Hi Parents and Teachers,
So, the girls are on their way or maybe already in your home. What an incredible, nearly indescribable 3.5 months!! I am so thankful that the Traveling School exists and offers our kids such exposure to a very different world, many very different worlds all on one planet with one people! Having sent an older daughter a number of years ago, I can promise you it is an altering experience in the best way.
Coming to you from Montana as we await Kara’s return this evening. She mentioned that some teachers might need a place to stay. We have lots of rooms in town and a cozy cabin any time. Further, we’d love to extend an invitation to any of the girls and their families to come through Big Sky Country in the future and stay in our cabin.
I’m thrilled our girls had this time together. I look forward to meeting any of you in the upcoming year/s.
Enjoy the homecoming! Laurie
Friday, December 19, 2008
Monday, December 15, 2008
From Ellie's Mom
Just got back home from DC with Ellie and have started the washing machine! Although she does NOT want to wash the "Africa smell" out yet... I insisted that she had to at least wash her feet as we were gagging in the car!
On a personal note, it was so wonderful for me to be able to give the teachers a final goodbye and thank-you hug, and to see very briefly the changes in the girls from when they departed in September. Back then they were quieter, more shy, a little scared, uncertain about this group they were joining. Today there were tears, hugs, sobs, inside jokes, promises of reunions, more sobs. They are such unique individuals, but together a very special group of girls. On the drive home (we did have 5 hours!), Ellie described each teacher and student in vivid detail and with such respect and admiration for all. If only everyone could have the experience and perspective that TTS provides, our world would be a more caring and safer place!
Thank you all again - we will of course stay in touch and I'll likely be calling you for advice about "dealing" with her world here!
I hope everyone else had safe travels home. Have a wonderful holiday if I don't talk to you in the next week or so...
Cordy
On a personal note, it was so wonderful for me to be able to give the teachers a final goodbye and thank-you hug, and to see very briefly the changes in the girls from when they departed in September. Back then they were quieter, more shy, a little scared, uncertain about this group they were joining. Today there were tears, hugs, sobs, inside jokes, promises of reunions, more sobs. They are such unique individuals, but together a very special group of girls. On the drive home (we did have 5 hours!), Ellie described each teacher and student in vivid detail and with such respect and admiration for all. If only everyone could have the experience and perspective that TTS provides, our world would be a more caring and safer place!
Thank you all again - we will of course stay in touch and I'll likely be calling you for advice about "dealing" with her world here!
I hope everyone else had safe travels home. Have a wonderful holiday if I don't talk to you in the next week or so...
Cordy
From Melissa's Mom
Well Melissa’s home a few hours now—beautiful, exhausted, the same but different-- grown in so many ways. In a few weeks she will turn 16. She spent more of the last year with The Traveling School than home. Some people think were are out of our minds for that. I know that it was so right. Once again, I look forward to watching it unfold now. Once again I thank all of you.
Thanks,
Vivienne
Thanks,
Vivienne
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
From Ellie's Mom
I'm really sorry I haven't been in touch more often this fall. Suffice it to say, I am in awe of the amazing semester that Ellie and the other girls have had - what a privilege for all of them. I know the trip reports and photos probably don't do justice to the reality of their experiences, but you have brought so much to us as parents through them. We have been so grateful to hear about their travels, activities and academics in such thorough and sensitive reports, and the continual feedback about Ellie in particular is very much appreciated.
Gennifre, you were with Ellie at the beginning of the trip and Jen, you saw her towards the end - I heard such a "transformation" in her voice starting around the homestay. She turned a corner (I think treating the ear infection helped?) and hasn't looked back, as far as I can tell! In fact, she has said how difficult it will be to come home and "leave what has become my family". Believe it or not, this is music to my ears because I know she has blossomed and is full appreciating and soaking up all that your wonderful school has to offer.
I can't thank you enough for making this experience possible for these lucky girls. The time and care you put in to every aspect of the program - from the schoolwork, to the training, to the activities, to mid and final term comments and grades, and so on - is nothing short of remarkable. I cannot wait to see Ellie and have her back at home, and I will have even more to report to you after she has been home for awhile. (do you have any advice about "re-entry"? I think this is going to be very difficult for Ele...)
Thank you, thank you again - I look forward to reading the final (sob!) trip report and mentor comments/grades. I know they will be similarly thorough and thoughtful, so very helpful to this mother.
