Making Lemonade

The new stadium is behind schedule.  That effects the football teams, the soccer teams, and the field hockey teams.  But I think it might be overlooked that it also effects the pommies, the cheerleaders, and THE BAND!!  But do you hear anyone complaining?  NO!!  What does the band do?  They just take their show on the road and out-perform the home team's band!!!  Have I mentioned lately that OUR BAND ROCKS?!?!!  

Kirkwood Beats Seckman, McHugh is My Player of the Game

One of the great things about having a blog, is that I can write about what I want to write about, and tonight I want to write about #18, Mike McHugh. . .

I remember Coach Irvin talking about this kid after the first camp this summer.  He was really excited about his ability and the type of kid he was.  I have to be honest, I didn't really know who he was talking about.  Fast forward a couple of months, and what do you know, this kid is on my class list for my first hour Pre-Calculus class.  He hasn't played in a football game yet, because he suffered a leg injury before the first game.  He's pretty quiet, and doesn't have much to say until about a week and a half ago, when he walks in looking like Jay Leno.  His chin was huge.  He started telling the class how it just got bigger and bigger the day before, and ultimately, he had to have it drained.  Turns out it was a serious infection.  He spent this past weekend in the hospital, and has been going back every morning to get it cleaned and checked out.  I know this much, if it was me, I wouldn't have been out of bed for a week, but Mike was back in school trying to stay caught up.  Then I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw him dressed out for the game tonight.  He'd been cleared to play.

I kid you not, most people wouldn't even be up and walking around (much less playing a sport where one of the pieces of equipment actually goes across your CHIN) after what Mike went through this past week.    I would guess that just putting a helmet on was a painful experience, so when I saw him enter the game, I couldn't believe it.  Then, on his very first play of the year, he caught a beautiful 16-yard pass for a touchdown!!  I can't remember when I've been more excited to see a touchdown scored in a high school game!  I was going NUTS!!

Mike, I know you have many great moments ahead of you, but you'll be hard-pressed to impress me more than you did tonight.  I'm so proud of you!

More game photos at www.kriewallphotography.com

Spencer's Senior Session

The first "Senior Session" of the year was an absolute BLAST!!  Thanks to Spencer and Lorna (did I get that right?)  Lorna is Spencer's friend and was a huge help with all the lights and stuff.  Spencer was a student of mine as a sophomore. . . the first thing you noticed about Spencer back then was his hair.  It stuck up all over the place.  But when you looked past the hair, you saw a bright and thoughtful kid.  Now he's just plain "cool".  WAY cooler than I ever was, that's for sure.  

Spencer took me to a top-secret location where we shot the graffiti pics.  We talked about his art and how sometimes you've just got to hang out and do a little bit of nothing.  Then we headed back to the house, picked up a change of clothes, Mom, and Lance the dog.  We headed to the park and got some more great images there.  Spencer had the coolest shoes, so we featured those in one of the shots.  Can you believe he got those for $4.00?!  

What great fun!  Thanks, Spencer.  I really had a blast!

  

Rooting for the Purple!

I was trying to remember the last time I rooted for a team in purple. . . Wasn't the Lakers.  I've always hated the Lakers.  Maybe the Minnesota Vikings back when I was a kid?  At least until they played Green Bay.  I rooted for Green Bay because they had Bart Starr at Quarterback.  I thought that was a cool name.  Also, I had gotten a kid's sized Green Bay Packer's football uniform (complete with helmet) for Christmas one year.  That was great.  My brother got a New York Giants uniform.  We immediately put them on and went out in the back yard and ran our heads together.  Then we read the warning. . . "not to be used for actual contact".  Ooops. . . 

Wait, where was I?  Oh yea, purple. . . the Pioneer Field Hockey team was forced to resort to purple pennies as their opponent not only had the same colors, but the exact same style of uniform as well.  I think the other team was doing everything they could to throw the Pioneers off their game, but it didn't work, and the Pioneers racked up a 3 - 2 victory.   Julia M. had two goals to lead the Pioneers.  

Kirkwood's Becker Name Missouri Teacher of the Year!!

