The One-Hoop Schoolhouse

Here at the Frankie Lemmon School, the three classes sometimes join together as one. Five-year olds teach four-year olds, four year-olds teach three-year olds...and so on.

Such was the case today, nearly the last day of summer school. There were but three of my friends present—enough to fill one hula hoop! Our one-hoop schoolhouse was even smaller than the one-room schoolhouse of yesteryear. But there was one thing in common:
Children teaching children

So they taught each other. Each had his turn to lead the class. See for yourself...


http://youtu.be/0s2-0l8TXGc

So now our thoughts turn to fall and – what else – sports!

Noah (left) is already wearing his Biscuits shirt. The Biscuits is a baseball team in Cary that's part of the Miracle League. The Fall Season starts September 7. Every player gets a volunteer Buddy. You can be one, too. What's the Miracle League? Click here...

Likewise, Camden proudly wears his "Buddy Walk" shirt. The Buddy Walk, now known as the "Step Up for Down Syndrome", is an Annual Fundraising Walk & Community Celebration for the Triangle Down Syndrome Network. The next walk will be on Sunday, October 14th, 2012 at Brier Creek Community Park. Click here for details.

And, looking even further ahead, Miss Caroline has been programming the portable TAP-it this summer with curricula for all three classes. She's already getting ready for Christmas!

Olympic Dreams

It's the 2012 Olympics. It's almost over. Let's talk about 2024. Let's talk about sports. You can tell by my shirt that I like 'em all—volleyball, football, soccer. You name it—I play it. I hate to brag but I'm gettin' pretty good at sports. My name is Dustin. I'll be ready.

But you knew that.

So how are my mates doin'? Any gold-medal winners? Let's have a look, shall we?

Camden knows what few others know—hula-hooping will be an Olympics 2024 event. He'll be ready too—he's already picked Ms "J" as his coach.

Nadia plans to compete in the equestrian sport of dressage. With Ms Bass as her coach, she fearlessly practices on "frog".



Kamryn practices the little-known sport of tambourine bouncing. (Looks easy? You try it!)




I'm practicing for the extreme rock-drumming event, a skill I hope to use later in life like the Beatles' Ringo Starr did.



Not to be outdone, Landon plans to be on center stage during the opening ceremony. Here he is, at practice with renowned music teacher Ms Paula.

That's right. We live, eat, and dream Olympics. And we train as a team—US Olympic Team 2024 that is. Here's one of our training films:

http://youtu.be/8sN24SWk_2E

P.S. Merrill Lynch has an online calculator that can help parents estimate cost of raising a special needs child over a lifetime. Click on: http://specialneedscalc.ml.com/