I guess this is my year for teaching awards. This morning I was honored along with other teachers in the district by receiving the Rotary Students Choice Award. The elementary school teacher awards are selected from seventh grade student nominations. Pete Darragh, friend and colleague, also received the award. I feel doubly honored as this is the same award that Don and I received last year.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Monday, May 26, 2008
sailing at last!
With the lousy weather this spring and my mooring buoy gone, it took me longer to get the sailing started. Yesterday, Calvin helped me launch the boat and drop a new mooring anchor system. This afternoon I went for a three hour sail down Colvos Passage. The wind was moderate to slight - good conditions for the first sail of the year. Another first today was a craigslist purchase. Esther has been looking for end tables on craigslist for quite some time. She saw some she wanted, so it was a quick call and trip to Mercer Island. It was good to be home this weekend and get some things accomplished.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Makah Munchkins
I feel like I missed the Saturday scorcher in Puget Sound. But I'm not complaining, because we had a great time in Neah Bay with the students and some of their parents. Our annual trip to the Northwest tip of Washington was once again blessed by nice weather. Saturday, which holds the bulk of our activity was sunny, though not extremely warm. It didn't stop the kids from enjoying the water. No low tides this year to explore tide pools; but there was a heavy surf, which enhanced the spectacular setting of Shi Shi Beach. (which was accessed by a three-mile muddy trail) Our campsite was at Hobouck Beach which is much flatter and more conducive to beach games. Sunday morning brought in a cold fog which chased the kids to a campfire while they waited for their bacon, eggs and pancakes. Then it was off to Cape Flattery with it's fog shrouded cliffs and caves. We topped the trip off with a visit to the Makah museum which so tastefully depicts the ancient culture of these 'people of the Cape.'
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
'new' principal for Sidney Glen
After an intense two weeks, the new principal for our school was announced. Jason Shdo is a veteran teacher at Sidney Glen and a long time friend. He is currently the Assistant Principal at Orchard Heights, where Esther works. Our gain is their loss, so it is a bitter sweet announcement for our family. After teaching at Sidney Glen for fifteen years, Jason taught and was a dean at the high school. He has been at Orchard Heights for two years, but couldn't pass up the opportunity to take a shot at his old stomping grounds. Our staff has been very excited at the prospect of his return and leadership. Just goes to show that sometimes a prophet does have honor in his own country. Congratulations, Jason!
Sunday, May 11, 2008
mother's day
Esther had a warm Mother's Day despite the winter in the air. Markus came home for the day. Bjorn and Jenny called and wrote a nice daughter-in-law blog. Dinner was Kim's teriyaki take home and we went for a cool walk. Different this year is the need for a cozy fire in the fireplace.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Dolphin Dash
Sorry about the blogage shortage. I have been preoccupied lately with the selection process of a new principal for our school next year. As part of the interview team, it has been pretty intense. We are down to two candidates and we should know next week. Today was the first annual Dolphin Dash at Sidney Glen. The PTA sponsored a 5k run/race with a carnival afterwards. I had decided that it has been about 15 years since I took a race seriously, and I was curious what this 50 year old could do in a 5k. There were about 200 participants and I thought there might be some competition. I started strong off the starting line and took the lead. I could hear someone behind me and assumed I was leading a pack. After about a mile, a teenage boy passed me. I decided to look back. There was nothing else there! I tried to keep up a strong pace for the rest of the race and finished 2nd, well ahead of any other competitors. My time was a little over 22:00. Then it was into a cold dunk tank at the carnival. By the time I got dried off, I was in the initial stages of hypothermia.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Mom celebrates her 85th birthday
On Sunday we celebrated my mom's 85th birthday. Mom is physically strong, but suffers from the growing confusion of Alzheimers. We had a family lunch and then an open house. Some of the residents of Meadow Greens stopped by, as well as many people from mom's church - Bethel Christian Reformed. It was enjoyable for me as well, as I was able to visit with many of the folks from my childhood church. The weekend was filled with lots of good family visiting on both sides of our family.
dual awards
On Saturday, both Calvin and I received recognition at an award ceremony. Calvin was nominated by his teachers to receive the outstanding junior award, and I was nominated by my principals to receive the outstanding teacher award. Neither of us were selected for 'the grand prize,' but the Bulthuis' made a good showing at the district wide event. It was an honor which both of us appreciate.