Fondly, Cordy
Gennifre, you were with Ellie at the beginning of the trip and Jen, you saw her towards the end - I heard such a "transformation" in her voice starting around the homestay. She turned a corner (I think treating the ear infection helped?) and hasn't looked back, as far as I can tell! In fact, she has said how difficult it will be to come home and "leave what has become my family". Believe it or not, this is music to my ears because I know she has blossomed and is full appreciating and soaking up all that your wonderful school has to offer.
I can't thank you enough for making this experience possible for these lucky girls. The time and care you put in to every aspect of the program - from the schoolwork, to the training, to the activities, to mid and final term comments and grades, and so on - is nothing short of remarkable. I cannot wait to see Ellie and have her back at home, and I will have even more to report to you after she has been home for awhile. (do you have any advice about "re-entry"? I think this is going to be very difficult for Ele...)
Thank you, thank you again - I look forward to reading the final (sob!) trip report and mentor comments/grades. I know they will be similarly thorough and thoughtful, so very helpful to this mother.
Fondly, Cordy
Monday, December 8, 2008
Back from Africa
Dear TTS12 Parents and Friends,
What an amazing time we had with your girls over Thanksgiving in Namibia. After 2 ½ days jam-packed with adventures, trying to retrace the steps of the girls’ 10 days in Cape Town, Laurie Stopher (Grace’s mom), David Pitser and Amy Barnhardt (Mallory’s dad and grandmother) moved on to Namibia, for the much anticipated reunion with their girls. We were able to spend two nights camping with the group at the Cheetah Conservancy. What a treat -- watching the girls interact with each other, their teachers, Japhet and Crispin, and those who worked at CCF.
We arrived on Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and the whirlwind of activities began. We were able to join the girls on a game count safari ride. Filling up three safari vehicles, we took off through the CCF's land with binoculars, count sheets and started our work of sighting and counting wildlife we encountered – red hartebeests, kudu, eland, wildebeest, wart hog, gemsbok among others. On the return trip, we were greeted with the biggest swarm of flying insects most of us had ever encountered. The one group who had initially felt happy with their open-air jeep, found themselves swimming in bugs. The rest of us were able to shut our windows and watch the spectacle of bugs from a safe vantage point. We all had a good laugh about it later as the girls picked the bugs out of their hair and shook bugs out of their clothes.
We ate meals with the group, enjoyed the presentation of the upcoming schedules with the "Chieflets" aka pairs of girls who act as chiefs-in-training—we watched as this job was passed along to Ginny and Emmy. These girls work with a teacher so they may begin to experience what it takes to organize classes and activities for the group. We watched and participated in evening ritual at dinnertime each night where the girls shared their ideas, poetry, journal entries and other talents with each other.
I was impressed by how close the girls had become with their driver, Japhet and cook, Crispin. Japhet lectured the girls about cleanliness, respect for their elders and even presented a history class on the politics of Zimbabwe, his home. The girls lovingly called him Papa and vied for his attentions and advice, saving a seat for him at dinner or interviewing him for class assignments. Crispin was a role model for the girls with his ever clean and neat appearance and disciplined work ethic. He fed the group cheerfully, helped the girls with their understanding and use of his native tongue, Shona, and worked tirelessly preparing three nutritious meals a day for the group of 23 with various eating requirements, likes and dislikes. The girls cheerfully helped out with the chores and enjoyed Crispin's quiet calm presence in the group.
Thanksgiving Day was special, but not your typical eat turkey and watch parades on TV holiday. The girls started early with a lecture about conservancies in Namibia and the work of CCF. Next, the group spent three hours on a service project -- clearing Acacia (thorn tree) volunteers from a cheetah enclosure for the Hogwarts cheetahs (Harry, Hermoine, and Ron -- the cheetahs were waiting nearby in another pen), painting fencing, digging weeds, and clearing a run so these amazing creatures can stay fit despite captivity. Then, it was time for another lecture on identifying predator attack marks and learning more about why so many cheetahs are being killed by farmers in Namibia and other parts of Africa and what the CCF is doing to educate local farmers about the benefits of cheetahs and other wildlife to their own lives.
Finally, it was time to start the preparations for Thanksgiving Dinner. All the girls were involved in the preparations. Katie and McKenna helped Crispin BBQ the meat. There were decorators headed up by Ginny, pie-makers under Leah's direction -- Nilsa learned to make pie crusts by hand and Ellie mixed the pumpkin pie ingredients and worked her magic to make the pies presentable (there were 8 of them). We had mashed potatoes and yams, green bean casserole with Taylor's southern expertise, cranberry sauce and stuffing (thanks to Susan Mallory, Emily's mom who brought these treats from the States) and much more.
