens showed families celebrating Christmas was different then the way most people really celebrated the holiday. Back then, Christmas was a very solemn and serious day. In telling us about the Cratchits and nephew Fred, he shared a vision of family togetherness, good food, games, FUN and EXCITEMENT! His view of the way he thought Christmas should be has shaped our modern celebration. Thank you Charles Dickens!

Merry Christmas to you, Manila Mustangs! Please have the best Christmas vacation ever! Remember that all of you have something special to share - and life is sweeter when you do!

Thanks for listening and have a GREAT day!

December 11, 2009

2009-12-10T16:48:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature. Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

Did you know that it's fun and exciting to share? I know I brought this up last week, but it's so true! If you watch the news, you often hear about hard times people are having these days. Jobs are hard to find, and lots of families are struggling with money.

Mickey and Minnie aren't doing so well either, in the short film, Mickey and Minnie's Gift of the Magi. Mickey is working for Pete, selling Christmas trees and Minnie is wrapping presents in a department store. Neither of them have very much money. Minnie does have a beautiful pocket watch and Mickey has a harmonica with which he plays beautiful music. These things are their most valued possessions.

Mickey wants so badly, to buy Minnie a gold chain so she can hang her watch around her neck. Minnie wants to buy a beautifully carves, wooden case for Mickey to store his harmonica. In the end, Mickey trades his harmonica for a chain and Minnie trades her watch for the case. On Christmas Eve they exchange their gifts and realize that the sacrifices they were willing to make for each other, were the greatest gifts they could share.

Here's a quote from the show - "A gift from the heart is cherished and true, a present is best when love's given too. So, in the end it's love that's the reason that Christmas is more than a gift-giving season. It's a time with our loved ones to show that we care when families and neighbors come together to share. So this Christmas season let us do our parts, to keep Christmas alive in our hearts."

Have you though about sharing today, Mustangs? All of us have something to share - and life is sweeter when we do!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

December 4, 2009

2009-12-03T22:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature, Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

December is so full of Fun and Excitement - it's a good thing that's our theme for the month!

In the Disney short film, Pluto's Christmas Tree, Pluto and Mickey are EXCITED for the FUN they're going to have with the Christmas tree they cut down from the forest. They don't realize that the Christmas tree they've chosen is the home of two little chipmunks, named Chip and Dale. Chip and Dale are a little upset about having their home moved without permission, but when they see all the beautiful ornaments and tinsel AND the yummy candy canes hanging all over the evergreen branches they are AMAZED! Their amazement doesn't last too long, because Pluto discovers them in the tree and goes crazy! That dog can bark!

Chip and Dale are pretty crafty, and they succeed in keeping away from Pluto. Pluto gets so frustrated that he knocks all the ornaments off the tree. Mickey calms him down, though, and reminds him that Christmastime is more FUN and EXCITING, when we share what we have.

If you'd like to look up the Manila PTA Blog, I'll include the link to this fun little movie in the Friday Features section. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKVuL6xi8Rk

Have you thought about sharing today, Mustangs? All of us have something to share - and life is sweeter when we do!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

November 20, 2009

2009-11-19T20:31:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature. Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

Happy Thanksgiving Mustangs! Next week at this time, you'll probably be shopping, or watching football on T.V., or eating left-over turkey sandwiches! Yum!

Long ago, a poet named Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, wrote a poem called "Hiawatha", about the childhood, youth and manhood of a Native American warrior. It is a VERY long poem, but it's written very beautifully - I'm going to read you a little bit of it.

"Of all beasts he learned the language,

Learned their names and all their secrets,

How the beavers built their lodges,

Where the squirrels hid their acorns,

How the reindeer ran so swiftly,

]Why the rabbit was so timid,

Talked with them whene'er he met them,

Called them 'Hiawatha's Brothers.'"

Hiawatha love the animals, but one day a member of his village made him a bow and told him he needed to go hunting to find some food.

"Forth into the forest straightway

All alone walked Hiawatha

Proudly, with his bow and arrows...

...And the rabbit from his pathway

Leaped aside, and at a distance

Sat erect upon his haunches,

Half in fear and half in frolic,

Saying to the little hunter,

"Do not shoot me, Hiawatha!"

Walt Disney made a short cartoon about Hiawatha's first hunting trip. It's called "Little Hiawatha." If you visit the Manila PTA blog and find the Friday Features, I've included a link - www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MUuDFeoyvM so you can watch the whole thing. It's a fun adventure to watch at Thanksgiving time. Hope you have a great holiday, Mustangs -and I'll see you again in December!!!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

November 13, 2009

2009-11-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature. Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

I love autumn! We’ve just finished up with Halloween – Thanksgiving is around the corner and multi-colored leaves decorate the trees and the ground everywhere! I love all the different colors – they’re so much more beautiful than one color alone would be.

