June Belt Testing

This was one of the best belt test. Everyone did a great job. I have posted all of the photos I have at this time and they are available for you to see by clicking on the link below. If anyone has any other photos that you took and would like to share them with us please do so. These are great memories for us all. I think about Jackson C. who just moved to Maine. His mom brought us some photos in, including the one of him getting his white belt over 3 years ago, and it just made all of us think about all the progress he had made. Think what it will be like as our students grow and one day when they earn their black belt and we have photos of them when they were 6 years old – doing there best!!
Click on photo to see the whole album of photos.

Fathers Day thought

Your dad is a very special person.  It was something that I did not really have in my life.  My father passed away when I was 14 and had been sick and bed ridden from the time I was about 5 or 6 years old.  There was no ball playing or him attending any of the activities I was involved in.  In fact there were very few activities for me.  My time was spent as a young person when not in school as a caretaker and a baby sitter, even when I was very young.
Having said all of that though, and after watching the reports on TV about the passing of  Tim Russert there are a couple of thoughts that come to mind.  I hear too many children of all ages, including Tim, that report that their dad was not one to tell their children that they love them, to actually use those words.  I have that memory too.  Now I am not sure how true it is, but I would think that my own children would probably say that too.  As a dad I am going to make a commitment to myself to not just demonstrate love in what and how I do things with the kids, but actually say the words – not in passing – but in a meaningful way, often.
Fathers Day is a special day for telling dad you love him, but maybe it can be a day for dad to think about how we as fathers interact with our loved ones and especially our children.  HAPPY FATHERS DAY!