"Celebrate endings, for they precede new beginnings." Johnathan Lockwood Huie

 

                                                                The Indian Express 

Dear Friends, 

2020 was a disappointment in so many ways.  The pandemic dictated that we attend meetings and weddings via Zoom, eat take out alone, spend Thanksgiving and Christmas in the company of just one's housemates (if you are lucky enough to have housemates), and trade in the glamour of night life for the comfort of pajamas.  Sadly, many lost their lives and their livelihoods because of COVID-19.  Like most other people, I do not care to repeat this year.

On a more positive note, and because I always look for the good, some families have become closer during this quarantine.  Parents who are accustomed to traveling have had ample time to become reacquainted with their spouse and their children.  Cooking skills have been practiced and honed to perfection.  Board games and puzzles have reunited families, and gratitude for the small things in life - going to the movies, eating out, family members,  and playing sports - has increased exponentially.  Everyone learned how to be a part of the Zoom culture.  The clothing coffers of local charities are overflowing from the "big purge" of the quarantine. Home improvement stores have tripled sales because people suddenly had the time to do the projects that have been putting off.  Gardening sales swelled, as we stayed close to home and closer to nature.  The number of rounds of golf played in 2020 numbered 50 million more than in 2019.  It seems that we have realized that we need less, and that others need more. It is good to see 2020 end, and begin anew with 2021.  

As we sweep 2020 out the door, I wish you a happy new year!   

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Please invite Grady Gets Glasses (and me) into your school.  if you are not in the Pittsburgh area, we do virtual field trips with a group called Field Trip Zoom or we will come into YOUR classroom via ZOOM.www.Fieldtripzoom.com  and a company called www.StreamableLearning.com GRADY GETS GLASSES was the winner of Best New Children's Book 2016 and 2018 (new edition) from The Authors' Zone.Grady also won a 2018 prestigious Moonbeam Award for Best Children's Book with Merchandise.

Visit Dede's web page for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading. Signed copies are available  www.dederittman.com Dede is also a national speaker on The Three C's for Classroom success: Confidence, communication, and Creativity; Avoiding Teacher burnout; and many other inspirational topics. 

I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books.  Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self.  However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired! 

Elementary teachers in Western Pennsylvania and beyond - I am willing to come into your classroom in person or as a virtual field trip through a group called Field Trip Zoom.  Check them out!  http://www.fieldtripzoom.com/ 

Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book.  I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading.  Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com  The website www.gradygetsglasses.com now has plush Grady bunnies for sale!

 Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl 

Connect with Dede!

Twitter       @dederittman

Facebook   Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules

LinkedIn   Dede Rittman

Google +   Dede Rittman

Tumblr      The Bunny Teacher

Instagram   dede_rittman  and Gradygetsglasses

Pinterest   Rittman Publishing, LLC ® 

"Christmas is a reminder for all of us, that there is something else besides ourselves that we need to care about."

 

                                                                    123greetings.com 

When I was a little girl, I used to ask my mother if Christmas would ever be cancelled.  She laughed and asked me how I came up with such kooky questions.  (I had a great imagination!)  My mother is long gone these 18 years, but I am sure she would not have liked the thousands of cancellations happening at Christmas this year. On my personal calendar, I have fun event after fun event all struck through with a line of cancellation.  Like many others, I have never had less to do!  During the Christmas season, I usually have so many events that I sometimes must  take a nap.  Not this year.  My good friend and neighbor has cancelled her Christmas Eve family gathering.  Some family members have/had COVID, and others have been exposed.  My service to the church choir will not be needed this evening, as we have not been singing nor have we been in church since March 12. Consequently, Barb and I are having Christmas Eve dinner together, and for that, I am grateful.

