Today, Blaine and I, along with Samantha and Walker Wigand, surprised 2nd grade teacher Ms. Ashby with a camera crew visit to her room! We, along with several other scales parents, nominated her for the county's Teacher Feature because we love her so! And she won! Here are some photos and copies of our letters. Thank you Ms. Ashby for being such a great teacher! And Congrats!
LETTER #1:
Good teachers are appreciated by parents; great teachers are also liked by students; Exceptional teachers are loved by parents and students. Miss Sarah Ashby is one of those truly exceptional teachers.
The students and parents of Ms. Sarah Ashby’s 2nd grade classroom at Scales Elementary wholeheartedly and enthusiastically nominate her for the Teacher Feature Award. The reasons are numerous, but undoubtedly the most important reasons come from her students:
“Ms. Ashby is the best teacher ever. She teaches us how to write better. She taught us how to retell and that a reader’s most important job is to understand the story. She lets us play math games which help us learn.” –Blaine Warmbrod
“I like reading now; Ms. Ashby makes it fun!” -Walker Wigand
Ms. Ashby has an infectious passion for education that permeates her classroom and is carried by her students into their homes. From the classroom to the homework to the promptly returned email, it is immediately evident that each of Ms. Ashby’s students is important to her, not just as a student but as a young person with interesting ideas and important feelings. Students are contributors, not just sponges meant to absorb, making her classroom a vibrant, exciting place to be. For Ms. Ashby teaching is beyond a job or even a calling—it is her joy. And her 2nd grade class feels fortunate be part of that.
In closing, a few words from parents:
“She truly makes every child feel that he or she is special and has something special to offer.”
-Nancy Tirrill
“While many blessed hands have laid the foundation, the desire to read has come alive under the techniques and style of Ms. Ashby. There is an environment of comfort, support, and equalization in her classroom. When a child chooses a book over a TV that is success!”
-Beth Mangrum
LETTER#2:
“What did you do at school today?”
Since my 7 year old, Blaine, joined Ms. Ashby’s second grade class room, the response to this probing question is now routinely delivered with enthusiasm and vivid detail. This year, Blaine has learned to share his reading experiences through retelling, and this skill has carried over into our daily conversations. He is inspired by Ms. Ashby, who enthusiastically approaches her days in the classroom armed with a love of reading and learning. In turn, she inspires her students to approach learning and sharing their experiences with equal zeal.
Under Ms. Ashby’s instruction, my son has moved from simply reading the words on a page to devouring a storyline. Blaine has always enjoyed reading, but there is sheer joy in the experience now. I honestly never knew that a love for reading and learning could be cultivated at such a level with second graders and in the first nine weeks.
“Mom, I have already laughed more in Ms. Ashby’s class this year than I did during the whole year in first grade!”
During his first six weeks in Ms. Ashby’s second grade classroom, Blaine shared this thought with me. I already knew that he was responding to Ms. Ashby’s teaching style, but I was thrilled to hear from him just how much he was enjoying it along the way.
I am pleased to recommend Ms. Ashby for the outstanding teacher award, and I want her to know that she gives her students gifts will linger for a lifetime.
The first tent at Camp Warmbrod
All tents up at Camp Warmbrod! We have a 2 man and a 4 man; we can all fit in the 4 man, but we pitched both since the weather was balmy...
The kids arrived ready to camp! Sidebar: It took me a few shots to realize that all throughout May, the problem with my camera was Drew's finger prints on the glass. This is why his birthday photos turned out so badly. I finally figured it out after this shot... Hey, I'm not the sharpest pencil in the box, but I do okay...
Skipping rocks and wading was a favorite with the kids when they visited Campsite Warmbrod.
It's almost sundown on the first night and the kids were really excited! So were the adults!
Steak dinner at Camp Warmbrod....YUM!
Piper and Drew, early Saturday a.m.
Camp Howard and Lori.
Camp Dave and Lynn. 
Camp Chuck and Co.
Dave, Camper Man. We knew Dave was in his element when we crawled out of our tents very early Saturday morn and found him like this while the rest of his crew slept.
Biker boys get ready for a evening out on their bikes- it's really cool that they are old enough to roam around and make mischief that we'll never know about.
Drew loves his boots...
and Drew loves his camelbak. Drew hates that he's not old enough to bike the trails. He's dying to get his training wheels off his bike. The entire time that mom or dad are riding the trails with Blaine, Drew is riding his bike up and down the road, preparing for the day that he can tear it up on the trails. 
An unexpected treat... we could see the barges go by from our campsite... looks like the ocean, doesn't it?
