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The s-word is in our forecast this week. I don't know anyone who is happy about the October SNOW except for my allergy-suffering friends. With the snow come cold temperatures and at MSGL we play outside year-round, so it's important for children to have warm and practical clothing to wear every day. For the past 12 years I greeted the children on the playground at 8:30 am, snow or shine. To help you prepare for this week and the next six months (it hurts me to say that), I have compiled for you:
Miss Heather's Top 10 List for Child Comfort and Parent Happiness: Winter Edition
1. Check the forecast. Every class - Toddler through Elementary - goes outside when the temperature is 20 degrees Fahrenheit or above. Check the weather forecast each day before leaving the house to make sure your child will have the appropriate cold-weather gear for that day.
2. Go with the low. Consider the time of day your child will be outside. The forecast may call for a high temp. of 63 degrees, but the temperature at 8:30 am might only be in the 40's. Some classes start outside, some go out at 10:15, some at 11:00. The afternoon and Elementary classes go out at varying times throughout the week. Provide clothing for the day's low temperature and your child should be well-prepared.
3. Layer, layer, layer. Imagine your child as a cute, rosy-cheeked onion and help her dress in layers. Being hot and sweaty outside in the cold is just as uncomfortable as shivering. If your child can take off a sweater or push back her hood and unzip her coat, she will be able to regulate her body temperature and still enjoy the time outside.
4. Listen to your child. Trust your child to make decisions about his comfort. The only way we can learn if we are too cold is if we are allowed to feel the cold. If your child doesn't want to wear his gloves, don't sweat it. Make sure he knows his gloves are in his locker and that he can go get them if he gets cold. The same goes for his snow pants and his bulky winter coat. An active child dressed in layers with warm shoes and a hat can generally enjoy himself outside without danger of getting too cold, even in winter. If your child is listening to his body instead of chafing under a "mitten mandate" he is more likely to develop a true sense of how to dress for the weather. My friend "Z" always told his dad he didn't want to wear his coat or his snow pants or his gloves, but 10 minutes after dad left, Z would ask to go get them.
5. Start a discussion. Talk with your child about the day's weather and how to dress. Remember that the ultimate goals are safety and independence. You might say something like, "It's 30 degrees Fahrenheit. You definitely need to wear something on your hands, but you can choose if you wear your Spiderman gloves or the mittens Grandma made for you." Or try, "It's going to be 45 degrees when you go outside today. What should you pack for school?" Young children can learn to speak three languages at once. They can also learn to make clothing choices based on the outdoor temperature.
6. Get a move-on. Remember that your child is most likely playing actively outside. We might feel very cold walking from the car to the school door in a suit or a skirt and heels, but a child riding a balance bike for 10 minutes heats up very quickly.
7. Consider cold pants. Snow pants or snow suits are essential when there is snow on the ground, but some children (and some preschool teachers) like to wear them as soon as they can see their breath outside. Think of them as "cold pants" and let your child keep them in his locker from October through April.
8. Label everything. Speaking of lockers, our lockers are small. When two children share a locker it's nearly impossible to fit snow pants, coats, book bags and lunch boxes inside. PLEASE make sure every article of clothing you send to school has your child's name or your family's last name written on it where it's easy to read. All black snow pants and all Spiderman gloves look the same when there are 24 children getting dressed in the hallway. If you forget, your child's teacher will be happy to loan you a Sharpie and some masking tape.
9. Embrace the terrific outdoors. Spending time outdoors is important for everyone's health and well-being. We do not have a gym and children may not stay inside by themselves. If your child is recovering from an illness and you don't want her to be outside, please make arrangements to drop her off late or pick her up early, depending on the class schedule.
10. Stock up. Have extra winter clothing on hand, if possible. The first Snow Day of the year is much less fun when your child has left her snow pants at school. And plan to lose at least one set of gloves. If you buy three identical sets of gloves, odds are you will have at least one matching set at the end of the year. Just in case, the Lost and Found box is in the office.
If you recently moved to West Lafayette from somewhere warm and lovely, I am so sorry! But seriously, you can stock up on all the clothing your family needs to get through your first Indiana winter at J.C. Penney, Sears, Target, KMart, or Walmart. You can purchase gently-used childrens' outerwear at Once Upon a Child in Lafayette.
Below are some examples of items your child will need.
Thanks for reading and bring on the snow!
Winter is upon us and the staff of the Wayback Wednesday department is preparing to head south for the season. (The staff certainly wishes this was true.) Okay, we're not really going anywhere but we have discovered a treasure trove of awesome photos. We will be scanning them and organizing them over winter break. When everyone returns in January you can look forward to the beginning of "Building MSGL." It's the story of how our families built the MSGL campus that we know and love today.
To whet your appetites I am posting one photo from that winter of 2000. Look at this photo and see if you can figure out where in the school it is. The first commenter to get it correct wins a free Wayback Wednesday t-shirt. (The staff certainly wishes this was true.) Okay, no t-shirt but you can still be first. Have fun guessing!
Have a terrific Wednesday and an awesome winter break!
A recent photo of Shriya in 2016
As a preschooler, Shriya Samavai Manian appreciated spending her days surrounded by colorful, beautiful things in her classroom at MSGL. Now, twenty years later, she spends her days creating beautiful things for others.
The West Lafayette native works as a photographer, writer, fashion designer, and DJ on New York's Upper West Side. And that's just her freelance work. After graduating from Columbia University in 2015, Shriya was hired by designer Ellen Van Dusen to assist her at Dusen Dusen, a womenswear and homegoods studio in Brooklyn.
"The team is really small, just the designer, myself and a salesperson, but the output is really large," Shriya said. "It's nice to be working on a small team and learning about clothing design from the ground up."
Being one-third of the team requires Shriya to participate in all aspects of the production of Dusen's colorful and boldly-patterned fabric designs, which are manufactured in New York's garment district.
"I picked up 100 yards of elastic yesterday and delivered it to a production house," she said. "I have unloaded giant bolts of fabric into a factory. We just did a lookbook shoot last Saturday and I assisted the photographer, steamed the clothing, and helped the models get dressed."
Shriya has always wanted to run her own business, which is evidenced by the number of entrepreneurship competitions in which she competed in high school and college. She placed in the top three at the Columbia Engineering Fast Pitch Contest, the Edens SmART Retail Challenge, and Purdue's Entrepreneurship Academy. She understands that this wide variety of experience in New York's fashion world is helping her organize her own design company.
"Every week I'm learning something completely different. I'm thinking, okay, when it gets to this point for me, how do I want to do this?"
That point looms just around the corner for Shriya and her friend, Lauren Field, a senior at Barnard College. The duo is collaborating on a clothing line right now that should be ready for launch in April, called Studio Lucien. They both have a deep interest in art history and want to make clothes inspired by works of art. Their first project is a rain jacket with Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai's painting, "Under the Wave Off Kanagawa (Great Wave)," printed on the inside lining of the jacket.
"We're working with a factory in the garment district that is currently in the process of sewing all the jackets," she said. "We started with a sample, which was made by a pattern-maker in New York. We sketched out the idea of what we wanted and worked with her to create the initial jacket. We bought the fabric in New York and got it printed at a factory in New Jersey. Hopefully, the first round of jackets will be delivered to us in March."
Studio Lucien's Hokusai Jacket coming out in April 2016.
Shriya didn't set out to be a fashion designer. She always presumed she would be an engineer. She graduated from West Lafayette High School in 2011 and moved to New York to study engineering at Columbia. While studying subjects planted firmly in the STEM department, she spent her free time going to museums, galleries, and concerts and hanging out with friends who were studying art history.
"It wasn't until college that I even learned that art history was a viable major," she said. "I thought, what is this thing where you get to sit in class and look at paintings all day? I was friends with a bunch of artists but was going to class and studying engineering."
When she began to visualize herself studying something besides engineering, she talked with her parents about changing her major to art history and business management.
"Everybody in my family has done engineering. My brother did engineering at Purdue, my father is a professor of chemical engineering, my mom has a masters in engineering," she said.
But her parents could tell she wasn't really happy or excited about what she was studying at Columbia and they encouraged her to follow her interests.
"I just had to convince them that it (art history) was a real thing to study and a real thing to pursue after school," she said. "Now, they are so supportive. Really supportive of my photography and writing and my design. I think they just had to come around to it because it was so new to them. Studying art isn't common in India, and honestly it's not a big field in the midwest, either," she said.
Shriya and her dad celebrate her 3rd birthday in the Toddler Room in 1996.
In April, 2015, her parents' doubt was erased for good when Shriya and Lauren won first place in Columbia Venture Competition's Undergraduate Challenge with their idea of taking art history and translating it into clothing. They competed against six other teams in the final round and every other team's project was based on science, medicine, or engineering.
"We were stressed out because we thought nobody probably cared about this idea besides us," she said.
Winning first prize was a big confidence booster for the team and for Shriya personally. "It's good to have that validation when you're working with an idea and you're not sure how other people will respond to it," she said.
The validation included a $25,000 prize that Shriya and Lauren tapped into to make Studio Lucien a reality.