Sometimes, we get it right. . . not always, but every once in a while, the good guy wins.  Well, this time it's right. . . Bob Becker was selected as Kirkwood High School's Teacher of the Year, and then selected as the representative for the State of Missouri as it's Teacher of the Year.  'Couldn't happen to a better teacher or a better person.  I've been lucky enough to teach at the same school as Bob, but his influence on me started long before I ever became a teacher.  I remember my 8th grade Principal pulling me aside at recess one day and telling me, "Randy, you're going to be a teacher one day."  I cried for the next week!  I couldn't think of anything I would like to do LESS than be a teacher.  Fast forward 8 years or so. . . My Mom decided to go back to school to become a chemistry teacher.  She worked tirelessly to earn her degree, and then I saw her work even HARDER and more hours once she got her teaching job.  (That just confirmed my earlier fear of becoming a teacher.)  She got Cancer, but didn't miss a day of work, even when she was going through chemo.  She cared deeply for her students and wanted to make a difference.  I think my Mom was a great teacher, but she would come home from some conference and talk about this teacher she saw presenting named Bob Becker, "Now he's a teacher!" she'd say.  I started thinking, "Maybe that teaching thing ain't so bad. . . "  When I got hired at Kirkwood, and my Mom found out I was actually working with Mr. Becker, she would ask me to say "hi" to him.  This was after she had already retired.  I know, if she see's this blog, she'll be excited to learn that he's being recognized for all his work.  

Bob does more than just teach.  He's always organizing something. . . a canned food drive, a blood drive, groups to go work for Habitat for Humanity. . . anything to make the world a little better.  He inspires kids with his teaching and colleagues with his example.  

It's funny how things work out.  I'm in my 19th year of teaching now, and absolutely love it.  I think my Mom would be proud of the work I've done.  So I just want to say, "Thanks, Bob."

 

KHS Orchestra Photo Shoot

Imagine if your high school basketball team was so good, they somehow were invited to play in the NCAA Tournament!!  Well, that's pretty much what happened to our Orchestra last year. . . they were invited to play at CARNEGIE HALL!!  

Don't you miss the old days, when band kids (not to mention orchestra kids) were the nerds and social outcasts, and you wouldn't be caught dead in that crowd?  Well, it's not like that any more, at least not at Kirkwood High School.  Now the cool kids mix with the jocks and the nerds and braniacs and they all come together to pursue a common interest; their passion to play amazingly beautiful and challenging music.  Patrick Jackson is a conductor extraordinaire, and has taken the orchestra to new heights. . . those rarely experienced by high school musicians.

Last Sunday we shot pictures for this year's poster, and had a great time.  I had lost track of who the orchestra seniors were, and each time a new student walked in the room, is was a pleasant surprise to see them.  What an awesome and fun group of kids.  They wanted their poster to be "fun" and "smiley, not serious".  It was their idea to use the New York City skyline as a background, and I think it was a great idea.  I like the clean look of this poster.  Simple, but very cool.  Don't pass up the opportunity to hear these kids perform.  Close your eyes, imagine yourself at Carnegie Hall. . .

  

Cross Country in Jackson

It was a cool 55 degrees this morning, so I decided to hop on the motorcycle and head down to Jackson for the initial cross country meet of the season.  There may be more exciting sports to watch, but nothing is more inspiring.  'Doesn't matter whether it's the fastest varsity runner, or the slowest freshman, each runner has their own unique challenge to overcome, and when they hit the final stretch, they give it all they've got.  

It was a great day for running, but an even nicer day for watching other people run. . . Jackson is unique in that each race is a grade-level race, with the girls following 1 minute behind the boys.  Several girls will actually catch and pass some of the boys!  In each race, there were plenty of Kirkwood jerseys near the front!  

Cross country seems to be almost as much about encouraging your teammates as it is about reaching your own potential.  It's great to see the positive impact peers can have on each other.

Two highlights for me were: 

1) watching Beth K. blow away the field in the senior race.  She's a great runner but an even better person.  She has worked extremely hard to become an outstanding racer.

2)  Watching Olivia M. compete in and finish her first-ever cross country race.  To decide to do something so challenging as a senior is really admirable.  Way to go, OLIVIA!!