What a long day it has been. Hannah's new high school team had their first game tonight and despite being sick for the last several days and having a bad cold tonight she found a renewed sense of purpose and told me she was trying to get the coach to notice her and put her in the game. When she finally made her debut in the orange and blue of Heritage she played very well and in talking after the game she said she didn't want to "let her coach down," after she had let Hannah play despite feeling poorly. This is a real change in attitude and style for a young lady who has been trying to find herself and I think it is due to the way her new teammates have embraced her. I have to confess I was hoping for this sort of response, both from her and her teammates and was dismayed (stunned is probably a better word) by the lack of team bonding-even the outright hostility and ego trips displayed at the other high school. I had told her over and over what a great thing teammates are and she has met some of the truly special players and coaches I count as lifelong friends, but this wasn't her experience until she came to Heritage. Oh, and the girls won 5-0, so a good start to the year!

We also got feedback at school today on our year-long project to re-accredit the school and the investigating team gave us some of the same praise I have offered for the school where I teach and Hannah now attends. In short they really liked what we are doing and gave good suggestions for how to improve, but they also recognized that our kids are loved and nurtured and know it. That, to me, is one of the most important assessments we could get because a loved student feels safe to venture into learning and to try things that might be different, but good for them to do. Ultimately, it is the faculty and students who sold us on Heritage, not the assessment results. The assessment results (sol's, ayp) have always been good, but the social and psychological environment is exceptional.

Nothing much to say about art today. I drew in my sketchbook all through the faculty meeting, but still felt like I retained everything said. I really do attain a higher state of consciousness when I draw and that is a very pleasant surprise. I guess I need to draw more, maybe I will appear to be more awake!