• Donald Graham Elementary Says Goodbye to Three

Today Donald Graham Elementary said goodbye to three members of their family. Kindergarten teachers Mrs. Fisher and Mrs. Nicholas along with Principal Laura Konecni.

The duo have worked together since they both joined the district in August of 1985. 

That's 35 years as a team

They didn't know each other before being placed in the same classroom all those years ago, but have stayed together as a team ever since.

A beautiful day, with delightful balloons and wonderful people.

The send off came with a parade of cars that lasted more than ten minutes. Wildomar's fire engine and medic squad from Station 61 were at the front of the procession.

I almost needed the panoramic lens to capture the entire scene where Station 61's fire engine drove past with the siren ringing out.

Wildomar's new medic truck was part of the parade.

After the sirens, came the horns from car after car. Some decorated, others with people poking out of sunroofs. Some stopped to give an envelope or flowers.

The outpouring of admiration was unmistakable.

Many DGE students participated too.

Taking photos from the catbird seat.

Very festively appointed.

Adding to the fun and noisy parade any way one could. 

Wildomar Mayor Pro-Tem Bridgette Moore had arranged for the fire department's participation, and that too of our police... but due to circumstances the police were needed elsewhere. 

She had certificates from the city prepared, but had to dash off to a Zoom meeting and asked if I could pinch hit for her. 

It was a great honor to present the certificates to the trio... and a fun part of the story is that Laura Konecni, the outgoing principal, hadn't told Bridgette that she was retiring too. Bridgette deduced it and had a certificate made for her as well, and we surprised her with it.

Mrs. Fisher, Laura Konecni, Mrs. Nicholas and City Councilman Joseph Morabito. The microphone was practicing "social distancing" since it was in feedback mode if point elsewhere. 

The pair each said a few words

"I don't have the words, but all the memories and all the things that have happened over the years and all the things that we've gone through —the good and rough, thank you so much to each and every one of you, I love you all." 
— Mrs. Nicholas

"Thank you, I didn't expect that. We've made a lot of great friends and have lots of good memories. Thank you."
— Mrs. Fisher

The community thanks these three role models for all their years of dedication and service to making our world a better place.

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Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it.

– Johann Wolfgang von Goethe 

Wildomar Rap has neither genius, power nor magic, but can provide an ersatz substitute if need be.

This blog was produced for viewing on a desktop or a laptop. Though it's been optimized for smartphones, the formatting can look odd on a smartphone or if you get this delivered through email (such as missing video links). Link to proper format.

• Little Free Library Number 8

A good sized group was on hand for the dedication of Wildomar's 8th Little Free Library.

The crowd was comprised of students and staff from Donald Graham along with family, friends and community members.

Many thanks go out to the Rupp family, Donald Graham Elementary and LEUSD for the installation of Wildomar's newest Little Free Library. 

Natalia Rupp, the spearhead of many of Wildomar's Little Free Libraries, also a former student of Donald Graham Elementary, addresses the crowd.

Photo courtesy Mark Dennis LEUSD

Principal Konecni asked me to say a few words, but with the unexpected caveat of not mentioning what was about to be revealed from under the red tablecloth. That was an adventure. ☺

Photo courtesy Mark Dennis LEUSD

The new Free Little Library was able to be installed through a program called The Impact Library Program, which is part of the Little Free Library organization.

After a drumroll and a countdown.

The artwork was done by the school librarian, Karen Fazekas. Principal Laura Konecni looks on.

A look at all three sides of the new Little Free Library.

The first three patrons of the Donald Graham Little Free Library.

Mark Dennis, from LEUSD, who also was in attendance to take photos, spoke for a moment and mentioned the Lake Elsinore Valley Education Foundation, which was founded after the passing of Dr. Sharron Lindsay in 2007, had provided the first books for the new Little Free Library.

In the photo are Natalia's father, Natalia Rupp, her mother and children, Principal Laura Konecni, City Councilman Joseph Morabito (me), and the new LFL.

Photo courtesy Mark Dennis LEUSD

Use this link to go to the official facebook page.

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You're never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.
— Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)

Wildomar Rap is almost too old, but still wacky enough to read to children, and often can be heard employing silly voices. 

This blog was produced for viewing on a desktop or a laptop. Though it's been optimized for smartphones, the formatting can look odd on a smartphone or if you get this delivered through email (such as missing video links). Link to proper format.

• Art Contest Winners

In this blog I'll share a bit of the 2017 Reflections Art Contest at Donald Graham Elementary. 

Let me start off with, if you entered this contest, you are already a winner. Art is all about being creative, not about winning ribbons.

A group photo of the winners... though some of the winners had returned to their classes and a few winners in other categories took their places ☺. It's almost like herding cats trying to take a group shot during an outdoor assembly at an elementary school  ☺.