Before dinner, Grace started us off with some beautiful readings about giving thanks and then everyone dug in. The dinner table was full with the 33 of us stretched along the tables under the CCF covered patio. As we enjoyed dessert, the group began to share readings they had chosen from their semester or written especially for Thanksgiving to share. Melissa wrote a poem about the group based on "Oh, the Places We'll Go" by Dr. Seuss. Mallory shared two poems she'd written dedicated to her grandmother, Amy who was visiting from NC. Quinnie and Emmy shared entries from their journals and Shannon read and translated a poem in Portuguese. There were tears and also much laughter as teachers, parents and students all shared in the entertainment and the evening wrapped up.
Before we left for Etosha on Friday, the group still had time to enjoy more of CCF. After an early morning game of soccer, the girls listened intently to Japhet's lecture about his country, Zimbabwe. The girls had read and learned about the political situation in history. The lecture was based on Japhet and Crispin's firsthand experiences in their country and how they had been affected by the inflation, the decline in the educational system, and lack of work opportunities.
Next, the group had the opportunity to spend a few hours with Laurie Marker, CCF founder and awe-inspiring role model for us all. They girls’ eyes twinkled as they sat enthralled, listening to Laurie's story. She took us to meet Little C, the new ambassador cheetah of CCF. We walked around with Laurie and Little C, following him to his favorite tree. The girls surrounded him, petting and getting licked by his rough tongue. Little C led us around his enclosure, stopping for photo ops when he felt ready. The girls closely followed both the cheetah and his master, Laurie with the same reverence and affection.
After a Language class with a CCF worker about tribal languages spoken in Namibia, the group had lunch and began their journey to Etosha National Park. The parents and I went in our own vehicle and met the girls later at their campsite. We were able to spend three more days with the group in Etosha. We joined in on safari drives in the park, where we watched an old, injured lion, guard its zebra kill on the side of the road, viewed herds of zebra, springbok as well as giraffe lumbering alongside the roads. Since the rainy season had begun, the watering holes did not draw in the wildlife; the best place for viewing animals was driving through the park.
We also joined in on classes, watching the Math Applications class presenting their game of life identities in character and sharing the real life lessons they learned from them. Evelina explained to the group what she learned from her character, Ronda, about the dangers of depending credit cards. Maggie, as the billionaire, Reggie, shared her riches and opportunity with others less fortunate.
We watched a student-produced awards ceremony, which started with a skit where KD starred doing an accurate impersonation of Japhet telling the group what he though on various topics. McKenna, KD, Katie and Nilsa presented the coming week to the group and then the weekly awards were presented. Quinnie won the teacher's Academic Award, the group in the buggy open-air truck won the Happy Traveler Award, and Sarah won the coveted African Queen Award presented to the girl who takes advantage of her surroundings and interacts with locals the group encounters throughout the week. This student is encircled and the group serenades her with their African Queen anthem.
We traveled to our final night with the girls and enjoyed Crispin’s Shepherd’s Pie for our final dinner with the group. Cheyenne and Nilsa reflected on the positive aspects of their leadership over the past few days and what they wanted to improve upon in their next round in charge of the group. Kara and Grace, the new chieflets, shared their plan for making Lala’s birthday memorable on the next day. They went over the schedule in Spanish, gave Lala the to right to pick all the music on the truck for the entire next day. They also declared Lala’s birthday be an opportunity for everyone to dress as their favorite revolutionary (everyone knew that Lala would dress as Che Guevara). As the girls filed off for study hall, the quiet surrounded the parents, as an indication of how different the rest of our trip would be without the girls, their songs and lively banter.
We had time for our final farewells the next morning as the girls ate breakfast and finished packing the truck. With our tearful goodbyes, the girls loaded up the truck and waved to us as they departed the campground. The parents and I took a final game drive through the park and drove back to Windhoek for our departure the next day. We reminisced about our favorite moments with the girls and looked forward to the holidays when everyone would be reunited with their daughters.
We searched for words to describe how incredibly special it was to spend a few days with TTS12 and have a glimpse of what our girls have experienced this past 3 ½ months. How could we bring back to you how much we enjoyed being with your daughters and see how amazing they are and how much they’ve grown? Hopefully, our words and photos will give you an idea of what we were so lucky to experience.