Friday, April 25, 2008
woes of WASL weeks
My apologies to readers for my lack of blog material the past few weeks. I think that I was burned out of blogging for a while after the trip. Life seemed so routine and uneventful. Also a little depressing with the lousy weather. The past few weeks of school have been dominated with WASL testing. Our fifth graders had eight days of testing. Each section of the test usually takes an hour or less for the students to complete, but the state only allows us to administer one section a day. Our fifth graders take tests in math, reading and science. our fourth graders take them in math, reading and writing. The writing and science test are definitely the most difficult. Though many of the questions seem subjective, the scorers are very particular in what they expect students to produce. Next week will begin the task of motivating the students to further learning as they tend to let up after the pressure of WASL testing.
Sunday, April 06, 2008
College Road Trip - Day Eight
This morning we awoke to the warmth of the California sun. After a leisurely breakfast with Ellen, we got on the road and followed the steady stream of returning snowbirds up the Sacramento Valley. Our final college stop was Simpson University in Redding. The campus has wonderful views of the surrounding mountains, including Mt. Lassen and Mt. Shasta. All the structures are new since it is a new campus. There is a noticeable absence of large trees. The admissions office was closed, but a staff member graciously gave us a tour. The school has a relaxed family feel to it. The two main areas of emphasis seem to be Christian ministries and education majors. The long trip home from Redding was interrupted only by our traditional stuffing at the Home Town Buffet in Medford. Oregon greeted us with the familiar Northwest drizzle.
Friday, April 04, 2008
College Road Trip - Day Seven
We have long wanted to go to Yosemite, but haven't taken the time to do it--until today. The crowds in the summer have kept us away, but the spring is a great time to go. There were relatively few people and the weather was great, though a little cool. We were able to see the main sights and take a small hike to a great lookout. Tonight we are back in Sacramento with Ellen.
Thursday, April 03, 2008
College Road Trip - Day Six
Our final southern California college on the tour was Biola University. We had the most extensive visit at this school with a couple of conferences, a tour and a free lunch in the dining hall. (Now that'll go a long way with a Dutchman!) The school is similar in size to Azusa Pacific and the student body seemed very similar. Biola is more blatant about it's christian emphasis and requires all students to minor in Bible. Of interest to Calvin was a cultural linguistics program and a unique honors program that has a separate track of tutor style classes which fulfills all the core Bible and Humanities requirements. By the this time we were all about 'toured out', so we decided to do some sightseeing. We headed up to the Getty Center with its beautiful architecture, museums and gardens, all overlooking the valley. Wow! what a view. Fortunately, it was a clear day and we could see the whole valley. The museum and grounds are free of charge except for the parking. We all enjoyed the experience, though our legs were tired from being on our feet all day. Tonight we are in Bakersfield ready for our next adventure tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
College Road Trip - Day Five
We woke up to the sounds of a busy street in the San Fernando Valley-buses, horns, peeling tires and the occasional siren. Our first stop for the day was Simi Valley and Eternity Bible College which we heard of through Francis Chan, a speaker at Challenge youth conferences. It is definitely a low budget operation. Occupying a corner of a strip mall with a hundred students who all commute, it was certainly a contrast to Pepperdine. Our next stop was Master's College in Santa Clarita. We had a conversation with an admissions officer and Esther was our tour guide. She found her freshman dorm room. Then we went to Azusa Pacific University and caught a tour. It is a fairly large school with many opportunities. The last school for the day was Harvey Mudd College, a prestigious liberal arts college that specializes in the sciences. All students major in science and the academics are very rigorous. We were able to join an extensive tour of the campus, much of which is underground. One peculiar feature of this campus was the abundance of skateboards. Two thirds of the students we saw were on some form of wheels- longboards, scooters, bikes and even unicycles. It was easily the most unique school that we have visited. We've camped tonight at a motel in La Mirada, poised to visit Biola in the morning.