Pocahontas was a beautiful, young Native American Indian girl, who understood that beauty is enhanced by different colors. In the Disney movie by the same name, Pocahontas lives with her people, when explorers come from England. She becomes friends with one of them – a man named John Smith. The English settlers and the Native American people don’t trust each other – they think their differences are strange and uncomfortable.

Pocahontas teaches her people to give John Smith’s people a chance. Friendship becomes a great adventure for both groups to share. Friendship between Native Americans and European settlers is the basis for our Thanksgiving holiday. Just think about it! You’ll be getting 3 whole days off of school in a couple of weeks, just because of friendship!

Remember how we started the year off, talking about ohana? Remember, “nobody gets left behind, or forgotten…” Pocahontas was brave enough to create ohana with people who were different from her. Now, she has her own movie! If you can take a chance on making some new friends at Manila, who knows what amazing adventures will come your way!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

November 6, 2009

2009-11-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature. Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

November is Manila’s month of ADVENTURE! My absolute FAVORITE Disney adventure movie, is call “Swiss Family Robinson.” It’s a super-fun story about a family traveling across the ocean, when they’re shipwrecked on a deserted island. At first, it’s a little scary – there are no other people on this island; there are no towns or stores. They have to pull together as a family and make a plan.

This is exactly what they do! They work together and build a SUPER COOL tree house! Pirates attack them, and once again, they work together to scare them away. In the end, they have the chance to leave the island when a rescue ships comes for them. One son leaves to go to college (which is a super important thing to do!!!) but the rest of them decide to stay because they are so happy together as a family on the island.

You may never have the chance to live on a deserted island with your Mom and Dad and brothers and sisters, but living in a family is DEFINITELY an adventure. Just like the Robinson family – to be happy, we have to plan and work together to get through the challenges we face. Sometimes we have to get through illnesses, a Mom or Dad losing a job or sometimes it’s just tough to get our chores done!

No matter what – sticking together in our families will make every adventure a WHOLE lot better!

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

October 30, 2009

2009-10-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature. Sponsored by your Friendly, Manila PTA!

Happy Halloween Mustangs! I love Halloween at Manila! I’ve been watching the Halloween parades and parties here, for 16 years! There’s always the same, happy feeling here at this fun time of year!

It’s an exciting feeling to dress up in a costume and pretend to be someone else! We’ve talked about heroes this month. Are you dressed up as a hero today? Do we have a Spider Man or Bat Man here today? I’m sure there are loads of princesses, and maybe even a nurse or fireman! I hope that no matter which costume you chose, you’ll remember to be a hero when you’re out trick-or-treating tomorrow night! Be sure to be polite at the homes you visit, look out for children who are younger than you are, and be careful crossing the street.

One of my favorite Disney Halloween cartoons is a short called “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.” The hero of this story is really an “anti-hero.” This means that his behavior is the opposite of a hero. His name is Ichabod Crane. He is a schoolteacher, but he’s nowhere near as great as the teachers here at Manila! He’s selfish and greedy and in the end we see that’s he’s a real coward. He gets chased by the Headless Horseman and never returns to Sleepy Hollow.

I love Brer Rabbit, from “Song of the South” – another great Disney movie. He said something I’ve never forgotten. “You can’t run away from trouble. There ain’t no place that far!” It’s true! Just when you get through one challenge, you can be sure there will be another one coming along soon. Heroes face the challenges, and don’t run away. Heroes learn from the hard things they face, so they can become stronger.

Even though this is our last day to talk about heroes this year, you can still make the choice to be a hero, every day.

Thanks for listening, and have a GREAT day!

October 23, 2009

2009-10-22T17:56:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your friendly, Manila PTA!

We’re still talkin’ about heroes, Mustangs! Have you seen the Disney movie, The Incredibles? It’s about a regular family, just like yours and mine. And just like our families, the Parr family is special!

The Dad has super human strength! The Mom can stretch really far. The sister can make herself invisible and can create force fields and the brother can run super fast.

Do you ever think about how much strength it takes for your Dad to work hard all day long to provide for your family? Have you watched the way your Mom stretches her time and juggles work, housework, food preparation, homework help, and all the other things she does for you? Do you have a sister who looks out for you and sticks up for you? Do you have a brother who you look up to, because he can do cool things?

Our families are made up of heroes – maybe they can’t fly, or throw cars in the air – but the things they do for us make our lives a whole lot better.

You are a son or a daughter, or a brother or sister. How can you be a hero in your family today? Figure it out! Do something today to be a hero and you’ll be “incredible” too!

Thanks for listening and have a great day!

October 10, 2009

2009-10-08T17:06:00.000-07:00

Welcome Students to the Friday Feature, sponsored by your friendly, Manila PTA!