"We've spent very little of the money so far," she said. "It's only gone into the jacket."
In most start-up business ventures, inexperience is considered a liability, but Shriya credits her lack of design experience with keeping her mind open to creative - and now successful - ideas.
"It's nice when you don't know what you're doing because you're willing to try anything," she said.
Shriya attended MSGL toddler and preprimary classes in the late 1990's. Although she left before her Kindergarten year, she has memories of the time she spent here.
Shriya celebrates her 4th birthday in Maureen Northacker's class at MSGL in 1997.
"I have great memories of playing in the gym with those little scooters. I recall having a very long scroll of paper and writing every number. I loved counting beads. I remember learning how to wash my hands," she said, laughing. "There were lots of practical things I learned at Montessori. I loved that building (Morton Community Center.) I thought it was so beautiful. I remember Maureen, I remember Zainab, I remember Suman, I remember Durga. Honestly, I wasn't there for very long, maybe 3 or 4 years max, but I have really good memories of being there. And I loved how hands-on everything was. I remember you could learn how to zip a zipper, braid, button stuff up, and tie your shoes. I think that really is the best way to learn. It's not boring and it shouldn't be."
Accurately self-described as "having more than one thing happening," Shriya is simultaneously working on a separate clothing line set to launch in late 2016 or 2017. It is a line of unisex outerwear that she describes as "really nice jackets that are made for anyone of any gender." Shriya enjoys the many creative directions her life is spinning off into right now, and she plans to continue her design work in the foreseeable future.
Alyeesha Puri, Shriya, and Sejal Sheth on the MSGL
playground at Morton Community Center in approx. 1997.
"Ideally, I would love to be living in some metropolitan area, whether it's New York or a different part of the world, and making clothes or being somehow involved with art," she said. "I think that's what really drives me the most. Being able to create something that evokes some kind of visceral reaction. And I like to collaborate with people."
Best wishes from all of your old friends at MSGL, Shriya! We can't wait to see what you do next.
Photos courtesy of Shriya.
This post is part of a series "I Am MSGL" featuring alumni of the Montessori School of Greater Lafayette. If you or someone you know would like to be featured in this series, please contact me at email@example.com.
The best kind of snow day is when you can actually play in the snow.
Last week provided a miserable welcome to the new semester. Snow, high winds, and bitter cold meant that the Montessori School of Greater Lafayette was in session for only 20 out of a possible 40 hours over four days. Our staff did its best to maintain communication with the families and those families were very understanding. There were, however, a few questions about how we respond to Indiana's volatile winter weather at MSGL.
The question of the week was "If the weather continues like this, can we expect to continue having so many delays and closures?" The short answer is, "yes." But how are decisions about school delays made? That's a longer answer.
I would have thought this to be a very elementary understanding. Doesn't everyone know when it's too dangerous to take the kids to school? But when I found myself working as MSGL's "Weather Delay Intern" last week, I discovered that many factors contribute to a closing or delay, and they are not always obvious to everyone.
First, there are no hard and fast rules for determining if conditions are too dangerous for school. Everything depends on timing. Temperatures below -12F are a general cut-off if people are going to be outside for more than a few minutes. However, if the roads are clear and the temperatures are on the rise at 8 a.m., then -12F might be acceptable at arrival. High winds could change that, of course. Roads that are clear now may not be clear when morning classes dismiss. Or they might be passable in town, but dangerous out in the country. And all of this has to be considered over the course of our 10-hour day.
MSGL can't follow the determinations of local school districts because they have special considerations - such as bus transportation and a large number of students who walk to school. Generally, MSGL can be in session more frequently than the public schools.
The weather is just one component of a weather-related school delay. Preparation of facilities and the safety of our staff are two others. And our families themselves are an important consideration.
Facilities: The parking lot and sidewalks must be clear of snow and ice before staff and families arrive. Our school is a small, not-for-profit, parent-owned school. A small core of people manage the day-to-day operations of the school and the needs of over 500 people. This is why we rely on a private company to clear the parking lot, sidewalks, and steps of snow and ice. That company serves several other businesses each day AND it needs two hours to clear MSGL after a snow or ice event. As an example, if the snow stops falling at 6 a.m. on a school day and we are third on the list for snow removal, school cannot open at 7:30. The ability of our snow removal contractor to clear our lot and paths before we arrive is a major determinant of our start time.
Cultural Considerations: Another little-known factor is our region's cultural relationship with winter weather. As one parent said, "I grew up in Vermont. We don't cancel school there." Indiana's threshold for tolerating winter weather might be a bit lower than other cold places because we don't see as many snowy days and our street departments are not equipped for a large quantity of snow on a regular basis. And because the majority of the West Lafayette community is made up of faculty or students from Purdue University, we also have a lot of families who come from places with absolutely no snow, ice, or cold temperatures. It can take these families a few snowy days to get the hang of dressing for the weather and driving in it. We are more comfortable with snow than Los Angeles, but less comfortable than Montpelier - and that makes a difference in how we respond to it.
Staff: Teachers and staff need to be able to travel safely and arrive at school before the children. Our staff are dedicated to their jobs and they want to be at school. While it's easy to imagine teachers being excited to have a snow day, the reality is that the majority of our teachers have school-aged children of their own. Just like MSGL families, the teachers have to scramble to get their children safely to school in case of a delay or to arrange other care if public schools cancel and MSGL is in session.
Many of our staff live outside of city limits and travel county roads to get to work, so their ability to arrive safely is always a top priority. Delaying the start of school allows them to get out of their driveways and travel potentially hazardous roads in daylight so they can be here when the families arrive. We could call on substitute teachers to work for staff who cannot make it to school, but our substitute teachers are also home with their children on these days. Operating without adequate staff is not an option so we need to be sure all of our teachers can get to school.
Forecasted weather: Conditions throughout the day, and not just at arrival, need to be considered to determine closures and delays. The weather may be clear at morning arrival, but if incoming snow and/or ice and wind threaten later in the day, staff and children could become stranded at school or out on the roads. The administration must take into account the anticipated timing of dangerous weather and sometimes cancel classes in advance of this weather (even if that bad weather never fully materializes.)
Our early arrival and after school programs are the first to be cancelled because MSGL is a school and not a daycare facility. We do offer before and after-care programs that can function as full-day care for families, but our primary function is that of a school. This means being open during class time from 8:30 - 3:00 takes priority over being open before and after class.
We understand that it is frustrating to wake up to a school delay or cancellation. Our Montessori parents have jobs, commitments, and plans and not being able to leave their children in our care causes real problems for them. That being said, MSGL is a parent-owned school. We were started by parents over 40 years ago and all current MSGL families are the current owners of the school. If you are reading this and you have children enrolled at our school, you are one of the owners of the Montessori School of Greater Lafayette. With that ownership, come some responsibilities.
What can MSGL families do to help?
1. Stay informed - before school and during the day. We announce delays, cancellations, and early dismissals through many different sources. Here is a listing.
2. Offer help, if you can. If you have some time after bringing your child to school on a wintry day, you might:
If possible, we would prefer to be able to control the climate and prepare the outdoor environment as carefully as we prepare our students' learning environments. But the realities of winter weather require our staff and families to be vigilant, flexible, and patient with weather events - and the timing of those events - over which we have no control.
And if you, like me, are curious how the large, public school districts determine delays, this video from Louisville, KY is interesting.
Thanks for reading, ~Heather
Grace's first day of Montessori preschool, 1997.
Last summer, my 19-year-old daughter was getting ready to move into her first apartment. I was excited for her to have the chance to live on her own and had been setting aside household items that I thought she could use. One day, after admiring the "steal" of a chair I had found at Goodwill, she asked me, "Aren't you sad that I won't live here anymore?"
"Well, honey," I said, "I always imagined that you would grow up and move out of the house. That was our goal all along for you to be an independent, self-sufficient person."
"I know," she said. "But I'm kind of sad that I won't be sleeping here anymore."
I reminded her that she had hardly slept at home at all since she started college last year. She lived in the dorm, four hours away from home and we often didn't hear from her for days.
"Yeah, but this is different. I just can't believe this won't be my home address anymore. Are you going to change the garage door code?"
A-ha! Then I figured it out. She was worried about cutting the cord from the house where she grew up. I had been concerning myself with making sure she was comfortable "out there" and she was worried she would no longer be welcome back at home.
It occurred to me that not much has changed between that day and the day sixteen years ago when we were preparing to send her to preschool here at the Montessori School of Greater Lafayette. Back then we were so excited to help our "baby" pick out a new lunch box and indoor shoes but we had little idea what to do to help prepare her (or ourselves) emotionally for this new chapter. She sailed through preschool and is now working through nursing school just fine, but we have learned a lot since then. Today I am sharing some tips and advice gathered from teachers and parents here at MSGL to help you and your child prepare for the first days of preschool.
Talk about school - mindfully.
