The challenges of working in an urban school are not for every teacher. Some get burnt out fast. Some lose sight of why they started teaching in the first place. Some find their calling in other neighborhoods...with other kids. But not Salome Thomas-El. A Teacher at Roberts Vaux Middle School in Philadelphia's inner city, he chose to stay. Gripping, poignant, and homest, this is his blistering real-life tale of mentoring and making a difference—and how the reformation of America's educational system can start with just one school. Praise for I Choose To Stay "An intensely moving story of loyalty and courage and a deeply pewrsonal tribute to the great potential of our inner-city kids, so frequently dismissed and denigrated by American society. The redemptive power of a teacher's love shines through these pages with prophetic grace. I am grateful to the author for the lesson of essential decency he teaches us" --Jonathan Kozol "This book is about courage. It is a story about determination, about compassion, love and the ultimate fight. This is the fight against the odds, against the 'system' and years of cultural, social and economic factors that would have allowed this group of inner-city kids to become nothing more than a set of statistics. But Salome Thomas-El would not let that happen. He would not give up. He saw the potential in them and he fought for them. he used a board game as a weapon in this figth." --From the forward by Arnold Schwarzenegger "A powerful story about what an inspirational teacher can do to open new horizons for economically disadvantaged young people" --William H. Gray, III, President, United Negro College Fund "This book shows how one dedicated educator who believes in th potential of all our kids can make a huge difference and how, under teh proper circumstances, urban education can work." --Edward G. Rendell, former mayor of Philadelphia, Chairman of the Democratic National Convention "An eloquent example of how commitment and innovation can better the lives of inner-city children." --Kirkus Reviews
Tom collaborated with his blind dog on Stay Put? Make a Move?, so his 6th book breaks all the rules. The dog suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. (They needed to keep track with numbered paragraphs. Blame the dog.) Stay Put? covers more than just their lives and their locales; this is a narrative chock-full of cocktail party historical and pop culture facts. It’s about the lives and events of the famous and less known friends, people, places and events that touched Tom’s life. How did Tom’s High School Campaign Manager stop the Florida vote recount, resulting in chicken-hearted, pig-headed, hoodwinking, papa-rebellious, childish, unapologetic (now ‘feeling comfortable’) George Bush Jr. getting elected President? And how has it affected all of us? After graduating from Cornell University, Tom worked with Japan’s two top union movement leaders, Ohta Kaoru (who invented Shunto), and Yamagishi Akira (who founded the united RENGO labour union). There he had the lucky start of developing his vision to build world economies with better woman/manpower management. After a few serious parts, Stay Put? takes on more light-hearted topics. A drive from London to Katmandu; Marilyn Monroe’s marriage in Waccabuc; departing Waccabuc to capture Benedict Arnold; other lake and mountain facts; Robert Reich leading author’s John Jay High School; an impressive 39-year-old Donald Rumsfeld; Donald Trump; Bruce Willis; Richard Gere nearby; the Salem Witch Trials; the first half-black non-native New Yorker with Manhattan to himself for 11 years before the Dutch came; the Christmas Ghost; Bill Clinton at the Kill Bill restaurant; Tom singing ‘Otoko wa Tsurai Yo’ to Tora-san; Chiang Kai-shek and a talk with Princess Diana. Stay Put? features hundreds of other true stories – many that you will know something about. Where to live? Who to live with? What to do? What to change? What to think? What stories do you have to tell? And how many changed history for all of us?
God Is Here to Stay offers new insights into one of humankind's most profound questions: Does God exist? During the past ten years, theists and new atheists have argued to prove or disprove God's existence. Examining the pros and cons of each side leads to one overarching conclusion: The existence of God can be neither proven nor disproven with complete certainty, even though both sides draw on modern science to support their views. Drs. Thomas R. McFaul and Al Brunsting approach the question of God's existence from an entirely fresh perspective. They examine scientific knowledge in several areas ranging across the physical sciences and human experience to explain how the universe operates within very narrow and highly structured boundaries. Most importantly, they create an innovative "L-M Confidence Scale" to establish confidence levels, not proofs, on how scientific discoveries impact belief in God. McFaul and Brunsting describe the three stages of scientific evolution. In stage 1, the world's religions developed divergent pre-scientific views. Modern science started with stage 2, during which atheists predicted that science would eventually eradicate religion. In stage 3, the authors show how science, evolution, and belief in God have become increasingly integrated and mutually supportive.