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
College Road Trip - Day Four
We spent last night in a Motel 6 in San Luis Obispo (No, not Walmart parking lot) After a hearty breakfast at Mickey D's, we drove to Santa Barbara and found Westmont College. We found the admissions office and were given some helpful info and they even arranged a tour for us. The campus is very nice, located in ritzy Montecito, with beautifully landscaped pathways. The college seems to focus on a strong relational christian liberal arts education. It has a relatively small enrollment which is kept that way because of the town's restrictions. After a late picnic lunch at the Santa Barbara mission, we quickly cruised off to Malibu to catch the admissions office open at Pepperdine. Fortunately, Andy Olson, who attends the University was available to spend the evening with us. We weren't too impressed with the admissions office-"here are some pamphlets and you can watch interactive video tour" But it was great to have Andy there who gave us an inside look at the campus. He did a great job of explaining his own appreciation of his education at Pepperdine. The campus is amazing. It reeks of wealth - BMW's Mercedes, Lexus, architecturally unified buildings on a breathtaking piece of property overlooking the Pacific. The students which we met through Andy seemed to be very friendly and appreciative of their opportunity to study at Pepperdine. After a late supper in town with Andy, we were off to the big city of LA to find lodging for the night. Esther was a little worried as we raced through Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, but we headed for the San Fernando Valley for some 'reasonable' housing. We stumbled onto Sepulveda Blvd. and found a suitable 'has been' motel and turned in at 9pm.
Monday, March 31, 2008
College Road Trip - Day Three
If you would tell me to leave Sacramento at 9 am, drive to San Francisco, drive through China Town and down Lombard St., walk the Wharf AND be out of SF by 12 noon, I would say that it couldn't be done; but we did it (SF tour on FF) We next headed for Monterey and Cannery Row, enjoying calamari on the wharf. The last two times that Esther and I have driven the Big Sur Coast, she has been miserable, so this time I insisted she take some dramamine. It worked great! We all enjoyed the spectacular scenery in the brilliant Pacific sunshine.
College Road Trip - Day Two
Sunday morning in Sacramento greeted us with warmth and sunshine. So it was off to Ellen's church in shirt sleeves. Christ Community Church of Carmichael is a large Reformed Church which just finished a new auditorium. The youth groups had just completed spring mission trips, so the worship service consisted of testimonies and a challenge from the youth pastors. After church, we toured the capital grounds and Old Sacramento. Later in the afternoon, we took a walk around Ellen's neighborhood. It was great strolling North Sac in the warm sunshine, with the scents of spring and the 'sense of danger.' The spring day was topped off with steaks on the barbee.
College Road Trip - Day One
We set off on a Snowy Saturday morning, stopping at Powell's Books in Portland to stock up on reading material. Calvin's friend, Josh deLacy is on the adventure with us. We had to drag him out of Powell's, but not before he grabbed seven books. We stopped at both George Fox and Corban colleges. Neither one had any activity, because of spring break; but it was good to walk the grounds. Corban has a disc golf course through the center of campus. Then it was the long haul down to Sacramento, arriving in the late evening. It was good to see my sister Ellen. She, along with Charlie and Princess made us feel right at home.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
the basement
Today our church celebrated Easter through the presentation of a drama entitled 'the basement' The play closely followed the events in the lives of the disciples between the death and resurrection of Jesus, only changing the setting from a first century 'upper room' to a twenty-first century basement. The drama focused on the contrast of the despair of Saturday morning to the joy of Sunday. The characters of Peter and Thomas provided an emotional link to the audience. I played a minor role as the disciple, Matthew. It is good to be finished with the rehearsals, and we trust that the Lord used the presentation of 'his'tory to draw people to himself.
A Nissan for the Newlyweds
Last month Jenny's Dodge Intrepid bit the dust (surprise, surprise) They have been looking for a good used Toyota Corolla, but they have either been snatched up or unsatisfactory. I found this '98 Nissan Sentra for them in Port Townsend. It is in very good shape and has 90,000 miles. Jenny will enjoy the power windows and keyless entry. Bjorn will enjoy the 5-speed transmission and 40+ mpg. So this weekend, Bjorn and Jenny came down to buy the car. Esther and Calvin went with them as I had play practice all day. After spending a week on the phone arranging a vehicle inspection and negotiating a price, I was subjected to endless abuse as a 'Dutchman' by the car dealer. Now they just hope the Rabbit stays together.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Mom and Ellen
My sister Ellen is on spring break this week from her teaching in Sacramento. This past weekend she spent a couple of days with us, along with my mom, who came down from Lynden. We also got to spend some time with my other sister, Susan and her husband, Jack who are from Olympia. Mom didn't join in much of the conversation, but I'm sure she enjoyed being around her children. She and Ellen went to church with us and Mom really enjoyed clapping with the worship songs. Ellen just bought a pink EEE PC, so I was able to show her a few things about them. It didn't take her long to be off and running with it. Markus was also home as his spring break is also this week. He is off now to Colorado spending a week with cousin Zac in Breckenridge. It was a busy weekend for me, trying to squeeze in play practice and then report cards.
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