Talk with your child about preschool when he is in the mood. Maybe he will bring it up or you can start the conversation, just don't push too hard. If your child seems "done" with the conversation or is becoming anxious, let the topic drop until later. And be honest about your feelings when you do talk about school. Some children worry that their parents will be sad or lonely when they are gone. When you say, "I am going to miss being with you in the morning, but it makes me happy to know you will be enjoying yourself at school," it lets him know that you will miss him but you are confident that school is a good place for him to be.
Check out the new environment.
MSGL's Parent Work Day is Saturday, August 16th. This is a great time to get familiar with the school and classroom environments and to be part of the school community. Children are encouraged to help clean lockers, pull weeds, and load and unload wheelbarrows full of mulch right alongside their parents and new classmates. And, each family member's time counts towards your volunteer hours requirement.
You will have another opportunity to get familiar with the school when your child attends her New Student Orientation visit on Monday, August 18th. This is her first opportunity to see her teachers and classmates in her new classroom. She can put her indoor shoes in her locker, locate her cubby and extra clothes box, and see where the bathroom is. The whole family can attend the Parent Orientation later that evening and maybe your child can give a tour of her new classroom.
Make new friends.
You will receive a class list via email in August. Consider contacting a few families on the list to set up a playdate before school starts. Even if you can't get together with any other families, you and your child can look over the names on the list together. You may discover that one of his classmates lives on your street or maybe someone has the same name as a sibling or a friend.
Help her dress for success.
Our Montessori classrooms are prepared to encourage your child's independence and you can help by providing your child with shoes and clothing that she can put on and take off by herself. Belts, suspenders, and jumpsuits look smart but they can be difficult for your child to use successfully. Provide your child a choice of clothing that allows her complete independence in her self-care routines. And please remember that preschool is a time to jump in and explore. Paint, snack, sand, and dirt from the garden can stain your child's clothing, so please send her to school in clothes that can stand to get dirty.
Plan a morning routine.
Now is a good time to do a mental run-through of your morning routine. Consider how much time your child needs to wake up, get dressed, and eat breakfast. Allow time for packing lunches, finding coats and shoes, and getting on the bike or in the car. Then add a few extra minutes. Parents and children who are not in a rush tend to have much better experiences at drop-off. Some families even do a few "practice runs" in the summer to see if they can get to school and work on time.
Create a goodbye routine.
Discuss with your child how you each want to say goodbye at drop-off. Some families say, "After you put on your inside shoes and put away your lunch box, we will walk to the classroom and I will give you three hugs and two kisses before I go to work." Some children like to wave to dad out the window and some parents leave their children with specific plans for what they will do after school. "Sonia is picking you up today" or "we are going to the Farmer's Market on our bikes after school today." Children have so little control over their daily lives that they appreciate at least knowing what is happening and when.
And while we're talking about goodbyes, let's take just a moment to consider the specter of separation anxiety.
What if my child cries when I walk away?
Separating from your child that first time can be heart-breaking, but remember - it's only for a few moments. The majority of children who are sad when they separate from their parents are able to calm themselves and choose an activity within a few minutes. If you have gone through the goodbye routine and are finding it hard to turn around and walk away, ask your teacher for help. Sometimes parents say, "Please help me. I need to leave." That is the teacher's sign that she needs to hold your child's hand or pick her up so that you can walk away. Teachers don't want to step in before you are ready to go but they are happy to help when you ask them.
The best thing you can do for your child at drop-off is to be consistent and walk away when you say you will. Lingering tends to just prolong the heartache for the parent and the child. The first few times you drop your child off may be difficult, but trust that with consistent repetition you and your child will develop a peaceful good-bye routine.
Talk with the teachers.
Talk with your child's teachers about how the adjustment period is going. The teachers help dozens of children adjust to school every year but this may be your first time. They expect you will have questions and concerns. Email is a great way to communicate with your child's teachers and all of the contact information is available on the classroom web page at Msgl.org.
Help your child talk about his day.
If this is the first time your child has been away from home you will no doubt be very eager to know what he did all day. Unfortunately, preschoolers often say they "did nothing" or "just played." A lot of things happened between the time you dropped him off that morning and when you picked him up several hours later, but he might not yet be able to give a sequential list of his activities. Here are some ideas to help your child tell you about his day.
Take care of yourself!
The best thing you can do during these last few weeks of summer is to give you and your child the gift of a regular bedtime that allows enough sleep to wake up refreshed and ready for the big days ahead. Fill up with a good breakfast each morning and be extra patient with your child and especially with yourself. Parenting preschoolers, like college students, is hard work and there is no right way to do it. Follow your heart and follow your child, and in sixteen years, or so, you will be very proud of the people you have both become.
I should mention that there ARE other ducks in the toolbox. They are small ducks that fit in Harriet's pocket when she carries her camera and tripod to the classrooms to take group photos. But The Duck only works the main room. There is also a rubber frog that sometimes gets called up on the rare occasion that The Duck can't get a child to laugh. Harriet's experience tells her which toy to try.
She also encourages parents to let their children wear something comfortable on picture day. "Don't overdress them because children don't act the same way if they are overdressed," Harriet suggests.
It was great to spend picture day with Harriet and get answers to all of my (and your) questions about The Duck. But I had to confess that up until a few years ago, I didn't even know she had a first name. I had always known her, as we all do, as "The Ducky Lady." That seems to be how she likes it. But she was willing to share just a few personal details.
Although The Duck doesn't spend much time in the water outside of his daily bath, Harriet enjoys being outdoors when she's not behind a camera.
"I go kayaking and hiking. I belong to a kayaking group. That's what I do when I don't photograph," she says.
A few years ago, our school director Suman invited Harriet and some friends from school on a trip to India. For Harriet, that was a dream come true. One favorite memory is of riding on an elephant with her friend Beth.
"That was nice," she says, smiling. "India was my dream country. That's where I always wanted to go. I wanted to go there before they lose their saris and all the colors and become jeans people."
At the end of picture day as Harriet packed up The Duck to leave MSGL, Lena and Anita made sure she got one of our tie-dyed school t-shirts. The shirt made Harriet really happy and I asked her why.
"It's yellow and orange," she exclaimed. "My favorite colors!"
We were happy to see former Willow Class assistant teacher Jessica Flaherty when she visited from her new school in Indianapolis. With Lena Atkinson.
By Heather Harvey
Our school has had many special visitors lately. Teachers and parents from A Children's Habitat Montessori School in Indianapolis toured campus and met with our staff last month. They described MSGL as "a model of excellence" and returned to Indianapolis with lots of ideas for increasing and updating their programs, classroom spaces, and administrative processes.
Preprimary teachers Ana Ramirez and Melissa Valencia had their second classroom observation in February, as part of their Montessori Early Childhood practicum, and their field visitor was impressed not only by Ana's and Melissa's calm and kind demeanor in the classroom, but also by the large size of our "little" school.
Visitors from A Children's Habitat Montessori visit with MSGL staff.
Of course, we can't overlook the important visitors who attended our February open houses. Dozens of new families were excited to tour the campus and register their children for classes in the fall.
Seeing MSGL through the eyes of these visitors, I realize that there is nothing "little" about us. We serve 150 families in three buildings here on our five-acre campus and we staff seven different programs with approximately 30 full and part-time staff. We have programs for children ages 12 months to 12 years. We're not small at all, but we are close-like a family-thanks to the teachers, staff members, and parents who are willing to step in and help when and where they are needed.
We have a history of hiring from within, so when experienced teachers retire or move away from the area we turn to the dedicated teachers we know and love to fill those spots. And many of those teachers started out as MSGL parents who signed up to work as volunteers and substitute teachers!
Our accreditation by the American Montessori Society requires us to have trained and certified Montessori teachers leading our classrooms. So it is our vision to have a sustainable program with qualified teachers available at each level ready to lead if a teacher needs to step away from the classroom permanently or just for a few weeks.
This winter we were grateful for this long-term vision when Mary McKay - a parent, board member, friend of the school, and Early Childhood teacher-in-training - stepped away from the Catalpa classroom. Veteran teacher Somdatta Datta Roy left her position as River Birch assistant to take on the leadership of Catalpa while also leading the 3-day afternoon Canoe Birch class. Spruce class assistant Ana Ramirez was happy to take Somdatta's spot as Angie Shamo's assistant in River Birch in addition to leading the Globe Willow Spanish class. And Melissa Valencia agreed to keep her position as Globe Willow assistant and also fill Ana's spot in Spruce. Admittedly, our staffing arrangements can get complicated! But we always try to look within first to minimize disruptions in the classrooms and to maintain our high standards for a compassionate, well-trained staff that is in tune with our school culture.
In addition to classroom changes, there is also a new face in the office. MSGL parent Amy VanHorn was hired to work in accounting in January when our long-time parent and bookkeeper Beth Nichols took a new position outside the school. Amy is the person to talk to when you have questions about your tuition statement.
Amy VanHorn
We can expect to see more new faces as MSGL grows during the coming school year. We will remodel the Elementary House this summer to add space for an Elementary II program (4th-6th grade.) We are adding a second Parent/Infant class which will take place on Tuesday mornings. Families of children ages 12-24 months can sign up for Tuesday morning, Friday morning, or both. Three-year-olds will have the opportunity to lunch with Machelle during Toddler Tea Time in the Spruce Toddler class. Other exciting new offerings are in the works, so stay tuned for those details next month. And thanks for being part of our growing family.