Last week we began talking about heroes, and we learned about Hercules and how he couldn’t begin to be a hero, really, until he figured out who he really was. Whew – that was a long sentence!

Once he knows he is the son of Zeus, he learns that he can never become a god and live on Mount Olympus again until he proves himself to be a true hero. He isn’t quite sure how to do this, but he is willing to do whatever it takes. He works and trains, and finally goes to the great city of Thebes to test himself. He defeats the hydra, which is this really disgusting snake monster, he rescues children and damsels in distress and he becomes really popular. Artists paint pictures of him and everyone knows his name.

Zeus visits him and Hercules just KNOWS it is time for him to be a god again – he is so excited! But Zeus tells him he hasn’t proven himself yet. He tells Hercules, “Being famous isn’t the same as being a true hero. You must look inside your heart.”

Hercules gets really discouraged at the news, but he keeps trying to earn his way back home. It isn’t until he risk his life to save his friend, that he finally becomes a true hero. Isn’t it interesting that all the cool stuff he does, is nowhere near as important as making a sacrifice to help someone else?

Sacrifice is when you give up something that means a great deal to you, so you can make a difference. All of us have stuff that we think is important – are we willing to share with others who are in need? It turns out – that’s the way to be a hero!

Thanks for Listening and Have A Great Day!!!

October 2, 2009

2009-10-01T17:19:00.000-07:00

Welcome students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your friendly, Manila PTA!

Mustangs – you are my heroes! I love to watch you in your classrooms and on the playground. So many of you share, work hard, try your best and make Manila a wonderful place! We’ll be talking about heroes through October – so we can figure out what it means to be a hero.

Have you seen the Disney movie Hercules? I love that movie – it has such great music! Hercules is a hero from Greek mythology. He was known for his amazing strength, especially because he used his strength to help people. In the Disney version, Hercules was born the son of Zeus – the king of all the other Gods on Mount Olympus. Hades was the God of the underworld, and was an all around nasty guy. He gave baby Hercules a potion to make him human – so he would have to leave Mount Olympus and live in the mortal world. Hercules drank all but the last drop, so he kept his god-like strength. Still, because he was human now, he had to leave his family.

Living on earth in an adopted family, Hercules grew up. He was kind and hard working – always trying to be good, but he felt like something was missing.

He sings the following:
I have often dreamed Of a far-off place Where a great warm welcome Will be waiting for me Where the crowds will cheer When they see my face And a voice keeps saying This is where I'm meant to be I will find my way I can go the distance I'll be there someday If I can be strong I know ev'ry mile Will be worth my while I would go most anywhere to feel like I belong.

Eventually, Hercules finds out he is the son of the great God, Zeus. Understanding who he is makes a whole lot of difference in his life. He knows he can become great, because he came from something great.

Mustangs, you are great and you belong here, at Manila. Remember who you are and how important you are – then, make a difference and be a hero!!

Thanks for listening and have a great day!

September 25, 2009

2009-09-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

Welcome students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your friendly, Manila PTA!

In 1935, Walt Disney released a Silly Symphony short film, titled Music Land. It’s one of my favorites.

Music Land is made up of two islands, the Land of Symphony and the Isle of Jazz. These two islands are separated by the Sea of Discord. (Discord is a word that means tension or strife.) This is kind of a hint that the inhabitants of the two islands DO NOT get along.

The Land of Symphony is made of violins, violas and harps – all string instruments. It is filled with beautiful classical music. The Violin Princess isn’t completely happy, though. She is always trying to sneak away from her mother so she can look across to the Isle of Jazz.

The Isle of Jazz is, well, jazzier! The King of the Isle is a happy saxophone who loves to party! His son, however, is more interested in the Violin Princess across the way. One day he climbs on a raft and makes his way across the sea to visit her. When the Queen Viola finds him there, she has her guards lock him in a giant metronome, and a great war ensues between the two different lands.

The Princess jumps into a violin case and paddles into the sea to try to stop the fighting, but OH NO - she begins to sink! The Saxophone Prince breaks out of his prison to save her, but he sinks too! The King and Queen rush out to save their children, and when they do, they meet and begin to see that they could make beautiful music TOGETHER.

They build a Bridge of Harmony between their two homes and suddenly, all of their differences combine to make great music and great happiness!

Harmony is a great word. Harmony is when different musical notes are played at the same time – and sound way more beautiful than one note could sound alone! They sound like they BELONG together! Let’s fill Manila with harmony – let’s combine our differences into something beautiful – a beautiful OHANA!!!

Thanks for listening and have a great day!

September 18, 2009

2009-09-17T22:49:00.000-07:00

Welcome students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your friendly, Manila PTA!