This year of COVID has taught us many lessons, both pleasant and unpleasant.  I want to focus on just one topic - Hunger. When Americans watch the news and see many food distributions that are happening nationwide, they are seeing the face of hunger.  For many in the long car caravans, this pandemic has forced them, for the first time, to ask for a handout. Watching the tear-filled interviews, viewers find that many of the people in line are the same people who have been supporting their local food banks for years, and now they find themselves on the other side. having to ask for support. Here in Pittsburgh, KDKA TV and radio have collecting money for their THANKS FOR GIVING campaign for many years.  I believe strongly in this charity, and I have never missed giving in over 40 years.  I find it remarkable, that during the year of pandemic when the bottom has fallen out of the worldwide economy, the amount of money collected has broken all records - over $855,000 !  PNC sponsored a  matching funds program - if you donated $50 at a PNC branch, they would match the donation.  Many businesses and groups around Pittsburgh collected, and Wexford Elementary School had the largest donation of $47,488!  Many hungry families are being fed from Thanksgiving to Christmas because of this community charity. Here is a link to the story https://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2020/11/25/kdka-tv-turkey-fund-record-breaking-donation-total/ 

In a year where nothing was as it should be, some good things happened.  People recognized the needs of others, and they stepped up. Although our collective Christmases will not be like those we have known so well, it is heartening to know that "Christmas is a reminder for all of us, that there is something else besides ourselves that we need to care about."

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Be safe, be kind, and believe in the goodness of others. 

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Please invite Grady Gets Glasses (and me) into your school.  if you are not in the Pittsburgh area, we do virtual field trips with a group called Field Trip Zoom or we will come into YOUR classroom via ZOOM.

                                                    Grady Gets Glasses as Santa Claus

www.Fieldtripzoom.com  and a company called www.StreamableLearning.com GRADY GETS GLASSES was the winner of Best New Children's Book 2016 and 2018 (new edition) from The Authors' Zone.Grady also won a 2018 prestigious Moonbeam Award for Best Children's Book with Merchandise.

Visit Dede's web page for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading. Signed copies are available  www.dederittman.com Dede is also a national speaker on The Three C's for Classroom success: Confidence, communication, and Creativity; Avoiding Teacher burnout; and many other inspirational topics. 

I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books.  Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self.  However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired! 

Elementary teachers in Western Pennsylvania and beyond - I am willing to come into your classroom in person or as a virtual field trip through a group called Field Trip Zoom.  Check them out!  http://www.fieldtripzoom.com/ 

Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book.  I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading.  Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com  The website www.gradygetsglasses.com now has plush Grady bunnies for sale!

 Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl 

Connect with Dede!

Twitter       @dederittman

Facebook   Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules

LinkedIn   Dede Rittman

Google +   Dede Rittman

Tumblr      The Bunny Teacher

Instagram   dede_rittman  and Gradygetsglasses

Pinterest   Rittman Publishing, LLC ® 

"Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter." Izaak Walton

 

familyoffduty.com 

Like many other Americans are doing during the pandemic, I have been going through bins of items in my storage room and donating them to charity.  I recently found a box of old cookbooks, and when I saw the cover of a special one, it was like finding an old friend.  

I began my 35 year long teaching career at North Allegheny Intermediate High School in 1976.  The faculty was so different from the previous school where I taught.  The NA group ate lunch together, had parties, went out for a drink on Fridays after school, but most importantly, worked together to make the school a better place.  Most everyone on our large staff was friends with everyone else.  Ladies exchanged baby clothes; people did pick up and drop off for a friend with car trouble; fun lunches were planned during the school day; and lessons were shared. Being  part of that staff,  I felt like I was in "school heaven." A husband and wife teacher duo took me home for dinner when my car muffler fell off, and she cooked white he bought the part to re-hang the muffler.  The staff supported the students in the same way they supported each other, so for me, going to school never seemed liked going to work. 

In 1981, we decided to make a faculty cookbook.  Just about every  person contributed, and I can remember the effort that people had to put forth to make this cookbook happen.  First, all recipes had to be typed!  No computers back in 1981, so we had volunteer teacher and parent typists, and the parent volunteers also submitted recipes.  We made an assembly line for the copying process and putting together the book (3 brass fasteners hold it together.) We also had an organized delivery process, and we shared cooking stories of which recipe we made and loved for years thereafter.