The theory explored in this book contends that animals are not controlled through predation but because they cannot obtain enough of the food they must have to reproduce and grow. This book explains how this comes about in nature and describes some of the ways in which animals have evolved to cope.
Thomas A. Squire was a regular guy doing a regular job when his far from regular wife gave him a call with some news. By the end of that five-minute conversation, he had decided to leave his regular job and follow his wife on a posting to Ho Chi Minh City and San Francisco – as a trailing spouse cum stay-at-home dad. Dad Abroad is a light-hearted sharing of a journey that is not usually travelled by men. This book covers the highs and lows, the foibles and contemplations of a regular guy as he navigates new countries, hangs with the kids, mingles with the mums, submits more completely to domestic chores, and tries his best to avoid isolation and talking about nappy changes … and his search for meaning and “flow” in the process.
How do I stay safe at school? Fire drills, tornado drills, lockdowns ... School bus safety, playground rules, lunchroom do's and don'ts ... Staying Safe at School defines the many ways school communities keep their members safe, using bright, full-color illustrations and kid-friendly text delivered by a 1st-person student narrator with whom young readers can easily identify.
The challenges of working in an urban school are not for every teacher. Some get burnt out fast. Some lose sight of why they started teaching in the first place. Some find their calling in other neighborhoods...with other kids. But not Salome Thomas-El. A Teacher at Roberts Vaux Middle School in Philadelphia's inner city, he chose to stay. Gripping, poignant, and homest, this is his blistering real-life tale of mentoring and making a difference—and how the reformation of America's educational system can start with just one school. Praise for I Choose To Stay "An intensely moving story of loyalty and courage and a deeply pewrsonal tribute to the great potential of our inner-city kids, so frequently dismissed and denigrated by American society. The redemptive power of a teacher's love shines through these pages with prophetic grace. I am grateful to the author for the lesson of essential decency he teaches us" --Jonathan Kozol "This book is about courage. It is a story about determination, about compassion, love and the ultimate fight. This is the fight against the odds, against the 'system' and years of cultural, social and economic factors that would have allowed this group of inner-city kids to become nothing more than a set of statistics. But Salome Thomas-El would not let that happen. He would not give up. He saw the potential in them and he fought for them. he used a board game as a weapon in this figth." --From the forward by Arnold Schwarzenegger "A powerful story about what an inspirational teacher can do to open new horizons for economically disadvantaged young people" --William H. Gray, III, President, United Negro College Fund "This book shows how one dedicated educator who believes in th potential of all our kids can make a huge difference and how, under teh proper circumstances, urban education can work." --Edward G. Rendell, former mayor of Philadelphia, Chairman of the Democratic National Convention "An eloquent example of how commitment and innovation can better the lives of inner-city children." --Kirkus Reviews
Tom collaborated with his blind dog on Stay Put? Make a Move?, so his 6th book breaks all the rules. The dog suffers from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. (They needed to keep track with numbered paragraphs. Blame the dog.) Stay Put? covers more than just their lives and their locales; this is a narrative chock-full of cocktail party historical and pop culture facts. It’s about the lives and events of the famous and less known friends, people, places and events that touched Tom’s life. How did Tom’s High School Campaign Manager stop the Florida vote recount, resulting in chicken-hearted, pig-headed, hoodwinking, papa-rebellious, childish, unapologetic (now ‘feeling comfortable’) George Bush Jr. getting elected President? And how has it affected all of us? After graduating from Cornell University, Tom worked with Japan’s two top union movement leaders, Ohta Kaoru (who invented Shunto), and Yamagishi Akira (who founded the united RENGO labour union). There he had the lucky start of developing his vision to build world economies with better woman/manpower management. After a few serious parts, Stay Put? takes on more light-hearted topics. A drive from London to Katmandu; Marilyn Monroe’s marriage in Waccabuc; departing Waccabuc to capture Benedict Arnold; other lake and mountain facts; Robert Reich leading author’s John Jay High School; an impressive 39-year-old Donald Rumsfeld; Donald Trump; Bruce Willis; Richard Gere nearby; the Salem Witch Trials; the first half-black non-native New Yorker with Manhattan to himself for 11 years before the Dutch came; the Christmas Ghost; Bill Clinton at the Kill Bill restaurant; Tom singing ‘Otoko wa Tsurai Yo’ to Tora-san; Chiang Kai-shek and a talk with Princess Diana. Stay Put? features hundreds of other true stories – many that you will know something about. Where to live? Who to live with? What to do? What to change? What to think? What stories do you have to tell? And how many changed history for all of us?
