Tom Hunter & The Song Growing Co. February Newsletter
Tom Hunter - The Song Growing Co.
list@tomhunter.com
Tue, 3 Feb 2004 10:35:48 -0800
This is a multi-part message in MIME format.
------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C3EA41.7D0D3FE0
Content-Type: text/plain;
charset="Windows-1252"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
February newsletter...
GREETINGS for the shortest month, made a longer by an extra day this =
year. Maybe Feb. 29 should always be a day of leaping =96 just leaping =
around, or leapings of faith, and do lizards ever leap really? Might =
have the beginnings of a movement, or at least the admission that many =
of us here in the Northwest get weird about this time of year from the =
gray and rain and drizzle. In any case, greetings from here to wherever =
you are
TO CHEW ON: In her newest book, Reading Essentials (I recommend it to =
those of you paying attention to how children learn to read), Regie =
Routman says, "Worldwide, the strongest predictor of reading achievement =
is the quality of student-teacher relations." Not recognizing frequently =
used words, not phonemic awareness, not a sense of rhythm, not anything =
we can measure or test. It=92s relationships. A valuable and timely =
reminder, and it confirms what I=92ve noticed over the last several =
years: even as we get more focussed on tests and meeting curriculum =
requirements, children still learn and grow best when teachers work on =
classroom relationships.
RECENT EVENT: In Nipomo, Ca. Jan 27 I had a wonderful day of =
conversations with the teachers at Nipomo Elementary. Subs and aids =
covered the classrooms while half the teachers came in the morning and =
half in the afternoon. I sang a little and shaped a conversation =
generally around the issue of paying attention to the details of who =
children are, to who boys are and how they learn differently from girls, =
to the connection of song and literacy, and to teachers=92 energies. I =
love the give and take of times like that. We=92re all experts on =
whatever our experience is, on whoever we are, and too often we ignore =
what teachers bring with them. If the issue of staff development is to =
help teachers get better at it, maybe they really would get better with =
less input and more conversation, less busyness and more time, less =
outside in and more inside out.
FEB. EVENTS: The packed schedule continues, and the light in the tunnel =
isn=92t a train! (more dates available at =
www.tomhunter.com/upcomingevents.htm)
Feb. 2-3 =96 Final days of the Wing Luke Elementary (Seattle). Big =
family sing Tues night!
Feb. 4-5 =96 Keynote and workshop at United Methodist preschools =
conference in Houston (after they=92ve said good-bye to the Super Bowl, =
which really was super this year!)
Feb. 7 =96 Keynote and workshops at Focus on Children conference here in =
Bellingham
Feb. 9-12 =96 Seminars for the Bureau of Education and Research (info: =
800-736-2136) Mon. Hartford, Tues. Long Island, Wed. Philadelphia, =
Thurs. New Brunswick
Feb 25 =96 Workshops and concert, Wilmington Montessori School.
Feb. 26 =96 Keynote and workshops, Potomac Assoc. of Co-op Schools.
Feb. 27 =96 Assembly in Vienna, VA plus workshops and concert at Univ. =
of MD in Baltimore
Feb. 27 =96 Teacher workshop & concert, Vienna Baptist Church preschool, =
Vienna, VA
In March: BER seminar in Portland 3/5, campus childcare center =
conference 3/6, Edwardsville IL 3/10-12, Navy childcare folks 3/20, =
Vancouver WA conference 3/27, Portland area concert 3/28
And (hooray, hooray), Gwen and I are going to a folk music weekend Feb. =
14-16 just to be there and have fun and participate and soak it up and =
wallow. We met at such an event in the summer of 1975, and the rest =
really is history!
HYPE: Sales go up when I=92m busy, which makes sense since we rely on =
being there and word of mouth. You can help by passing the word =96 =
about the web site (www.tomhunter.com), about signing up for this =
newsletter, and about our wonderful recordings. From time to time, =
people really do need gifts, and songs are good. I=92ll even sign them =
special if you want, and we=92ll send them anywhere=85 See what's =
available at www.tomhunter.com/stufftobuy.htm. Shipping is free this =
month to anyone who writes the word ship on their order=85 Registrations =
are coming in for the 9th annual NW Teachers Conference June 19-24 =96 =
fantastic event in a beautiful place. Check out =
www.tomhunter.com/NWTC.htm to learn more. We can also send you flyers=85 =
Cheers to you all until next time!=20
-------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-------
THE SONG GROWING CO.