I love the Disney/Pixar movie, Cars. But at first, I really didn’t like the main character – Lightning McQueen. Remember how selfish he is in the beginning? He thinks he’s the best and he’s really ungrateful to the other cars around him who care for him. He thinks he “belongs” more than anyone else.

Here’s what he says at the start – “Okay, here we go. Focus. Speed. I am speed. One winner, forty-two losers. I eat losers for breakfast. Breakfast? Maybe I should have had breakfast? Brekkie could be good for me. No, no, no, focus. Speed. Faster than fast, quicker than quick. I am Lightning.”

It takes a disaster in his life – being stranded in Radiator Springs – to learn about being a part of a community. I love Mater – the beat up pick up truck! He teaches Lightning about true friendship. Slowly, Lightning begins to learn that there are more important things in life than winning races and being the “best.”

He learns that you can’t really “belong” without having people around you, who love you – people you can love and care about, too. At the very end of the movie, Lightning gives up winning an important race, so he can help a friend across the finish line. Even though he “loses”, he really ends up winning because he figures out what it means to “belong”.

Mustangs, I think each one of you is amazing! You have nothing to lose and everything to gain when you can look outside of yourself and recognize the good friends and teachers who surround you here at Manila. You could not “belong” here, without these good people. Today, please take the time to say “thank you” to your teacher, or share with a classmate. Do something to remind yourself what it means to belong!

Thanks for listening and have a great day!

September 4, 2009

2009-09-03T17:51:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your friendly, Manila PTA.

Do you know what it feels like to belong? I hope so – it’s a really good feeling. I hope you feel like you belong at Manila. It’s normal, sometimes, to worry that the things that make us different, will keep us from “belonging” or fitting in. Have you ever felt that way?

In the Disney movie Ratatouille, Remy is a rat that loves to cook. He hears the saying “Anyone can cook” and it makes him happy to think that he has something in common with others who love food as much as he does.

Remy doesn’t exactly “belong” in the kitchen, however. After all, not many people would want a rat cooking their breakfast in the morning! Thanks to his special friend, Linguine, he gets the chance to do what he loves.

At Manila, “Anyone can succeed.” Some of you are great at math. Some really love to play soccer and some of you write creative stories. Even though we have lots and lots of differences, we belong together because we have the same goal of using our talents in good ways.

Mustangs, I feel really lucky to belong, at Manila, with you!

Thanks for listening and have a great day!

August 28, 2009

2009-08-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome students, to the Friday Feature! Sponsored by your friendly, Manila PTA!

Last week we listened to the speech Walt Disney gave on Disneyland's opening day. We even made our own, Manila opening day speech!

We all know that Disneyland is a great success now, but did you know that on it’s opening day it was a disaster? Walt invited 6,000 people to visit the park that summer day, and 28,000 people showed up! To top that off, the temperature that day reached a sweltering 110 degrees. Back in the 1950’s many women wore high-heeled shoes most of the time. Because it was so hot the asphalt, (which had just been poured the day before) was gooey, and many women’s shoes got stuck!

That first day was so awful; many people predicted that Walt’s dream of Disneyland would fail. We all know they were wrong! Please remember that he never gave up and he always kept working hard, even when things didn’t go just right.

Our coming year at Manila can be a great success. There will be challenges, and not everything will go just right. We'll have to stick together and work some things through. Have you seen the Disney movie, "Lilo & Stitch"? In it, one day, Lilo tells Stitch about the special Hawaiian word, ohana. She says,

"Ohana means family ~ family means nobody gets left behind, or forgotten."

We are a Manila family and that means that as students, teachers, administrators, faculty and parents we will work hard this year to remember ohana. Walt Disney built Disneyland to create a special place for families to be together. All of us are here, together at Manila - let's use ohana to make this the best year we've ever had.

Walt said, “If you can dream it, you can do it.”, and he also said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”

I'm going to quit talking now - let's get to work Mustangs!

Thanks for listening and have a great day!

August 21, 2009

2009-08-18T20:08:00.000-07:00

Welcome students, to the Friday Feature; sponsored by your friendly Manila PTA!

Manila Mustangs!!! It's so good to have you back - hope you had a fabulous summer! We are going to have the best year ever, because this year we're celebrating the Disney way!

In 1955, Walt Disney opened Disneyland with the following speech. (Play recording of track 26 - below)

“To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past...and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America...with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”

I thought we could edit this speech a little and put a "Mustang spin" on things!

"To all who come to this happy place; welcome. Manila Elementary is your school. Here your teachers will teach you about the past and present and you can savor the challenge and promise of the future. Manila is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams and the hard facts that have created America…with the hope that you will learn and grow to become a source of joy and inspiration to all the world."

Mustangs - there are wonderful things in store for you this year! On top of reading, writing and arithmetic, we'll throw in a little bit of Tinkerbell's pixie dust and make it magical!

Thanks for listening and have a great day!