When a faculty has this much camaraderie, the students also benefit.  We worked together to help kids, just the same as we worked on everything else in the building. The staff and the students partnered on many worthwhile fundraisers, plays, concerts, and events.  Once, we even spelled out "GO STEELERS" on the football field when the Steelers were in the Super Bowl.  Teachers worked wot make an outline of the letters with crepe paper and buckets of water to freeze the paper in place, and classrooms were assigned which letter in which their class was to stand.  Another teacher arranged for a flyover and an aerial picture to be taken.  The entire school - all 1500 kids and 100+ staff - were engaged in this project, which also made the local news. 

Camaraderie is such an important part of teaching.  In many ways, teachers are like inhabitants of their own little islands when they are in their individual classrooms. and the camaraderie makes the journey through the years of teaching so pleasant. 

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Please invite Grady Gets Glasses (and me) into your school.  if you are not in the Pittsburgh area, we do virtual field trips with a group called Field Trip Zoom or we will come into YOUR classroom via ZOOM.www.Fieldtripzoom.com  and a company called www.StreamableLearning.com GRADY GETS GLASSES was the winner of Best New Children's Book 2016 and 2018 (new edition) from The Authors' Zone.Grady also won a 2018 prestigious Moonbeam Award for Best Children's Book with Merchandise.

Visit Dede's web page for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading. Signed copies are available  www.dederittman.com Dede is also a national speaker on The Three C's for Classroom success: Confidence, communication, and Creativity; Avoiding Teacher burnout; and many other inspirational topics. 

I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books.  Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self.  However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired! 

Elementary teachers in Western Pennsylvania and beyond - I am willing to come into your classroom in person or as a virtual field trip through a group called Field Trip Zoom.  Check them out!  http://www.fieldtripzoom.com/ 

Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book.  I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading.  Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com  The website www.gradygetsglasses.com now has plush Grady bunnies for sale!

 Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl 

Connect with Dede!

Twitter       @dederittman

Facebook   Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules

LinkedIn   Dede Rittman

Google +   Dede Rittman

Tumblr      The Bunny Teacher

Instagram   dede_rittman  and Gradygetsglasses

Pinterest   Rittman Publishing, LLC ® 

"How beautiful a day can be, when kindness touches it." George Elliston

                                                                        Quote Fancy 

I was shopping in a Dollar Tree store on Pearl Harbor Day, and I saw an older man at the checkout counter next to me.  He was wearing a face mask that read "Vietnam Veteran."  I spoke to him and said, "Excuse me, sir.  I want to thank you for your service."  He looked at me with such gratitude in his eyes, and he said, "Thank you for your kind words.  You just made my day."  I answered with, "My father was a World War II veteran, and I understand and appreciate your service."  He nodded.

This exchange was such a small interaction, but such a powerful one. He said I "made his day" by saying a "thank you" to him.  I remember - when our veterans returned from Vietnam, they were not appreciated.  Are you of a certain age, and you also remember?  They were actually disdained because of their involvement in a war in which they did not want to participate. It is time that all veterans are appreciated, because freedom is NOT free.

Such a small act of kindness produced such a heartfelt response.  Imagine how much better all of our lives would be if everyone practiced kindness.

Be safe.  Be kind. Make someone's day.  :)  

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Please invite Grady Gets Glasses (and me) into your school.  if you are not in the Pittsburgh area, we do virtual field trips with a group called Field Trip Zoom or we will come into YOUR classroom via ZOOM.www.Fieldtripzoom.com  and a company called www.StreamableLearning.com GRADY GETS GLASSES was the winner of Best New Children's Book 2016 and 2018 (new edition) from The Authors' Zone.Grady also won a 2018 prestigious Moonbeam Award for Best Children's Book with Merchandise.

Visit Dede's web page for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading. Signed copies are available  www.dederittman.com Dede is also a national speaker on The Three C's for Classroom success: Confidence, communication, and Creativity; Avoiding Teacher burnout; and many other inspirational topics. 

I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books.  Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self.  However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired! 