Thank you for sharing your girls with TTS and in turn with us. We are all so lucky to have had the opportunity to travel to Africa and share in the group’s experiences.
Happy Holidays. Get ready for the girls!
Jennifer
What an amazing time we had with your girls over Thanksgiving in Namibia. After 2 ½ days jam-packed with adventures, trying to retrace the steps of the girls’ 10 days in Cape Town, Laurie Stopher (Grace’s mom), David Pitser and Amy Barnhardt (Mallory’s dad and grandmother) moved on to Namibia, for the much anticipated reunion with their girls. We were able to spend two nights camping with the group at the Cheetah Conservancy. What a treat -- watching the girls interact with each other, their teachers, Japhet and Crispin, and those who worked at CCF.
We arrived on Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and the whirlwind of activities began. We were able to join the girls on a game count safari ride. Filling up three safari vehicles, we took off through the CCF's land with binoculars, count sheets and started our work of sighting and counting wildlife we encountered – red hartebeests, kudu, eland, wildebeest, wart hog, gemsbok among others. On the return trip, we were greeted with the biggest swarm of flying insects most of us had ever encountered. The one group who had initially felt happy with their open-air jeep, found themselves swimming in bugs. The rest of us were able to shut our windows and watch the spectacle of bugs from a safe vantage point. We all had a good laugh about it later as the girls picked the bugs out of their hair and shook bugs out of their clothes.
We ate meals with the group, enjoyed the presentation of the upcoming schedules with the "Chieflets" aka pairs of girls who act as chiefs-in-training—we watched as this job was passed along to Ginny and Emmy. These girls work with a teacher so they may begin to experience what it takes to organize classes and activities for the group. We watched and participated in evening ritual at dinnertime each night where the girls shared their ideas, poetry, journal entries and other talents with each other.
I was impressed by how close the girls had become with their driver, Japhet and cook, Crispin. Japhet lectured the girls about cleanliness, respect for their elders and even presented a history class on the politics of Zimbabwe, his home. The girls lovingly called him Papa and vied for his attentions and advice, saving a seat for him at dinner or interviewing him for class assignments. Crispin was a role model for the girls with his ever clean and neat appearance and disciplined work ethic. He fed the group cheerfully, helped the girls with their understanding and use of his native tongue, Shona, and worked tirelessly preparing three nutritious meals a day for the group of 23 with various eating requirements, likes and dislikes. The girls cheerfully helped out with the chores and enjoyed Crispin's quiet calm presence in the group.
Thanksgiving Day was special, but not your typical eat turkey and watch parades on TV holiday. The girls started early with a lecture about conservancies in Namibia and the work of CCF. Next, the group spent three hours on a service project -- clearing Acacia (thorn tree) volunteers from a cheetah enclosure for the Hogwarts cheetahs (Harry, Hermoine, and Ron -- the cheetahs were waiting nearby in another pen), painting fencing, digging weeds, and clearing a run so these amazing creatures can stay fit despite captivity. Then, it was time for another lecture on identifying predator attack marks and learning more about why so many cheetahs are being killed by farmers in Namibia and other parts of Africa and what the CCF is doing to educate local farmers about the benefits of cheetahs and other wildlife to their own lives.
Finally, it was time to start the preparations for Thanksgiving Dinner. All the girls were involved in the preparations. Katie and McKenna helped Crispin BBQ the meat. There were decorators headed up by Ginny, pie-makers under Leah's direction -- Nilsa learned to make pie crusts by hand and Ellie mixed the pumpkin pie ingredients and worked her magic to make the pies presentable (there were 8 of them). We had mashed potatoes and yams, green bean casserole with Taylor's southern expertise, cranberry sauce and stuffing (thanks to Susan Mallory, Emily's mom who brought these treats from the States) and much more.
Before dinner, Grace started us off with some beautiful readings about giving thanks and then everyone dug in. The dinner table was full with the 33 of us stretched along the tables under the CCF covered patio. As we enjoyed dessert, the group began to share readings they had chosen from their semester or written especially for Thanksgiving to share. Melissa wrote a poem about the group based on "Oh, the Places We'll Go" by Dr. Seuss. Mallory shared two poems she'd written dedicated to her grandmother, Amy who was visiting from NC. Quinnie and Emmy shared entries from their journals and Shannon read and translated a poem in Portuguese. There were tears and also much laughter as teachers, parents and students all shared in the entertainment and the evening wrapped up.