The theme for this year was Within Reach and winners have the potential of competing on the district level, county level, state level and even the national level if they their artwork is chosen to go to the next level.

The themes are usually general in nature, and wide latitude is given to the participants.
Hey, they're kids, and in art, who says what is what anyway... right? ☺

The various entries took up the south wall in the multipurpose room (MPR).

There were only two 6th students that chose to enter, which are on the far left. The 3rd through 5th go from the left to the middle part of the banner. K through 2nd are from the middle to the last electrical outlet, and special abilities are on the right.

The impossible task for the three judges were to determine who would win, place and show (come in first, second and third) in each of the categories. The judges were Mayor Tim Walker, Councilmember Bridgette Moore and Wildomar Blogger Joseph Morabito (me).

Mayor Tim Walker and Councilmember Bridgette Moore discuss the detail in this entry.

We enjoyed the work of all the students, but still were charged with making choices; not an easy task. Where it was possible, we tried to see how well the theme was represented when choosing.

Principal Laura Konecni, PTA President Jamie Sundahl, Councilmember Bridgette Moore, Mayor Tim Walker, Joseph Morabito, Contest Coordinator Vitalia Gonzalo.

The contest had four categories
     • Special abilities students
     • Kindergarten through second grade
     • Third through fifth grade 
     • Middle school

The first three winners are in the Special Abilities category.

This rainbow was chosen for first place, created by Torin S.
Torin wasn't at the assembly to have a photo taken.

The judges referred to this as "Graduation" and thought it represented the theme well.

Especially with the contest being in the same month as Halloween,
we really liked what we saw as Jack O'Lanterns.

Kindergarten Through Second Grade

The judges loved the mixed media in this work and how it captured
the endless possibilities a young student has in their future. 

The judges liked the ambition of this student's desire to be on America's Got Talent.

I remember the Mayor remarking about this piece and surfing the top of the wave.

Third Through Fifth Grade

This was one of the favorites among the judges.
We all admired the future ideas that this young artist aspires to.

We all were impressed with the way the lines bowed out when they got to the hand.

The judges enjoyed reading about "Miss Saunders'" 

and the classroom she hopes to have someday.

Middle School Category

Character drawing isn't easy, and the judges appreciated the skill necessary to create this.

I remember the Mayor being particularly impressed with the detail in this drawing.

What a great honor it was to help judge the contest and to then be at the assembly to take these photos. Good luck in the contest, and in your future endeavors. 

A quick note to those that entered the contest but didn't win. Keep creating art for the love of art itself, don't be discouraged if your art doesn't win in a contest... it's happened to me many times, and I keep creating just the same. 

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Every child is an artist, the problem is staying an artist when you grow up.
– Pablo Picasso

The artist in Wildomar Rap has often been accused of needing to grow up.

• Wildomar Rotary 3rd Grade Literacy Program 2017

The Wildomar Rotary Club just completed its 6th annual distribution of dictionaries to the local third graders. 

The first school to get their dictionaries was Sycamore Academy. 

An eager student looks into her new dictionary.
Photo courtesy Sycamore Academy.

Their school has a unique feature where "barn doors" separate the classrooms, and the presentation and distribution was done in class.

As the dictionaries were being handed out.
Photo courtesy Sycamore Academy.

Smiling faces of some of the students. 
Photo courtesy Sycamore Academy.

The next school to get their dictionaries was Ronald Reagan Elementary.

Rotary members Stewart Moore and Paul Bakeman handout dictionaries
as the students file into the multipurpose room (also known as the MPR).

Rotarian Andy Morris addresses the third graders at Ronald Reagan Elementary.

Below is the video of the 11 minute presentation at William Collier Elementary (WCE).

Donald Graham Elementary was the next school to receive their dictionaries. 

I had the high honor of addressing the students at this presentation. Before dismissing the kids to return to their classrooms, I had them all hold up their new books for a photo. One was a super serious photo, the next one was the super silly photo.

Wildomar Elementary was the final school to get their dictionaries. I had so much fun talking to the kids earlier in the week that I asked to be able to get in a repeat performance; such an honor.

Happy faces all around.

The presentations consisted of telling the kids a bit about the Rotary Club. That we're part of a world wide service organization that has 1.2 million members. 

That locally we send high school juniors to a leadership camp (RYLA), we put on the yearly Bicycle Safety Event that is held at Marna O'Brien Park and the tradition of Breakfast With Santa at the fire station... to name just a few things.

The kids read the Rotary's 4 way test, which was affixed to the inside covers:

• Is it the TRUTH?
• Is it FAIR to all concerned?
• Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
• Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

They then tested out their new dictionaries by looking up a word of their choice. Of all the words this year, I think I liked "twinge" the best. 

