More books lately

Posted on March 15th, 2010 by

Now that CRTs are over, and Spring Break is around the corner, it’s a good time to think about what to do with all that extra time coming up.  Here are a few suggestions that I read:

Thoreau at Walden- John Porcellino:

(graphic novel, poetry, easy read)  I admit it.  I don’t think I ever read Thoreau as a student in middle or high school.  I’m pretty sure I thought, “Poetry- how boring.”  But, I actually wanted to read this one.  This author took the writings of Henry David Thoreau and put them in the format of a cartoon/graphic novel.  If you’ve never read Thoreau, this is your ticket into reading one of the best American poets.

The Surrender Tree- Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom- Margarita Engle:

(poetry, non-fiction)  This book uses poetry to tell the story of Cuba’s struggle for independence.  The main character is Rosa who is a healer who uses natural remedies from wild plants, using hidden caves as hospitals.  It is a unique approach to painting the picture of a war-torn country fighting for its independence from Spain.

Before Their Time- The World of Child Labor- David L. Parker:

(non-fiction, pictures, easy read)  They say a picture can speak a thousand words.  This book would be saying a lot.  Each chapter gives a brief background into an area of labor such as mining, agriculture, textiles, garbage picking, etc. and then gives some realistic and sometimes frightening black and white photos of children workers working dangerous and laborious jobs.  Did you think that child labor was a thing of the past?  Guess again.  These photos for the most part are all less than 10 years old.

For Boys Only- The Biggest, Baddest Book Ever- Marc Aronson & H. P. Newquist:

(non-fiction, easy-read, illustrated)  Are you that person in a group who knows all kinds of random facts about things?  Do you wish you were?  This book is a lot of little pieces put together, covering all sorts of things from the most venomous snakes, to the fastest supercars, to how to get out of quicksand, to the only four sports dynasties worth mentioning, to how do IPods work.  This is right up my alley as far as books go.  This book captured my attention and I kept saying to myself, “OK, I’ll read one more page.”  I love all the cool stuff in here!  This book may say it is for boys only, but I bet a lot of girls should know this stuff too.

The Trouble Begins at 8: A life of Mark Twain in the Wild, Wild, West:

(non-fiction, easy-read, illustrated)  How did I not know that Mark Twain spent time in Nevada before becoming a writer?  This books does a great job of including the interesting parts of Samuel Clemens’ (a.k.a. Mark Twain) life and adventures without getting mired in any boring details.  I also didn’t know that he used to be a full-fledged riverboat captain and was involved in a few get-rich-quick schemes.  Good thing he never hooked up with Bernie Madoff!  Mark Twain’s quick, witty comments are some of the best quips ever.  As he once said, “It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.”

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A couple of cool books to check out

Posted on February 16th, 2010 by

In case you are looking for a couple of cool books to check out over the next couple weeks, here are a couple I just read that are *perfect* easy reading and will definitely hold your attention:

What the World Eats- Peter Menzel & Faith D’Aluisio:

(easy read, non-fiction, pictures) This book really gave me a new appreciation for the living conditions in many parts of the world and how fortunate we really are to live in the United States. With LOADS of photographs and graphics, this book documents what a typical family in 25 different parts of the world eats. It tells how much is spent on groceries and gives a unique insight into daily life for the people. It is a quick read for all reading levels. My favorite part was looking at all the prepackaged and junk food the typical families in eat in each of the developed countries.

Far From Home: Latino Baseball Players in America- Tim Wendel & José Luis Villegas:

(easy read, non-fiction, pictures, sports) Calling all baseball fans! If you root for Manny Ramirez, Albert Pujols, David Ortiz (GO RED SOX!) or Vlad Guerrero, this book will walk you through the humble history of latino baseball and the rise to prominence of latinos in the major leagues. If you claim to know about baseball and don’t know who Roberto Clemente, Luis Aparicio, or Tony Oliva are, then pick this book up! Filled with lots of gritty, real-life pictures of baseball in the farm leagues and the developmental leagues outside of the U.S.

WAR IS- Marc Aronson & Patty Campbell:

(non-fiction, adult language) Without taking any sides or espousing any political views regarding war, this book talks about the realities of enlisting, fighting in battle, war wounds, and the after-effects of fighting in a war. WARNING- there are a few instances of inappropriate language in this book, but such are the realities of war. There are lots of first-hand accounts of people’s experiences, letters from the battlefield, and stories of heroes who gave the ultimate sacrifice. My favorite part is where the book answers questions like: “How will my body react to combat?”, “Will it feel like a video game?”, “What does it feel like to kill someone?”, and “Will I be afraid?”. Tough questions and tough answers.

Read any of these books?  What do you think about them?

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A little about me…

Posted on January 7th, 2010 by

In case you have not heard, I am Mr. Welsh and I am the new Assistant Principal at Cram Middle School.  The news of the change came as a surprise to me, but was certainly a pleasant surprise.  I am excited to start at Cram at the beginning of the second semester.  The administration and staff have given me a warm reception and I feel like it is going to be a “match.”  As the title for this blog entry indicates, let me tell you a little about me.

Prior to coming over to Cram, I was the (only) Assistant Principal at Escobedo Middle School, which I opened in 2007 along with Taylor Powers.  It was a unique, challenging, and exciting opportunity to open a new school and I am glad for the time I have gotten to spend with the teachers and staff that we hired.  The best thing about opening a new school is really being able to enter into the process with a clear vision for the school and to have all your decisions align with that vision.

Before Escobedo, I worked in the Northwest Region Superintendent’s office as the Regional Data Coordinator.  I helped principals interpret and analyze achievement data, work on school improvement planning and goals, complete applications for and monitor grant monies, and implement region-wide initiatives like proficiency tutoring and structured teacher planning time.  The best part was the people I got to work with.  We had some great principals and assistant principals in this district and I felt honored to help them help so many students.

I also served as Dean of Students at Silvestri JHS down in southeast Las Vegas.  As we all know, being a dean is a challenging job and it is always something different every day.

My background before going into administration was as a classroom teacher, teaching Math and Spanish both here in Las Vegas and in Maine, the state I am originally from.  The interesting part about teaching multiple subjects is when you have the same students 2 or 3 times a day!

I hope I gave you a little flavor of my experiences in education.  Feel free to drop me a comment on my blog and introduce yourself.  I really *do* read all my comments and plan on keeping up with my blog as much as possible throughout the school year.  Thanks!

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