Some people care too much

Barton mosaic
New kid, parent, and teacher constructed mural at Barton Open School

In my dream life, I could be everywhere at once. 

It’s been tough this week to feel homebound, stuck behind my computer working on a deadline (I’ll let you know when the article is out!) while exciting back to school events are happening across Minneapolis.

I’d love to be at all of them. 

A friend said I should come over to Harrison , an alternative high school for kids with “severe emotional and behavioral needs.”  The new principal there–Dr. Monica Farbre–is doing amazing things, she told me, and calling on the community to get involved and help make the place work the way it should.

I wanted to see this up close, and hope to get over there before too long, given all of the controversy surrounding special ed in Minneapolis, St. Paul, Chicago, Newark….

And there was Patrick Henry’s Back to School night: Patrick Henry BBQ

And probably a dozen more that I would have loved to for myself.

GRIF background
A telling picture: my son in the background, waiting and watching before joining in

Instead, I only made it to my own kids’ event, at Barton. It was a lovely scene, at a school fighting to hold on through ch-ch-ch changes, as we welcomed our third principal in four years last night. We’re planning on this one being a charm.

My youngest was sick, so I went only with my 10-year-old, who is nervously and excitedly gearing up for 5th grade. He’s the kind who doubts himself mightily but loves to learn. He is prone to spouting catastrophic thoughts (“this will never work out.” “I’ll never learn math,” I won’t have any friends in my class”) and often requires an incredibly patient adult to help him get things done. Sweet kid, but not simple to parent or teach.

Like everyone else’s kid, maybe.

Here’s hoping everyone’s school year gets off to a loving start–

Felicity's bench

Barton has barely any green space, because it shares a city block with residents. Last fall, a small slice of yard in front of the old library entrance was converted–through the sweat and vision of many volunteers–into a wildflower garden, in honor of teacher Felicity Crosby, who died unexpectedly last fall.

The bench is inscribed with this Winnie the Pooh quote:

“Some people care too much. I think it’s called love.”