These new faces, Pierce and Katie, look happy in their MSGL
spirit wear.
From a parents perspective it's both very informative and funny! Thanks Heather. I will think of you tomorrow when O is insisting to wear shorts! Thank-you,
Thank you, Angie! I won't be a bit surprised when I see those shorts.
Thanks for the reminders about helping our children learn to listen to their bodies. Our five year old wore snow pants to school today but insisted on a bathing suit only for the trip to swim lessons. He was halfway to the door of the gym when he told me his body was telling him he was cold and asked for a sweater...it was much more peaceful than trying to fight with him about wearing a coat!
Thank you, Hilary. I'm reminded of my mom always telling me to take a jacket. She didn't say I had to wear it, just to take it.
Thanks, Heather! When we are all prepared with our outer wear and in our cold pants we enjoy our outside time so much more. Bring on the cold, snow, and all the things that cold weather teaches us at MSGL. We learn so much from our seasons, so let's prepare appropriately and embrace the Indiana cold that is sure to come for the next several months.
Right on, Anita! I admire you for continuing to brace the Indiana weather each and every morning and with a smile on your face.


text:
Tuesday, April 20
I Was an Artichoke Diva
Growing up, my brother Paul was good at baseball, my brother Chris was good at math, and I was good at eating.
I don't mean I ate a lot (which I did). I mean I was a skilled eater. I could eat a big bowl of spaghetti without splashing my top with gravy. Every time. I could rearrange the components of a New England boiled dinner on my plate so that you would swear I had eaten virtually all of it, when in fact, I hadn't even touched it.
Some families would show off their kids at a violin or dance recital, my parents would invite people over to watch me eat an artichoke.
By age six, I was a virtuoso artichoke eater. It was a performance I had mastered like no other.
Whenever we had artichokes, I would be wiping the last drop of lemony juice from my lips, while all of the adults at the table were still hacking and picking at the outer leaves. Even my athletically gifted older brother was clueless when it came to the heart. Dumb jock.
I could scrape the meaty pulp off of each leaf with mechanical precision, losing not a bit of the nutritious flesh, and never getting a prickly fiber stuck in my teeth.
I became compelled to teach the artichoke-challenged. It was a rewarding yet frustrating few years for me.
I remember walking into the kitchen one Sunday afternoon, while a full audience waited in the dining room, only to discover my artichoke had been overcooked by my mom. I remember slamming pan covers and screaming, as I stomped around the kitchen, "Al dente! I said al dente!"
I was an artichoke diva.
My mother, unlike most stage mothers, remained calm and settled me down. I shook it off, took my place at the head of the table, and proceeded to give another flawless Sunday matinee performance.
(The larger Big Heart artichoke and smaller Globe artichoke.)
Italian Stuffed Artichokes, Mom's Way
Makes 2 artichokes
Print recipe only here.
Before making this recipe, please read: Artichokes 101: How to Clean, Cook, and Eat an Artichoke. It has step-by-step photos. This recipe was originally published on this blog last spring. But it's so good that it's worth repeating.
There are many ways to enjoy artichokes, but none is as deliciously satisfying as Italian stuffed artichokes. Artichokes double in size when the leaves are stuffed with olive-oil soaked Italian bread, olives, pine nuts, cheese, and herbs. Keep in mind that you may need slightly more or less stuffing depending on the size of your artichokes and on the amount of stuffing you use in the leaves. Also, the larger the artichoke, the longer the cooking time. Stuffed artichokes are labor and time-intensive to make but are oh-so-worth-it.
2 globe artichokes, about 1 pound each
1 lemon, cut in half (for rubbing the artichoke)
1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 loaf stale Italian bread, torn into small pieces
1/4 cup Kalamata olives, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley
1 tablespoon fresh minced basil
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon pine nuts
Salt, to taste
For the cooking pot:
1 lemon, sliced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1. To make the stuffing, cut stale bread into a few thick slices and moisten with warm water, just enough to soften but not soak it. If it's too wet, then squeeze it dry with your hands. Tear the bread into small pieces (about 1/2 inch), and place in a large bowl.
2. Meanwhile place an artichoke on a cutting board and cut off the stem. Using a sharp knife, remove the fibrous outer part of the stem and discard. Cut the remaining center of the stem into long, thin strips, then dice. Saute in a small skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil until lightly browned. Add to the bowl of bread. Add 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, chopped olives, crushed red pepper flakes, parsley, basil and cheese and mix well.
3. To toast the pine nuts, place in a small dry skillet over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Shake the pan handle gently to ensure even toasting. Add to the bowl of bread and season generously with salt.
4. Mix the stuffing well with your hands, breaking up any large pieces of bread. If it seems too dry or crumbly, add a little more olive oil or water. If it's too moist, add a bit more bread. I usually taste it at this point and adjust the seasonings as necessary. (If making the stuffing ahead, then place in an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator up to 3 days).
5. To clean the artichokes, cut off about 1 inch from the top of the artichoke and discard. Using a pair of kitchen shears, trim off the tips of the remaining leaves, until they are straight across. Rub the leaves all over with a lemon half.
6. Using your thumbs, gently separate the leaves (the fresher the artichoke, the tighter the leaves). Pull out the purple-tipped, pointy leaves from the center and several surrounding yellow leaves until you reach the fuzzy choke. Using a small spoon, scoop out the fuzzy choke until the cavity is smooth. Then squeeze some lemon juice inside the cavity to keep it from oxidizing, or turning brown. Repeat with second artichoke.
7. To stuff the artichokes, begin by placing 2 to 3 tablespoonfuls of stuffing into the cavity of each artichoke to prevent the leaves from closing up over it. Then using your hands, fill each leaf with about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of stuffing, starting at the outermost leaves and working your way toward the center. Try not to overstuff the leaves early on, in case you run out of stuffing by the time you get to the second artichoke. You can always go back and add more.
8. To cook the artichokes, use a large, deep saucepan and fill it with 3 inches of water. Add a whole sliced lemon and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to the water. Place stuffed artichokes in the pan close together so they remain upright. Drizzle each with one teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Cover tightly with a lid and bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Then lower the heat to a simmer, keeping the pan partially covered, and cook for 40 to 60 minutes, or until leaves are tender.
9. To check for doneness, try pulling a leaf from the artichoke, it should come out easily. Too much tugging means it needs to cook more. You can also insert a long, thin knife into the center of the artichoke; it should easily go through to the heart. Lift the knife straight out so you don't cut the heart. Transfer cooked artichokes to a large plate or shallow bowl and let cool for 5 minutes before eating. Artichokes can also be kept warm by loosely covering with foil and eating within 15 to 20 minutes.
You might also like these Italian family recipes from Food Blogga:
Italian Chicken and Escarole Soup
Potato, Rosemary, and Gorgonzola Pizza
Penne with Italian-American "Gravy," Meatballs, and Sausage
Italian Pignoli Cookies
Italian Pizzelle Cookies
You might also like these artichoke recipes:
Stuffed Artichokes recipe (with Italian breadcrumb filling) from Hedonia
Stuffed Artichokes recipe (with capers and pancetta) from A Veggie Venture
Artichokes Stuffed with Smoked Salmon recipe from Jersey Bites
Ricotta Stuffed Artichokes with Lemon-Herb Oil recipe from Proud Italian Cook
40 comments:
- Jessica @ How Sweet said...
I ADORE stuffed artichokes. I make them every Easter and Christmas, but they never look this good!
- April 20, 2010 at 8:14 AM
- MrsJenB said...
Confession: I have never eaten an actual artichoke - only the canned hearts. I feel as though I am missing out on something here...
This looks too-good-to-be-believed. My stomach is rumbling!
Oh, and your eating skills? Spectacular!
- April 20, 2010 at 8:26 AM
- Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...
Artichokes are still a little bit of a mystery here at MTBT, but I am more than willing to learn and become a diva too:D
- April 20, 2010 at 8:37 AM
- The French said...
This recipe looks insane. Is it wrong to eat one for breakfast? Don't want to anger the diva!
The story is hilarious. I love, "Al dente! Al dente!" Thanks for the laugh.
- April 20, 2010 at 9:19 AM
- Simona Carini said...
A very nice story, Susan. Stuffed artichokes are one of the joys of the table. Love your photos too.
- April 20, 2010 at 9:33 AM
- Rambling Tart said...
Oh my word, Susan! I'm in complete awe. :-) Your diva-ish-ness cracks me up! :-) I've never ever had a stuffed artichoke but wow, this is fantastic!
- April 20, 2010 at 9:35 AM
- Rosa's Yummy Yums said...
Beautiful stuffed artichoke! I'd love to taste that dish!
- April 20, 2010 at 11:19 AM
Bwahaha, hilarious. Great photo too, the first one - looks amazing.
- April 20, 2010 at 11:23 AM
- Joanne said...
