"It's A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood"

   “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood”

I was going to discuss my years in the Civil Air Patrol this week, but thought I’d put that on hold for awhile.  CJ Rose jogged my brain a while ago with a Mr. Rogers comment, so while it is fresh in my mind, I’ll just share a little on how it came to be that I celebrated Mr. Rogers’ birthday in my classroom every year.

My first year of teaching (1989-90), I was getting ready for school one day in March.  NBC Chicago news at that time used to announce celebrity birthdays and I heard that it was Mr. Rogers’ birthday.  Now, since March is typically a “dead” month…no real holidays, not quite spring, and winter won’t go away…I decided to have a little fun.  Stopping at Jewel in Round Lake, I bought a plain frosted cake, a tube of decorating frosting, some ice cream, streamers, and other stuff.  I put up my meager decorations in our little classroom with no windows, one door and half a wall.  At lunch time I brought out the cake and ice cream and made the kids sing the Mr. Rogers’ theme song.  I’m sure they thought I had finally gone over the edge, but they wanted the cake and ice cream….so they sang. 

I thought that would be the end of it. But when the next school year started and I had a whole new flock of 6^th graders, they reminded me of the previous year’s party and asked if we were going to do it again.  So began a tradition that lasted every single year I was there.

On MY birthday one year, I received two birthday cards from students with a picture of Mr. Rogers on it.  I still have those cards on my bulletin board in my office.  I remember one time a certain science teacher at CCS kidnapped my card and held it for ransom.  I subsequently lifted his little plastic skeleton and mailed it back to him piece by piece. Yes, sometimes even I questioned the stability of the teachers from time to time!!!

One day I received a letter from a former student who had graduated, married, and had a couple of kids. She and her family were visiting California and she took a photo of Mr. Roger’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  I still have that photo on my bulletin board in my office.  I really do treasure these little mementos.  When Mr. Rogers passed away I put up a little memorial wall in his honor in the hallway outside of my classroom.  I posted some of the newspaper articles from that day’s paper.  It really was a sad day.

So, what began my fascination for Mr. Rogers Neighborhood?  I used to watch the show with my two children when they were growing up. When our oldest grandson, Michael, was little (around 2 or 3), I used to baby-sit him.  We had a regular routine of watching Mr. Rogers, Lamb chop with Sheri Lewis, and Barney.  Yes, Barney.  I never really liked Sesame Street because I thought the activity was too rushed.  Mr. Rogers’ program was slower paced…something that was needed in order to put a toddler down for a nap.  Michael learned the words to all three theme songs and we would sing them together.  (I’m sure he is going to appreciate my saying this!)  he he.   .

Now, when many of my former students think of me, they remember the crazy teacher who used to celebrate Mr. Rogers’ birthday every March 20^th.

As I was typing this little walk down memory lane, my mind started to remember lots of little tidbits of info from my wonderful days at CCS.  Thanks CJ; I believe you have created a monster here.  The topic ideas are coming faster than I can write them down.  I think I’m going to enjoy this.  One particular topic is associated with the song “Aura Lee.”  Ah, but that’s another blog at another time.