Goodbye Is Never Easy, but God Can Make It Better When Quinn the Owl makes a new friend, a firefly named Blink, she is filled with joy. But one night, Quinn wakes up to find her friend has disappeared in a flash. “Momma, why didn’t God make Blink stay with me? Didn’t he know how much I loved him?” “God doesn’t always stop bad things from happening, Quinn. But He does promise that He will always be with you, and He will never stop being your friend.” Beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully written, Quinn Says Goodbye is designed for children dealing with different kinds of loss, whether it be death of a pet or a family member, or simply the loss of a favorite toy. Remind little ones that although people and things might not be in their life forever, God will never leave them.
The family drove all day. It was quiet for Dan in the truck but torturous for Ginny in the van. If she heard “are we there yet?” or “how much longer?” or “is this Pennsylvania?” just one…more…time…. North and east they trekked to a place seen only once before...It was completely dark when the headlights caught a simple Department of Transportation sign, along a rural highway, that read “Borough of Colsonburg.” “We’re in Colsonburg, kids,” Ginny cheered over her shoulder, exhausted but relieved. The children had, ironically, all fallen asleep. * * * * * * * Pete’s prayer was not eloquent or well-crafted but it was from his heart and he meant every word of it—even more than he was able to say in words. It got kind of quiet and finally both looked up at each other. They stayed quiet for a few more moments. Happy birthday, Peter,” Pastor Dan finally greeted him. Huh?” Pete wondered out loud. “Today, right now, you’ve been born—again. Happy birthday.” “Wow, I guess so.” Pete let a slight grin escape along with a nod…. Pete sat on that rock and watched the water go by. He thought how he somehow actually finally felt clean and fresh like that pure water. Everything looked the same and he was otherwise just Pete Archer but he also knew he was different now and that his life would be changed. Already it felt as if a gigantic weight had been lifted from him and indeed it had been. He prayed a little more, just letting his thoughts and feelings about it all go up to God. But eventually he had to leave. Walking back up the path everything was the same but at the same time everything was different. * * * * * * * …but Ginny stayed seated, her head dropped, tears falling all the way to the floor. Then a warm presence was sensed on the pew beside her and a gentle hand was felt running across the backs of her shoulders and resting on her left arm. Joanie’s voice was heard whispering straight into Ginny’s right ear, “I’ll go with you if you want me to.” Ginny simply nodded and the two stood up in exact formation and made their way down the aisle to kneel at the rail. Immediately they were joined by Meredith Holt and Holly Corbin. Joanie’s hand never departed from Ginny’s arm for even a fraction of a second. Rev. Lilly came down and knelt opposite the rail from the two ladies and inquired how he could pray for Ginny. Speaking in only half sentences, split by sobs and gasps, Ginny poured out the horror story of the last months, one tissue after another being plucked from the box always there at the ready. “Oh sister,” even Rev. Lilly was touched, “you have come to the right place today!” …Ginny cried all over again when she stood and witnessed the gathering of friends also standing up behind where she had been. She also let a smile escape as she embraced Joanie, a sister in so many ways except biologically. Many other hugs were shared and the whole box of tissues was consumed. Only now did the congregation begin to depart. Beth was napping when her cell phone woke her that afternoon. The display said, “Mom.” “Hey,” she started cheerfully through a yawn. “You got a few minutes, babe?” her mom asked. “You bet,” Beth promised. Ginny related the whole account…Beth listened in stunned silence, tears coming down her cheeks. Satisfied her mother was done, she half-sobbed, half-laughed , “that’s wonderful, Mom&helful2
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