This is how my mom always stuffed our artichokes and to this day, they remain one of my favorite things that I have ever eaten. I would love to see your performance sometime. It seems Grammy-worthy.
- April 20, 2010 at 12:05 PM
- Melanie said...
I'm 28 and I still have trouble making it through a meal without getting something on my shirt! What is your secret?
I've never heard of stuffing artichokes. I can't wait to try this one!
- April 20, 2010 at 12:48 PM
- Unknown said...
holy moly that looks obscene!
- April 20, 2010 at 1:28 PM
- T.W. Barritt at Culinary Types said...
It must have been tough to be so gifted, but what a delicious way to grow up! :-)
- April 20, 2010 at 1:37 PM
- Ciao Chow Linda said...
I've never seen such perfectly stuffed artichokes. They're one of my favorite springtime treats.
- April 20, 2010 at 2:41 PM
- Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...
I love artichokes, though I lack the patience to stuff them as beautifully as you have done. I don't remember when I had my first artichoke -- maybe some time in high school? -- but I've been a huge fan ever since.
- April 20, 2010 at 2:42 PM
- Soma said...
I LOVE artichokes and no one in my home does. and I fail to understand how anyone can not like an artichoke. Susan I have never seen a prettier stuffed artichoke!! Can I invite myself over?
- April 20, 2010 at 3:38 PM
- Abby said...
You are way too sweet to have EVER been a brat! Yet the 'al dente' part certainly made me giggle. One of these days I'm going to give whole artichokes a try!
- April 20, 2010 at 7:03 PM
- grace said...
first of all, great read--i've never known an artichoke diva. :) secondly, i've also never known how to disassemble an artichoke, so that's good to learn! finally, your dish looks amazing--most impressive, susan!
- April 21, 2010 at 3:25 AM
- Cara said...
Love your story and the image of a 6 year old devouring an artichoke - I'm pretty sure I didn't know what one was! (But I hope MY future kids know a lot more veggies at a young age than I did.)
- April 21, 2010 at 5:56 AM
- Kevin said...
I've got a 'choke in the fridge right now.
- April 21, 2010 at 7:13 AM
- Tasty Eats At Home said...
Love your story - you're hilarious. This sounds amazing.
- April 21, 2010 at 7:14 AM
Do you know if rubbing with a lime also prevents oxidation?
- April 21, 2010 at 8:26 AM
- Brie: Le Grand Fromage said...
wow, this looks lovely! i've never seen one stuffed like that; i will have to try it!
- April 21, 2010 at 7:04 PM
- Christine said...
Great (and funny) post Susan. The photos are top notch too. And the recipe is definitely worth repeating!
- April 21, 2010 at 7:42 PM
- tigerfish said...
Stuffed artichoke! That looks really...awesome.
- April 22, 2010 at 12:39 AM
- Manggy said...
Lol, as we have no artichokes here, I'd say I have an equivalent talent with shrimp. I can peel cooked shrimp using only a fork and knife in a few seconds :)
- April 22, 2010 at 2:15 AM
- RecipeGirl said...
You're so good with your artichokes! I'm a simple, artichoke lover... just like them steamed (al dente) with a little mayo. I've never tried stuffing them in any sort of way, but your way looks delicious!
- April 22, 2010 at 7:43 AM
- Jenni said...
This was a great post, I read it and your "Artichokes 101" post to my boys, 5 and 7, they loved it and are excited to try one for the first time this year :)
- April 22, 2010 at 10:10 AM
- lisaiscooking said...
Sounds like a fantastic performance! And, that is one huge artichoke. It looks beautiful with the stuffing.
- April 22, 2010 at 10:23 AM
- We Are Not Martha said...
Wow, this looks ridiculously amazing!! Like I'd die to have this on a plate in front of me right now. I will most definitely dream of this tonight :)
- April 22, 2010 at 7:18 PM
- mr. pineapple man said...
i never really tried artichokes but that looks mighty good!
- April 23, 2010 at 8:27 AM
- K Allrich said...
Good goddess that is beautiful. Bellissima. Switch out the breadcrumbs for gluten-free and I am so there. You Diva, you.
- April 23, 2010 at 9:28 AM
- Debbie said...
Wow, I wish I could get mine to look like this, but never the less they are delish!!!
- April 24, 2010 at 9:57 PM
Wow, I've never seen anything like this. A must try as soon as I get my hands on an artichoke. Not easy to find in Korea :(
- April 25, 2010 at 7:48 AM
I don't often leave comments. But I had to say something about this stuffed artichoke. I have never seen an artichoke so perfect in all my life. You have totally inspired me to make some this week. I'll let you know how they turn out. THANK YOU!
- April 26, 2010 at 9:07 AM
- Susan from Food Blogga said...
jessica-How sweet of you. Thanks!
mrsjenb-You are missing out. Go buy some fresh artichokes. Now! ;)
val-There's room for one more. ;)
thefrench-Heck, no. Artichokes are for anytime. :)
simona-Thank you so much, my dear.
rambling-I'm glad it made you laugh.
sasasunakku-You just made me smile too.
joanne-Yeah, I earned more than one statue in my time. ;)
melanie-You've got to have a stuffed artichoke. Seriously. Like now.
alsion-Yeah, it kinda is.
tw-It's the weight I had to bear. ;)
linda-They are the essence of spring for me.
lydia-It's easy to fall in love with them.
soma-Absolutely! They're big enough to share.
abby-Yeah, well, there is some artistic license. ;)
grace-Now you know one. Nice to meet you. ;)
cara-I'm sure they will with you as their mom.
kevin-Hope you're gonna eat it soon.
anonymous-It should since the acid oxidizes it. I use limes on avocados and fruit for that purpose. Although I don't think I'd like the flavor with chokes as much as lemon.
brie-I really hope you do.
- April 26, 2010 at 10:59 AM
- Susan from Food Blogga said...
christine-Thank you, my dear!
tigerfish-Thanks so much!
mark-We each have our gifts. ;)
lori-Yeah, it's the diva within. ;)
jenni-You have no idea how happy that makes me. I love when young children are introduced to more unusual and healthy foods. Way to go, Mom!
joowonahn-I can't help you there, but I do hope you find some.
debbi-As long as they taste great, it doesn't matter much. :)
mary-I asked on Twitter and FB for you but haven't gotten anything yet. Artichoke leaves have an earthy almost grassy flavor. The heart is tender and nutty. It's unique. I hope you find some. I really do.
lisa-You're sweet.
sues-Sweet dreams. :)
mrpineapple-Well, what are you waiting for? They're amazing!
karina-You , Diva, yourself. :)
- April 26, 2010 at 11:05 AM
- DessertForTwo said...
Your story from your childhood cracked me up! :) Thanks for sharing!
P.S. Found you through Tall Grass Kitchen, which I found through Tasty Kitchen. :)
- April 26, 2010 at 2:44 PM
- Cookie baker Lynn said...
My dear artichoke diva, that is the most amazing artichoke I've ever seen. You've opened up my artichoke horizons.
If we went toe to toe in a "rearranging food on the plate to simulate actual consumption" competition, I think I could give you a run for your money.
- April 26, 2010 at 3:17 PM
My wife and I made your stuffed artichokes today. First time for us. They were amazing. Not as big as the ones you get in Calif. but really good. We'll be making them again. Thanks for the recipe.
- May 2, 2010 at 7:39 PM
This is a thing of beauty.... it's been far (far) too long since I've had a stuffed artichoke -- though I'm by no means a pro, I'm definitely determined!
- May 9, 2010 at 9:28 AM

subset: commoncrawl


text:
I will try to proceed as calmly as I can. but it will be hard. CHRIST THIS IS STUPID.
In the first four panels, a man throws a boomerang AND THAT'S IT, GANG, nothing else happens. NOTHING HAPPENS. This is even worse than guy sits on a bench, because that had a sound effect at least, and worse than two guys in hats see each other because, I dunno, that at least had some mysterious lines and like there was a guy wearing two hats, which as you know is always Komedy Gold!
In the second set of panels, a man throws a boomerang and then a voice cries out "OMG TEH OZONE LAYAR" or something. I guess the idea is...he pierced the ozone layer? He...destroyed the ragged remains of the ozone layer? What, exactly happened here? OH WAIT I KNOW WHAT HAPPENED randall munroe realized that he needed to prove to himself that he knew all about SCIENCE so he threw in some shit he learned about in Ecology 102: Our Precious Atmosphere and figured eh, that's good enough for now! I've got sycophants ready to praise my genius so need for reason or logic, those two pesky idiots! After all, no one likes realistic humor! PEOPLE WANT THE MOST INSANE THING which they can never relate to because that will make them have a HEARTY CHUCKLE and Komedy Gold!.
let us move to the third line of this most brilliant of comics
Golly gee here he throws a banana instead of a boomerang! It is unexpected and thus it = Komedy Gold! Also, there is a girl because Randall Understands Girls i'm sorry he understands Women and knows how they act when their bananas are misused. This particular woman was apparently very fond of that banana, because she is speaking about it as though she were on some deserted island and it was her only food. Normal people, of course, don't care that much about their precious last banana. So the dude threw a banana look it has a thick peel you can go pick it up at eat it it's not a big deal. what the hell, lady
But oh man the real Komedy Gold comes in the last row!