Before we left for Etosha on Friday, the group still had time to enjoy more of CCF. After an early morning game of soccer, the girls listened intently to Japhet's lecture about his country, Zimbabwe. The girls had read and learned about the political situation in history. The lecture was based on Japhet and Crispin's firsthand experiences in their country and how they had been affected by the inflation, the decline in the educational system, and lack of work opportunities.
Next, the group had the opportunity to spend a few hours with Laurie Marker, CCF founder and awe-inspiring role model for us all. They girls’ eyes twinkled as they sat enthralled, listening to Laurie's story. She took us to meet Little C, the new ambassador cheetah of CCF. We walked around with Laurie and Little C, following him to his favorite tree. The girls surrounded him, petting and getting licked by his rough tongue. Little C led us around his enclosure, stopping for photo ops when he felt ready. The girls closely followed both the cheetah and his master, Laurie with the same reverence and affection.
After a Language class with a CCF worker about tribal languages spoken in Namibia, the group had lunch and began their journey to Etosha National Park. The parents and I went in our own vehicle and met the girls later at their campsite. We were able to spend three more days with the group in Etosha. We joined in on safari drives in the park, where we watched an old, injured lion, guard its zebra kill on the side of the road, viewed herds of zebra, springbok as well as giraffe lumbering alongside the roads. Since the rainy season had begun, the watering holes did not draw in the wildlife; the best place for viewing animals was driving through the park.
We also joined in on classes, watching the Math Applications class presenting their game of life identities in character and sharing the real life lessons they learned from them. Evelina explained to the group what she learned from her character, Ronda, about the dangers of depending credit cards. Maggie, as the billionaire, Reggie, shared her riches and opportunity with others less fortunate.
We watched a student-produced awards ceremony, which started with a skit where KD starred doing an accurate impersonation of Japhet telling the group what he though on various topics. McKenna, KD, Katie and Nilsa presented the coming week to the group and then the weekly awards were presented. Quinnie won the teacher's Academic Award, the group in the buggy open-air truck won the Happy Traveler Award, and Sarah won the coveted African Queen Award presented to the girl who takes advantage of her surroundings and interacts with locals the group encounters throughout the week. This student is encircled and the group serenades her with their African Queen anthem.
We traveled to our final night with the girls and enjoyed Crispin’s Shepherd’s Pie for our final dinner with the group. Cheyenne and Nilsa reflected on the positive aspects of their leadership over the past few days and what they wanted to improve upon in their next round in charge of the group. Kara and Grace, the new chieflets, shared their plan for making Lala’s birthday memorable on the next day. They went over the schedule in Spanish, gave Lala the to right to pick all the music on the truck for the entire next day. They also declared Lala’s birthday be an opportunity for everyone to dress as their favorite revolutionary (everyone knew that Lala would dress as Che Guevara). As the girls filed off for study hall, the quiet surrounded the parents, as an indication of how different the rest of our trip would be without the girls, their songs and lively banter.
We had time for our final farewells the next morning as the girls ate breakfast and finished packing the truck. With our tearful goodbyes, the girls loaded up the truck and waved to us as they departed the campground. The parents and I took a final game drive through the park and drove back to Windhoek for our departure the next day. We reminisced about our favorite moments with the girls and looked forward to the holidays when everyone would be reunited with their daughters.
We searched for words to describe how incredibly special it was to spend a few days with TTS12 and have a glimpse of what our girls have experienced this past 3 ½ months. How could we bring back to you how much we enjoyed being with your daughters and see how amazing they are and how much they’ve grown? Hopefully, our words and photos will give you an idea of what we were so lucky to experience.
Thank you for sharing your girls with TTS and in turn with us. We are all so lucky to have had the opportunity to travel to Africa and share in the group’s experiences.
Happy Holidays. Get ready for the girls!
Jennifer
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Counting the days!
To Other Parents Counting Days All Over The Country!
I know that Brian Walker Molly and I are counting days with happy hearts. Our adventurers are probably (hopefully!) thrilled to come home yet I imagine some heavy hearts at the end of their journey. I cannot wait to see and hug and listen to the person that I see come down the escalator at the Minneapolis airport.
To get me to that day I created a photo album for Maggie. I keep hearing that it will be hard for the girls, and thought that if she had hard copies of photos to share immediately that she would not have to do all the talking. Family and friends could get an idea from the incredible images that we received from Gennifre and Dawn through Snapfish and Kodak Galleries. I ordered numerous photos from both sites. They came within a week.