1225 E. Sunset Dr., #518
Bellingham, WA 98226
(360) 738-0340
fax: (360) 734-0295
songgrow@tomhunter.com=20
www.tomhunter.com
------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C3EA41.7D0D3FE0
Content-Type: text/html;
charset="Windows-1252"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META http-equiv=3DContent-Type content=3D"text/html; =
charset=3Dwindows-1252">
<META content=3D"MSHTML 6.00.2800.1106" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff><FONT face=3DArial>
<DIV><STRONG>February newsletter...</STRONG></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><B>GREETINGS </B>for the shortest month, made a longer by an extra =
day this=20
year. Maybe Feb. 29 should always be a day of leaping =96 just leaping =
around, or=20
leapings of faith, and do lizards ever leap really? Might have the =
beginnings of=20
a movement, or at least the admission that many of us here in the =
Northwest get=20
weird about this time of year from the gray and rain and drizzle. In any =
case,=20
greetings from here to wherever you are</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><B>TO CHEW ON: </B>In her newest book, <U>Reading Essentials</U> (I =
recommend it to those of you paying attention to how children learn to =
read),=20
Regie Routman says, "Worldwide, the strongest predictor of reading =
achievement=20
is the quality of student-teacher relations." Not recognizing frequently =
used=20
words, not phonemic awareness, not a sense of rhythm, not anything we =
can=20
measure or test. It=92s relationships. A valuable and timely reminder, =
and it=20
confirms what I=92ve noticed over the last several years: even as we get =
more=20
focussed on tests and meeting curriculum requirements, children still =
learn and=20
grow best when teachers work on classroom relationships.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><B>RECENT EVENT: </B>In Nipomo, Ca. Jan 27 I had a wonderful day of =
conversations with the teachers at Nipomo Elementary. Subs and aids =
covered the=20
classrooms while half the teachers came in the morning and half in the=20
afternoon. I sang a little and shaped a conversation generally around =
the issue=20
of paying attention to the details of who children are, to who boys are =
and how=20
they learn differently from girls, to the connection of song and =
literacy, and=20
to teachers=92 energies. I love the give and take of times like that. =
We=92re all=20
experts on whatever our experience is, on whoever we are, and too often =
we=20
ignore what teachers bring with them. If the issue of staff development =
is to=20
help teachers get better at it, maybe they really would get better with =
less=20
input and more conversation, less busyness and more time, less outside =
in and=20
more inside out.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>FEB. EVENTS:</STRONG> The packed schedule continues, and =
the light=20
in the tunnel isn=92t a train! (more dates available at <A=20
href=3D"http://www.tomhunter.com/upcomingevents.htm"><FONT=20
face=3DArial>www.tomhunter.com/upcomingevents.htm</FONT></A>)</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Feb. 2-3</STRONG> =96 Final days of the Wing Luke =
Elementary=20
(Seattle). Big family sing Tues night!</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Feb. 4-5</STRONG> =96 Keynote and workshop at United =
Methodist=20
preschools conference in Houston (after they=92ve said good-bye to the =
Super Bowl,=20
which really was super this year!)</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Feb. 7</STRONG> =96 Keynote and workshops at Focus on =
Children=20
conference here in Bellingham</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Feb. 9-12</STRONG> =96 Seminars for the Bureau of Education =
and=20
Research (info: 800-736-2136) Mon. Hartford, Tues. Long Island, Wed.=20
Philadelphia, Thurs. New Brunswick</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Feb 25</STRONG> =96 Workshops and concert, Wilmington =
Montessori=20
School.</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Feb. 26</STRONG> =96 Keynote and workshops, Potomac Assoc. =
of Co-op=20
Schools.</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Feb. 27</STRONG> =96 Assembly in Vienna, VA plus workshops =
and=20
concert at Univ. of MD in Baltimore</DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>Feb. 27</STRONG> =96 Teacher workshop & concert, Vienna =
Baptist=20
Church preschool, Vienna, VA</DIV>
<DIV><EM>In March: BER seminar in Portland 3/5, campus childcare center=20
conference 3/6, Edwardsville IL 3/10-12, Navy childcare folks 3/20, =
Vancouver WA=20
conference 3/27, </EM><EM>Portland area concert 3/28</EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM>And (hooray, hooray), Gwen and I are going to a folk music =
weekend Feb.=20
14-16 just to be there and have fun and participate and soak it up and =
wallow.=20
We met at such an event in the summer of 1975, and the rest really is=20
history!</EM></DIV>
<DIV><EM></EM> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG>HYPE:</STRONG> Sales go up when I=92m busy, which makes =
sense since=20
we rely on being there and word of mouth. You can help by passing the =
word =96=20
about the web site (<A =
href=3D"http://www.tomhunter.com">www.tomhunter.com</A>),=20
about signing up for this newsletter, and about our wonderful =
recordings. From=20
time to time, people really do need gifts, and songs are good. I=92ll =
even sign=20
them special if you want, and we=92ll send them anywhere=85 See what's =
available at=20
<A=20
href=3D"http://www.tomhunter.com/stufftobuy.htm">www.tomhunter.com/stufft=
obuy.htm</A>. Shipping=20
is free this month to anyone who writes the word <I>ship</I> on their =
order=85=20
Registrations are coming in for the 9<SUP>th</SUP> annual NW Teachers =
Conference=20
June 19-24 =96 fantastic event in a beautiful place. Check out <A=20
href=3D"http://www.tomhunter.com/NWTC.htm">www.tomhunter.com/NWTC.htm</A>=
to=20
learn more. We can also send you flyers=85 <STRONG>Cheers to you all =
until next=20
time!</STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=3D2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV>
<HR>
</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><STRONG></STRONG> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><STRONG>THE SONG GROWING =
CO.</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>1225 E. Sunset Dr., #518</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>Bellingham, WA 98226</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>(360) 738-0340</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>fax: (360) 734-0295</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial>
<DIV><A =
href=3D"mailto:songgrow@tomhunter.com">songgrow@tomhunter.com</A>=20
</DIV></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial><A =
href=3D"http://www.tomhunter.com">www.tomhunter.com</A>=20
</FONT></DIV></DIV></DIV></DIV></FONT></BODY></HTML>
------=_NextPart_000_0007_01C3EA41.7D0D3FE0--