Here, the man throws a boomerang and he literally breaks the wall of the comic and goes flying out! oh my goodness this is so funny I was on the floor crying within seconds of realizing the hilarious enormity of what randall was doing here. He was in space! And then he broke through the wall of his space capsule! I am laughing again now, just thinking about it. The character literally broke through the boundries of the format he was in! This is totally new. This has never been seen here before. Nothing like it AT ALL.
And the thing is this. For all the intense, diarhettic shittiness we see here, I might be ok with it. I might just say, "ok, he tried and failed to do something different. He got desperate, and he tried this, and he failed, and that's really not new." Except for this one fact - this comic is meant as a follow up to another shitty comic. That was a quagmire of random drawings with no plot, no logic and, obviously, nothing even mildly resembling a joke. I hated the concept then and I hate it now. What is the point? "Ha ha, those boomerangs are so crazy! so crazy you just DO NOT KNOW EVER what will happen with them! Maybe you'll get a flying shark! maybe you will turn out to be in space! Who the hell knows, with those crazy boomerangs! I can't even express it in one comic, all the possibilties! I thought I could, but then I thought of some more and had to draw another comic! ha ha ha I should probably just register www.boomerangdifficulties.com so I can make my full time job listing these HILARIOUS things! oh my goodness my favorite was the one where it turns out he's in space!
Oh goodness, look at the time! I'm late for my appointment to masturbate while looking in a mirror!"


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Milk fat on 7,000-year old pieces of pottery from Northern Europe provide the earliest evidence that prehistoric people knew how to process perishable milk into transportable and longer-lasting cheese.
Milk residue has been found in pots from Libya nearly 7,000 years old and on 8,000-year old pots from Northwestern Anatolia, a region that roughly corresponds to modern-day Turkey. That provided evidence that people in those areas used milk, but it wasn't clear if they processed it into cheese by separating the milk proteins and fat from the liquid.
Some prehistoric vessels, however, resemble modern cheesemaking equipment. Thirty years ago, archeologists proposed that sieve-like pots were used to separate the chunky curds from the liquid whey. Those curds could then be worked into cheese. But others thought these sieves may have been used for beer making or to strain honey.
Now Mélanie Salque, of the University of Bristol, and colleagues have identified milk fat on sherds of prehistoric sieve-like bowls from Poland, confirming that the pots were used to process milk.
To do this, the researchers collected residues from the pottery pieces. They first identified particular fats in the residue by mass. Then the scientists measured the amount of carbon-13, a stable isotope of carbon carrying one extra neutron, in two different kinds of fats. This can determine if they came from milk or body fat of ruminants like cows or goats. Isotopes distinguish body fat from milk fat because the amount of carbon-13 reflects an animal's diet as well as how its body produces and processes each kind of fat.
The researchers also analyzed residues from other pots at nearby sites. They were able to tell the difference between containers that held milk and cooking pots containing animal fat. Some of those containers were also rubbed with beeswax, possibly for waterproofing.
The people who used these containers were lactose intolerant because they lacked the enzyme to process milk sugar. But this sugar remains in the liquid whey during cheesemaking. Knowing now that they could make cheese provides evidence that these early pastoralists were able to gain nutrients from milk without becoming ill from the milk sugar, the researchers write.
Nature, 2012. DOI:
10.1038/nature11698 (About DOIs).


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skullman80 wrote:Luck had no.shot today. Guy was under pressure on every drop back. You cant expect a rookie to throw 50+ passes and win especially under that pressure.
offsides wrote:Wonder if we can finally get a decent game this wekend. I really don't care who wins, just make it a little exciting.
shafnutz05 wrote:Beast mode
bhaw wrote:Shanahan seems to be a guy who is totally on board with grinding a guy into the ground and ruining a career for another win. This reminds me a lot of how he dealt with Terrell Davis.
skullman80 wrote:RGIII should have been pulled a while back. That knee made him non-effective to put it mildly.
ExPatriatePen wrote:Who knew the seahawks defense was this good?
ExPatriatePen wrote:Who knew the seahawks defense was this good?
Props to my man Bruce Irvin.
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Thursday, January 24, 2008
Richard Petty Speaks His Mind On SPEED
As the "new and improved" Pre-Season Thunder programs continue on SPEED, the network found itself right in the middle of the Media Tour without a whole lot going-on.
Then, someone came along to to change all that. His name is Richard Petty.
The Thursday version of this thirty minute series was again hosted by Steve Byrnes, but even Byrnes had to do a whole lot of talking to keep this show interesting.
There were bunches of drivers, a lot of owners, and a whole lot of everyone saying what they were supposed to say. That would be the Media Tour.
Folks like me wondered how the Media Tour would translate into a same-day TV show, when it was basically set-up to supply print, radio and local TV crews with taped material that they could use to prepare stories about the upcoming season for their own companies.
As several readers have mentioned, the Wednesday show was disjointed because everyone was in different locations. The host, the two reporters and the two analysts all seemed to be out-of-sync.
On Thursday, reporter Randy Pemberton was not even seen on-camera, and Wendy Venturini filed several reports that essentially featured more drivers saying what they were supposed to say.
SPEED put the big stories of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his teammates on hold until Friday, although in real life the Media Tour ended Thursday. On this day there was no Jeff Gordon and no Jimmie Johnson to be found. This shifted the focus back to the best story of the program, and that was Petty Racing.
After Kyle Petty put the recent move of Petty Racing into historical context, SPEED then aired some very frank and candid comments from Richard Petty that seemed both interesting and in many ways...sad.
Even Kyle in his opening remarks said that Richard Petty's move from Level Cross to Mooresville, NC was basically to "go down swinging" as a NASCAR team owner. It was to project that Petty Racing was "doing something" to get better.
The King himself began by saying he was trying to "get into the mainstream instead of being on the outskirts" of NASCAR. He admitted he had been "eat-up by the competition."
Squarely in Petty's sites were the "super teams" in the sport. Petty quietly admitted he once led in the sport, then he just wanted to stay with the crowd. Now, in his most candid admission, he flatly stated he was "just holding onto the back" of the sport. With the recent changes at Yates Racing and the departure of Morgan McClure, his words really carried a lot of meaning for veteran fans.
I had hoped that SPEED would venture beyond the basics of the Media Tour, and use some of the familiar journalists for comments on exactly the type of story that Kyle and Richard Petty presented on this program. There were plenty of NASCAR media folks right there on-scene who have a long and storied history with the Pettys. It seemed a shame not to use them.
You have to give credit to SPEED, this is a first-time project that will hopefully continue to grow in future years. Deciding whether or not to include the journalists on the tour as on-camera subjects is absolutely their call. It is just so rare to have them all together without a race in-progress and deadlines to meet.
Steve Byrnes does a nice job directing traffic, an assignment he has done for SPEED now for many years both in the studio and on the road. His testing wrap-up shows with Larry McReynolds and Jeff Hammond in the studio were more interesting. Thursday, Byrnes basically had only pre-recorded "packages" to introduce, and not a whole lot else to work with.
One guest on the set to react to the Petty situation, and add other tidbits into the drivers and owners comments might be a touch to consider for the future. Making a commitment to get all the teams who participated in the Media Tour on these three days of programming might also be something to re-consider.
SPEED viewers want the inside scoop, not the Public Relations and sponsor messages. That lack of behind-the-scenes reporting left this show a little bit on the light side, even with The King and his very honest interview. Perhaps, Wendy Venturini will bookmark Petty for a follow-up on her Real Deal segment for RaceDay.
Hopefully, SPEED will close out their Media Tour shows on Friday in style. The network takes a break for the Rolex 24 from Daytona, and then the key pre-season tests at Las Vegas and Fontana close out the testing action. As several drivers have said on this series, the Las Vegas test may be the most important of the season for many teams to see how their COT program stacks-up against the competition.
Veteran fans will want to watch or record these testing programs next week that air at 7Pm Eastern Time. This will truly be brand-new first-time TV in the making.
Update: There will be follow-up columns about the pilot episode of The Humpy Show and also the information about the "new and revised" program that will be filling the timeslot formerly occupied by Inside NEXTEL Cup Racing. Stay tuned.
The Daly Planet welcomes comments from readers. Simply click on the COMMENTS button below and follow the easy instructions. Thank you again for taking the time to stop by.
35 comments:
- Anonymous said...
SPEED's mistake is that the Media Tour should be covered LIVE. Not all of it, but the team news conferences of power-houses like Hendrick, DEI, Roush, and RCR as well as the NASCAR news conferences. Then, a prime-time show to wrap up each day with info from the other teams. That would be worth watching.
- January 24, 2008 at 10:05 PM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
That is an interesting idea. If it was covered live on an online site like NASCAR.com, would you watch it?
- January 24, 2008 at 10:06 PM
- Anonymous said...
Yes, I'd watch it live online.