Elementary teachers in Western Pennsylvania and beyond - I am willing to come into your classroom in person or as a virtual field trip through a group called Field Trip Zoom.  Check them out!  http://www.fieldtripzoom.com/ 

Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book.  I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading.  Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com  The website www.gradygetsglasses.com now has plush Grady bunnies for sale!

 Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl 

Connect with Dede!

Twitter       @dederittman

Facebook   Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules

LinkedIn   Dede Rittman

Google +   Dede Rittman

Tumblr      The Bunny Teacher

Instagram   dede_rittman  and Gradygetsglasses

Pinterest   Rittman Publishing, LLC ® 

"Ah! There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort." Jane Austen

 

The first major snowfall of the winter happened Tuesday in Pittsburgh and the surrounding area.  The snow came down steadily for almost 20 hours, and when it finished, my neighborhood was covered in an 8 inch blanket of pristine snow.  I enjoyed decorating my house for Christmas while watching the gentle snow fall. Such pure and pristine beauty. 

In this strange year of the pandemic, I have noticed that Christmas decorations around town have appeared rather early this year.  I have been reflecting that so many people are so sad, and many people enjoy the beauty of Christmas, so they just had to start early to lift themselves up.  Turns out, I was correct.  I heard a report on the news that sales of live Christmas trees are through the roof, and decorations are flying off shelves.  The report said that people needed something to be happy about, so Christmas and all of its decorating were starting earlier this year. 

In these troubling times, with more Covid 19 cases every day, I think people should pursue what makes them both safe and happy. 

Hoping you are basking in your own decorations and staying comfortable.

As always, I welcome your comments and suggestions. Rittman Publishing, LLC ®

Please invite Grady Gets Glasses (and me) into your school.  if you are not in the Pittsburgh area, we do virtual field trips with a group called Field Trip Zoom or we will come into YOUR classroom via ZOOM.www.Fieldtripzoom.com  and a company called www.StreamableLearning.com GRADY GETS GLASSES was the winner of Best New Children's Book 2016 and 2018 (new edition) from The Authors' Zone.Grady also won a 2018 prestigious Moonbeam Award for Best Children's Book with Merchandise.

Visit Dede's web page for complete details on her award-winning book, STUDENT TEACHING: THE INSIDE SCOOP FROM A MASTER TEACHER. Many colleges have made the book required reading. Signed copies are available  www.dederittman.com Dede is also a national speaker on The Three C's for Classroom success: Confidence, communication, and Creativity; Avoiding Teacher burnout; and many other inspirational topics. 

I LOVE writing. And I love writing children's books- my newest passion. Although it will be a ton of work, I am looking forward to selling my books.  Since I was a secondary teacher, I know that I have much to learn about elementary students, and I will have to follow my own advice and be my genuine self.  However, I also know that I am passionate about helping kids who have to wear glasses, and that GRADY GETS GLASSES sends a positive message. I am willing to work hard and do all the things that also made me a successful teacher for 37 years. I remain inspired! 

Elementary teachers in Western Pennsylvania and beyond - I am willing to come into your classroom in person or as a virtual field trip through a group called Field Trip Zoom.  Check them out!  http://www.fieldtripzoom.com/ 

Teacher friends- let me know if you want me to read GRADY GETS GLASSES at your school. I am willing to come in to discuss the creative writing process, why writing is important, and personal fulfillment through writing, along with reading my book.  I would appreciate the exposure, and I would make signed copies available for purchase in your classrooms following the reading.  Please email me at dederittman@gmail.com  The website www.gradygetsglasses.com now has plush Grady bunnies for sale!

 Please like Dede's new page Grady Gets Glasses for updates about her children's book. https://www.facebook.com/gradygetsglasses?ref=hl 

Connect with Dede!

Twitter       @dederittman

Facebook   Dede Faltot Rittman or Rittman Rules

LinkedIn   Dede Rittman

Google +   Dede Rittman

Tumblr      The Bunny Teacher

Instagram   dede_rittman  and Gradygetsglasses

Pinterest   Rittman Publishing, LLC ®