Here is what I did. I bought a sketch book - simple and inexpensive. (Maggie has told me that she does not think she can even walk in a Target again....and always has a sketchbook.) I went to our spray paint supply and found a chocolate brown and blue (like their bus!) and randomly sprayed the cover and pages. I double stick taped the photos in - leaving room for her to comment and caption. I added a few e-mails and other text that came from TTS. I am not a scrapbooker. This was easy, therapeutic, and will be something that she can hold on to and may help her adjust! (is this where I add that this is the first photo book I have made for her in 16 years - the rest are in boxes!) I also had 5 X 7's framed two groups of 3 for her bedroom wall. My favorite is the back of the boots as the they are looking out the bus windows. I think that Maggie is in there!
I know that she is coming home with more photos and we can print those - make a slide show - whatever she wants. Truly I am sending this to hear how other parents are doing and hear about any communication that others may have recently received. I know that Maggie is going to need her space and re-entry is not going to be easy. I would love any tips advice or thoughts that anyone has to share! This journey has been incredible to experience from our part of the world in Minnesota. I cannot even imagine what we are about to hear when our traveler comes home.
Keep in touch!
Marsha Burgeson
I know that Brian Walker Molly and I are counting days with happy hearts. Our adventurers are probably (hopefully!) thrilled to come home yet I imagine some heavy hearts at the end of their journey. I cannot wait to see and hug and listen to the person that I see come down the escalator at the Minneapolis airport.
To get me to that day I created a photo album for Maggie. I keep hearing that it will be hard for the girls, and thought that if she had hard copies of photos to share immediately that she would not have to do all the talking. Family and friends could get an idea from the incredible images that we received from Gennifre and Dawn through Snapfish and Kodak Galleries. I ordered numerous photos from both sites. They came within a week.
Here is what I did. I bought a sketch book - simple and inexpensive. (Maggie has told me that she does not think she can even walk in a Target again....and always has a sketchbook.) I went to our spray paint supply and found a chocolate brown and blue (like their bus!) and randomly sprayed the cover and pages. I double stick taped the photos in - leaving room for her to comment and caption. I added a few e-mails and other text that came from TTS. I am not a scrapbooker. This was easy, therapeutic, and will be something that she can hold on to and may help her adjust! (is this where I add that this is the first photo book I have made for her in 16 years - the rest are in boxes!) I also had 5 X 7's framed two groups of 3 for her bedroom wall. My favorite is the back of the boots as the they are looking out the bus windows. I think that Maggie is in there!
I know that she is coming home with more photos and we can print those - make a slide show - whatever she wants. Truly I am sending this to hear how other parents are doing and hear about any communication that others may have recently received. I know that Maggie is going to need her space and re-entry is not going to be easy. I would love any tips advice or thoughts that anyone has to share! This journey has been incredible to experience from our part of the world in Minnesota. I cannot even imagine what we are about to hear when our traveler comes home.
Keep in touch!
Marsha Burgeson
A note from Namibia
Hello, parents! This is Grace's mom, and I'm sitting in an Internet cafe in Windhoek, Namibia. We left the girls yesterday near Etosha National Park, and they are all doing great! Mallory's dad and grandma, Dave and Amy, joined Jennifer Royall and I on this trip and it's been a blast! Thanksgiving was so wonderful. We all worked hard in the morning at the Cheetah Conservation Fund, and we got a lot accomplished there. We had a 'traditional' Thanksgiving dinner, thanks to (teacher) Emily's parents, who brought many of the fixings. The girls participated in a poetry reading after dinner, and it was so amazing to hear what some of these incredible young women shared. We were moved to tears more than once.Your daughters are wonderful, every one of them. I didn't get to know all of them as much as I'd have liked, but the 'groupness' of these kids was apparent the entire four and a half days that we were with them. The teachers -- Dawn, Emily, Rhea, Leah, and Shannon -- are all fabulous women and truly love our daughters. I was able to sit in on some of the classes, and their enthusiasm and knowledge base was impressive. They are so integral in making TTS what it is!I could go on and on. The words to express what the TTS experience really is escape me -- as a writer, I hope that I can come up with them some day. If you send your girls on another semester with TTS, please do try to make the parent trip -- it's worth every penny to get just a glimpse into the amazing world that our daughters are living in.Take care and God bless.
Laurie Stopher
lrstopher@yahoo.com
Laurie Stopher
lrstopher@yahoo.com
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