- January 24, 2008 at 10:46 PM
- Sophia said...
I missed the first few minutes of this show but was reminded when I logged on here in the other room and went to watch it.
Ok, I was running into the kitchen to take my brownie cupcake thingies out of the oven when I heard Richard Petty talking about the new drivers and something about names nobody can pronounce? They don't bring sponsors.... I can't remember the rest of what he said, but I found THAT sad. It almost came out like a bigoted statement...but I am trying to remember if they could've hacked up the segment...and I missed something or something ended up on the cutting room floor. But where the hello is a LIVE PANEL for a response when you need one??
I mean I know some folks are old school and that's fine...but *sigh*
I would've caught the repeat, if there was one. It was like I could not believe my eyes and we had back slid 30 years.
VERY ODD they throw the show to somebody who did not have a reaction, as you mentioned JD.
I hope somebody can give the specificity of what I missed but my timer was going off and the brownies were smelling done and what's a girl to do? It's CHOCOLATE but I do enjoy the rare interviews with the vet drivers but my timer picked a bad time ding.
I am both happy AND sad about the OW guys coming to NASCAR. It's less to root for in the IRL. I LOVED watching Dario and now, I just wondered what he and the others think when they hear such comments. though I think Petty commented about the problems with CHAMP and IRL but was it because there were not many Americans in the series? He thinks that's the sole problem?
P.S. First wise guy that says "Sophia needs a DVR is not getting any brownies." :-)
Still, I wonder if this comment raised any eyebrows besides mine.
What say you, JD? Anybody else?
- January 25, 2008 at 12:34 AM
- Anonymous said...
@JD--I'd watch it too! When I worked in the B&M world I was lucky and had an office so when they'd air something on NA$CAR.com I'd put it on. Depending on my appointments it often worked out that I was finished so I could watch/listen as I finished working. On rain delayed races, I'd have Trackpass up and listen to the PRN/MRN broadcast. I'm working from home now so I'll have that flexibility for the most part still depending on the timing.
- January 25, 2008 at 1:16 AM
- Anonymous said...
Per your update of upcoming programs, the schedule for the five-episode show "Dale Jr. Shifting Gears" on ESPN2 was announced today and Jr has a promo trailer for the show on his official site. If the high production quality of the trailer is any indication, this should be an excellent show.
- January 25, 2008 at 1:19 AM
- Anonymous said...
Sophia, not to get way off-topic here, but Richard did say that what he was saying may not be politically correct, but his feeling was that the foreign drivers, while they may be talented, don't bring anything to the sport like fans or sponsorship. He said he didn't mind a few mixed in, but he didn't want to see it overrun with foreign drivers because NASCAR fans won't cheer who drivers who aren't "hometown heroes". He did say the lack of foreign drivers is contributing to the slide of open wheel racing. And, if I may say, while that may not be the only reason, it doesn't help.
- January 25, 2008 at 1:37 AM
- Anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- January 25, 2008 at 1:38 AM
- Anonymous said...
The network takes a break for the Rolex 24 from Daytona, and then the key pre-season tests at Las Vegas and Fontana close out the testing action.
Sorry to hear you consider showing live racing a "break". I enjoy SPEEDTV for the racing, not listening to "talking heads".
- January 25, 2008 at 5:35 AM
- Anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- January 25, 2008 at 5:38 AM
- Daly Planet Editor said...
Anon 5:35AM,
This is a NASCAR blog, and it is understood that what I was saying is SPEED is taking a break from their NASCAR programming.
I am a long time supporter and fan of sports car racing, and will be front and center at Daytona for the race.
- January 25, 2008 at 5:39 AM
- Anonymous said...
Even Kyle in his opening remarks said that Richard Petty's move from Level Cross to Mooresville, NC was basically to "go down swinging" as a NASCAR team owner.
That shocked the you-know-what out of me!
"Go down swinging" does not suggest a lot of confidence in one's own racing program.
I thought he'd be talking about a return to greatness or a comeback, not sounding like they're defeated.
- January 25, 2008 at 7:24 AM
- Anonymous said...
I don't know if I'd watch live press conferences online or not. Nascar.com's streaming video is not always that reliable even though I have fast, cable internet. And putting on the headphones while the toddler plays with the wires isn't always convenient -- especially if I'm working on a project for our business.
If the press conferences were on Speed though, instead of the endless repeats of the "reality" shows that have kept my tuner on other channels all winter, I'd either watch them live or tape them for watching later.
- January 25, 2008 at 7:26 AM
- Anonymous said...
If it was covered live on an online site like NASCAR.com, would you watch it?
Probably, but given the fact that SPEED fills much of its daytime schedule with repeats, why not put it there?
- January 25, 2008 at 8:00 AM
- Anonymous said...
It doesn't take a great deal of effort to remember when "Inside Winston / Nextel Cup" was a great "must-see" program, locked into the viewing habit of virtually all Cup fans. And then, for reason known only to a very few, Allen Bestwick disappeared and the ever-boring (monotone) Dave Despain appeared to direct a now depleted panel of talking heads. Every time Allen Bestwick moves into another high profile position, does a great job and "makes it look easy," the "powers that be" move someone else into the slot in the name of change. SPEEDTV, look back at just how great the old "Inside Winston/NEXTEL Cup" show really was. Change may be inevitable but is NOT always good.
- January 25, 2008 at 8:25 AM
- GinaV24 said...
This was a hard thing to hear from Petty Enterprises. It makes me sad. They have been behind the curve probably because of money and maybe even the location of the shop. I'm sorry but I think that it is time to talk straight and not worry so much about being PC all the time. If no one ever tells the truth, then how can things ever change? People can tell the truth without being ugly to one another. I didn't think it was a bigoted comment, even though I understand why some people may take it like that, he said what he thought. NASCAR doesn't get that diversity isn't about just importing drivers who aren't American, it's about getting young up and coming drivers of all varieties -- homegrown if you will and I'll cheer for them if they are good drivers, no matter their race, creed or color.
If they covered the media tour so we could download it (I can't watch stuff like this when I'm at work), then I would definitely watch it.
I can't wait for the Rolex 24 hr race -- that's really fun to watch.
- January 25, 2008 at 9:18 AM
- Anonymous said...
I'm sorry I missed Richard Petty on tv last night. JD, hubby is down at Daytona for the Rolex race I told him to be on the lookout for you! Tracy Krohn and the other drivers of Krohn Racing are our favorites so we're hoping for a big finishes for them. This will certainly be an interesting nascar season and can I just hold out one hope that a full-time Nationwide driver wins that championship?????
- January 25, 2008 at 9:27 AM
- Anonymous said...
Sophia, take a deep breath and have some chocolate. :)
Just my opinion:
I feel that Richard Petty was actually ahead of the times. When he hired Fittipaldi, Richard talked of bringing in new fans and new international sponsors. He seemed very excited about the future. It didn't work. Fittipaldi didn't adjust that well and Richard couldn't get sponsorship for him.
Petty Enterprises has tried many things over the years to stay up-to-date. None of them brought the results that were needed. Slowly, over the past few seasons, they are making gains with personnel and now a new location.
For Richard to say, "go down swinging", is a positive statement to me. He is not going to go away without fighting. I am feeling very good about the future of the Petty organization.
JD-hope I didn't go below the yellow line with this one. :)
- January 25, 2008 at 11:11 AM
- Anonymous said...
Oops, forgot to answer the question!
No, I wouldn't watch on-line. Can't at work and have dial-up at home.
- January 25, 2008 at 11:14 AM
- Sophia said...
Ok, I JUST typed a response while ago and it is not here... I keep hitting preview but not submit, I guess or my computer is eating it(My laptop is on it's way to the computer doctor...but I digress. computer withdrawal already)
Matt, THANKS for explaining a bit more on Richard's comments.
I would not watch online if it was nascar.com because I HATE THAT site.
- January 25, 2008 at 11:43 AM
- JHD said...
I too was surprised by Richard Petty's comments about open wheel and foreign drivers. It sounded fairly closeminded to me.
I think though, those comments coming hard on top of an article on SceneDaily where Rusty Wallace spouted similar comments about NASCAR wandering too far away from the "old core fans", is all too much to take in one day. (I can give a link to the article, if that's okay.)
The point of the Media Tour, I thought, was to gather interest and excitement for the upcoming season, and not to give more fodder for those who mock and look down on NASCAR.
I do appreciate the fact that SPEED was willing to broadcast those comments, that they chose not to censor Petty. I just hope there will be some sort of response/followup from NASCAR or other drivers.
As for following it Live, I can't really do that while at work. I can peek over at articles and blogs on breaks and such, but not watch an entire press conference.
I would prefer that SPEED have expanded these shows to an hour. Everything felt rushed to get to all the shops and drivers. It's not like there's anything else on TV right now with the Writer's Strike and the racing series in preseason that would mandate that things get squeezed into 30 minutes a day.
- January 25, 2008 at 12:28 PM
- Anonymous said...
The Petty's lost any current relevance when Adam died. Appears a graceful exit isn't in the cards for them. Advice to the King; keep your racist views under that big hat. Everyone else can pronounce the new driver's names just fine.