If you've ever wondered about the Rotary Club, what they're about or what they're up to, we meet for lunch on Thursdays at The Elks Lodge on Mission Trail at 11:45am... or just ask us if you see us at a local event.

We have a guest speaker each week, often from a local business or organization, and enjoy about an hour camaraderie.

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Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.
– George Bernard Shaw

Wildomar Rap isn't about telling you what to think. It's about telling you what I think. 

• Wildomar Schools Visit Murrieta Field of Honor

Murrieta's Rotary Club put on a spectacular display for Veteran's week at Town Center park. Wildomar's elementary schools had a chance to take the hour long tour, which consisted of seven stations.

A large assembly of Wildomar youth at Murrieta's Town Square Park.

Wildomar's Rotary Club was asked if they'd like to assist at the event, and as a new member I was happy to volunteer. 

There were seven groups (usually consisting of about 2 classes) and I was assigned to group 1, which was from Donald Graham Elementary. The kids were delightful as were the teachers, parents and the principal, Laura Konecni.

My job was to be an extra set of eyes, and to make sure no one wandered off during the approximate 90 minute trek around the park. 

It was a shotgun start (to use a golf term) where the seven groups each headed to one of the seven exhibits. At each spot the kids would listen to some background on the display and then were given a short assignment.

Sometimes drawing, other times writing information, thoughts or feelings based on what they'd seen or heard.

The stations included

• Veterans Memorial Walls
• California Medal of Honor Recipients (total of 66)
• Chalk Art Sidewalk
• Flag History (27 official American flags)
• State Flags 
• Local Heroes (120 fallen servicemen from Riverside and San Bernardino counties since 2003)
• Veterans Memorial Obelisk

Check out the brief video that tries to capture the essence of an elementary school tour of the Murrieta Field of Honor.

Since each group started at a different station, in the video I put together I numbered them based on when Group 1 was at them.

(here's an alternate video link if you can't see the video below)

A special treat, at least for the adults present, was listening to a veteran that had been on Iwo Jima during the same time period that the iconic photo of raising the flag was taken. 

This man is living history and though I was eager to shake his hand and thank him for his service, I was too taken aback to ask his name. 

If you can't see the video below, try this link instead.

This display will be up through Saturday November 12th. It's worth the effort to go and see.

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Memory, the ability to recall. For some, it is total. For others, a patchwork of light and fade. We can't always remember the things we want to. The things we'd like to forget, we so very often can't. The most unpleasant, we lock in some secret room of the mind. Hoping to close them away forever. Till some chance key unlocks the door, and let's the skeleton of remembrance loose to rattle its bones and haunt us again. 
― EG Marshall (CBSRMT 1981), 1914-1998

Wildomar Rap can't imagine the types of haunting memories that our veterans have locked away, yet continue on everyday. Thank you for your service.

• Wildomar Rotary 3rd Grade Literacy Program 2016

This is the 5th year that Wildomar's Rotary Club has distributed dictionaries to the 3rd graders of the city as part of its Literacy Program. 

Rotarian Stewart Moore hands dictionaries to the students as they enter the Multi Purpose Room at Donald Graham Elementary.

☺

In total, 70 dictionaries were given out to three classes of Donald Graham Elementary School third graders.

Rotarian Andy Morris speaks to about 60 DGE third graders.

The kids read the Rotary's 4 way test, which was affixed to the inside covers:

• Is it the TRUTH?
• Is it FAIR to all concerned?
• Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?
• Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?

Wildomar Rotarians Mayor Bridgette Moore, Stewart Moore and Andy Morris.

Andy Morris related a story about how he too got a dictionary from a Rotary Club back in the 1970s, and how he used it all the way through his days at Cal State Fullerton. He encouraged the kids to hold onto it and use it often.

Sycamore Academy already received their complimentary dictionaries, and next up is Ronald Reagan Elementary and William Collier Elementary. Wildomar Elementary is at TBA status.

The back wall in the DGE MPR.

An added bonus to the Donald Graham experience was that all three of the teachers had one of those Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon...errr, I mean six degrees of separation moments.

As it happened, two of the teachers went to the same grammar school as Andy Morris (about a year apart), and the other teacher, Mr. Wiggs, is an old family friend of ours... though I hadn't seen in about 4 years.

It was also fun to meet a fellow Joseph, one of the lucky recipients.

I had to borrow this selfie that Andy Morris took with all the kids.

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"Your friend is the person who knows all about you, and still likes you."
— Elbert Hubbard, 1856-1915

Wildomar Rap doesn't hold a person's past against them, but still cautions friends about falling into the TMI swamp of no return.