- January 25, 2008 at 1:18 PM
- Anonymous said...
Nothing that Richard Petty said was earth shattering. All you had to do was compare their results the last 20 yrs to see how far they have been from being competitive.
By the way, a FULL-TIME Busch/Nationwide driver wins the championship EVERY year! NO champion in recent memory has NOT raced every race.
And an emphatic no to watching anything on Nascar.com - this website is awful.
- January 25, 2008 at 2:09 PM
- Anonymous said...
Good post Lisa Hogan,I second what you said.
- January 25, 2008 at 2:57 PM
- Anonymous said...
Ever since I saw Richard Petty cut straight through the dirt at the esses at The now vanished Riverside Raceway,I have been a fan. Since Petty started rebuilding his program a couple of years ago, I've seen a lot of improvement. I thik they will be even better this year. Richard admitted a while back that they were diong the things they wrwe doing years ago with their cars and got behind the curve. I thinkk we'll see Petty closing the gapp betweem PE and the top teir teams. PE will be around for a long time to come.
- January 25, 2008 at 3:15 PM
- Anonymous said...
I thought what the King said was that NASCAR should not go down the road that US open-wheel racing has gone and have TOO many foreign drivers. I thought he said that the ones coming in now are fine, but that having too many foreign drivers might drive many fans away- as many say has happened with IRL and Champ Car.
Since all the Pettys have is one family business ( racing ), I took it Richard was saying they are all in - and if they go out it will be with all guns blazing. As a long, long time Petty fan I was encouraged - and glad to be able to see what Richard said with my own eyes.
JD, I'm not sure I would (or could) actually watch media events "live," but I sure would tape them if SPEED carried some portion live.
- January 25, 2008 at 6:29 PM
- Anonymous said...
Richard in NC is correct in what 'the King' said. He was saying that foreign fans don't fill the seats at tracks and don't sell souvenirs from the trailers.
To draw foreign fans will hurt the sport in the long run like it did with the IRL and Champ Car Series.
Fans want hometown heros they can follow through their racing careers up to the big time. Not all NASCAR fans are other racing series fans.
Early in my days I watched the Indy 500 just because it was the 'Big specticle' it was. I didn't see another Indy race until the next year. So now I'm supposed to root for someone I've never seen and can't understand what they're saying when they talk? Then you have drivers without rides to make room for these guys that have no experience in a stock car?
I'm with Petty on this one!
Old time NASCAR Fan
- January 25, 2008 at 8:42 PM
- Anonymous said...
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- January 25, 2008 at 9:18 PM
- Hookaville said...
I Tivo'd the interview with the King and I watched it a couple of times. I honestly don't think that he has any ill feelings for the foreign born drivers. He did an excellent job of answering the question at hand. "What do you think the influx of drivers from other series will bring to NASCAR?" I think his answer was honest, he said that foreign drivers won't bring in extra money or sponsors. Basically, Europe will not be tuned in and spending money, just because we have a Scottish driver in the premier series. That was his opinion, and I liked it. I think he's right. In 5 years from now we most likely will not be hearing about Dario and Jacques. Would you rather hear from the King or be spoon fed B.S. from the media that we all love the foreign drivers and can't wait to see how they do. To be honest with you, I'm much more interested to see how Cale Gale does with KHR, than how Montoya does in his sophomore season. I guess I'm a bigot.
- January 26, 2008 at 1:34 AM
- Anonymous said...
I was a little surprised not that he said it but that when he said that was why the "other series" is not working out.
There may be a small 5-10% chance on the names but the problem with Cart/IRL is so much DEEPER than who is driving the cars.
Not even sure if there will be 2 series after next season, I think the WORST part of CART is they run a race take a couple of months off then decide to do another one
As for JPM I think he DID bring a couple of associate sponsors with him.
- January 26, 2008 at 3:04 AM
- Newracefan said...
I DVR'd this show as I was not home at the time but I would like to answer JD's question about watching Media day. My employer would definitely frown on me do it from my PC at work. If I was home I would watch, if televised I would DVR for later.
- January 26, 2008 at 10:08 AM
- Anonymous said...
It is very sad that the future for the Petty's ,Yates, Wood Bros.and we already know about Morgan-McClure are probably very limited. Every day you read about a team that has closed down or will only be able to fund a certain amount of races. Sponsorship and decline in the interest of NASCAR as it is today is making it very difficult to compete not only on the track but off the track for sponsorship dollars and the next driver that everybody wants to have. NASCAR must take a look at this or we are only going to have mega teams in the future and the teams that have brought the sport to the forefront will be left behind. It is going to be a sad day when the Petty's ,Yates, and Wood Bros.,dont have a car in the cup series. Someone needs to step up and address these issues before we end up with only,GM,Dodge,Toyota and Ford if they can hold on teams with no distinct difference in any of them. I know this was probably not the best article to post this comment on but I am so aggravated with the direction this sport has taken.
- January 26, 2008 at 10:31 AM
- Anonymous said...
Good thing that Richard Petty isn't racing anymore or else he might find himself in the Nascar trailer writing a check to the Foundation. RP's comments were by far the best of the Thunder on Speed. Most of what was shown was pretty boring. One thing they missed was Jimmie Johnson's comments about testing at Daytona and how bad the COT cars performed. Those comments should have been front and center on Speed. Jimmie predicted that this will be a boring race with four to five cars drafting together, since passing and any more than four cars in a draft causes the car in back to run sideways. How Speed missed most of those comments bewilders me.
But, I have to congratulate Speed on showing RP's comments. Seeing how I've been saying the influx of foreign drivers will do nothing for the sport, I'm happy to see such a well respected veteran feel the same way. Open wheel racing was huge in the US until the split of the series and the influx of foreign drivers. Believe it or not, American's cheer for Americans plain and simple and since open wheel has gone primarily foreign, that sport is barely on life support. Just look at the Olympics---do we cheer for the Russians or Brits to win gold? Nascar continues to abandon their roots all in the name of money. They take away historic tracks and races to put them in areas of the country that have absolutely no interest in Nascar (yes, I mean California) and now these owners are abandoning drivers who've done it the right way and come up through the ranks to the big show. But now, the foreigners are being handed cars without any indication they will be able to handle it. Like RP said, foreign drivers won't bring in fans who buy race tickets, they won't put butts in the seats and they won't have an economic impact on the sport. At least Nascar has one voice who's not afraid of the big wigs, and speaks his mind.
- January 26, 2008 at 12:03 PM
- Anonymous said...
i stopped watching real racing after dale left us,,the frances have made a fool out of the real fans ,,the people who work reg, jobs to be able to buy tickets,, its all about hendricks or roush who can kiss the most ass.. nuff said
- January 27, 2008 at 5:05 PM
- elena said...
I guess my question to Richard Petty is, can anyone be politically incorrect, or just you? If you speak your mind, can others? I bet that those who don't agree with you, won't. Some see you as a has-been and wish you would just fade into the sunset. You add nothing to the sport now.
For me, I wish NASCAR had an elder statesman like Arnold Palmer. When he is on the golf course, he is followed by Arnie's Army. He is not only loved by fans, but by the pros. Even though golf is not an original American sport, America has taken it over. Did the Scott's complain? Has Arnie ever wished that Gary Player, Nick Price, Nick Faldo, and Greg Norman would just go home and not play and win here? How about Tiger? (American, but not WASP). Arnold grew the popularity of golf and still continues to be its beloved ambassador. He wanted golf for the masses, not for just rich guys.
Petty ought to be challenged about his comments. When he makes stupid comments, no one asks any follow up questions. NASCAR has individually owned teams. PETTY IS NOT IN CHARGE. Who would follow his template? He has done nothing but trade on past (long past) accomplishments. For goodness sakes, he drove for 8 years WITHOUT a single win! Thank goodness he quit competing. How many fans want that? He just kept driving for the money. His son. He's been driving for more that 28 years and has 8 WINS!! Yea, that will fill the stands. Kyle has lead 72 laps in the last 10 years. Juan Pablo lead 26 in his rookie year. Kyle has not lead that many in any one year for the last 10 years.
If anyone says anything critical about Kyle, some bloggers bring up the fact of his son. That is a tragedy. I'm sorry for that. Unless you have lost a child, you cannot even imagine the pain he lives with. He is still a terrible driver/owner. Rick Hendrick does not trade on his losses. He has had many, including a young son. His pain is private and he does not use it as currency in NASCAR.
Not everyone has vision. Richard Petty had/has none. You cannot condemn someone for that. The problem is when people like RP become bitter because they got left behind. I think he is one of many that were happy just making a living racing. The money kept getting better and they just had fun running to the bank. He was not an innovator or visionary. He had no eye for the future. Look at France. Look at Bruton, look at Hendrick. At one time Petty had more money and fame than all of them, but he was just happy to rest on his laurels. He made no investment in the future of NASCAR. He could have owned many race tracks.
I cannot imagine any of those men taking business advice from Petty.
- January 28, 2008 at 2:21 PM