CreativeWithCrayons

Wine, cheese, and wisdom are some of the things that better with age. Being built in 1971, Middleboro High School is not one of those things. In late 2013, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges stated that Middleboro would either need to update/build the school or lose accreditation. This decision brings a lot of chaos and opinions to the town meetings. Taxes, land, and time are the biggest upsets. Why would anyone not want to have the best of the best? We want what’s best for our children, right?  Is there a town in Massachusetts that does not have their own high school? Not only does Middleboro deserve a new school, but a safe one.

According to high school building standards of today, MHS is in last place. The classroom sizes are too small and there are classrooms without windows at all (basement classes). The building does not support a special needs program as well as inappropriate lab spaces. Something so scary, even grandfathered in, MHS does not have an automatic sprinkler system! In order to grow as a community, we should nurture our future by giving our children all they need to grow themselves and support one another.

The most voiced complaint regarding the new high school is money. Of course no one wants to pay more in taxes than they already have to. Is there a max price to spend on your child’s education? According to the town, property taxes would increases less than $600 a year over a 30 year period. If MHS loses accreditation, individual families would have to pay a lot more than this to send their child to a private high school or to another town high school. School Superintendent Brian E. Lynch said he was “extremely pleased and grateful” for the vote, and said the new school was “a positive investment in the future of this great hometown [that] will potentially maximize the intellectual, physical, social, and emotional well-being of Middleborough children for generations to come.

Voting day came and went! Voters voted almost 2 to 1 in favor for a new high school. In order to be a town where people want to live or move to, we need to have what people want. People looking to settle down want good schools, low crime, and a home town feel. This small fee over 30 years will help bring in countless businesses, abundance of people, and a great education to build a future. One member of the town committee is Allin Frawley. “It’s going to be the largest construction project in the history of Middleboro. Costing $103 million witha substansial investment by the State. (Around $48 million).” (Fawley)

In the celebration of the new school that my children and I will benefit from, my next concern is will they be safe? “Everyday, I fear for sending my daughter to school. I see on the news of school shootings or bullying.” (Woloski) It seems that every day we send our children to school and expect them to be educated but who is really there to protect them? With all the school shootings in the news everyday, there needs to be safety measures taken. Over half of the funding for the new school is coming from the state. There is no reason to not put in metal detectors or train teachers with defense tactics on how to disarm someone.

Now that we have the votes and the funding, we need to make sure we put the assistance and knowledge to good use. The town has heard the pleas from its people, now listen. We need updates, safety, and not to take all of our money for it.

 

Mealey, Erin. “New School for Middleboro?”, 29 September 2016

Woloski, Kristen. Personal Interview, 15, July 2018

King, Adam. “School safety changes could change your child” 23, February 2018

Frawley, Allin. Personal Interview. 5, July 2018

 

I remember spending sunny days at the Pierce Playground in Middleboro, burning my legs as I slide down the huge metal slide. Flipping backwards off the hard seated swings as my babysitter did an “underdog”. Spinning on the merry go round so fast the world kept spinning once we stopped. I remember the posts one summer, you could vote on the next playground design for the area. All made out of this chunky plastic with “safety” areas, no more hard swings or merry go round. Absolutely no more metal slide to burn my legs on! It was fun! It was our childhood. It was far from “safe”, according to today’s Consumer Product Safety Commission. Has this group’s idea of safety affected what playgrounds are meant for?

In the 1900’s, playgrounds were not free form. According to a paper written by Kaitlin Oshea, they had instructors to teach the children lessons and organize  children’s play. Play grounds were referred to as “lots” with old pipes, chains, and ladders. This reminds me of seeing “helicopter parents” at the park with my kids. If the kids try to do something that is scary to you, let them. It will build confidence in themselves as well as the parent.

All parents, new and old, enjoy bringing their kids to the playground to “burn off some steam”, but who is getting more out of it? The parents get a tiny break of having to constantly entertain. The children run, spin, slide, and laugh. Valerie Strauss, a writer and therapist, states that it is “vital to activate the vestibular complex to improve self-regulation and improve their attention span over time”. Could ADHD be treated with the merry go round? Strauss explains that after spinning on the merry go round, children have to focus in order to regulate themselves. This focus could be carried their whole lives, all in the name of fun. Strauss speaks to teachers who note the increase of children that can not sit still or focus in class. Is this increase due to the merry go round being taken out of playgrounds? Strauss says “Merry go rounds, teeter totters, tall swings, and slides all help out children establish strong balance systems”.

The playgrounds now-a-days lack the fun, engaging, slightly scary excitement! Children are less likely to want to go to the playground because their game system is more exciting. If the kids only knew that getting outside or to the playground is healthier. If the playgrounds would consider going back to the basics, maybe more children would lead healthier lives. What’s the harm in a merry go round?

 

Strauss, Valerie. 2015, November 29. Rethinking ‘ultra-safe’ playgrounds: Why it’s time to bring back “thrill-provoking” equipment for kids” Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2015/11/29/rethinking-ultra-safe-playgrounds-why-its-time-to-bring-back-thrill-provoking-equipment-for-kids/?utm_term=.d3970964e00

In this article, Strauss explains the importance of playground equipment and development of young children.

 

Heap, Matt. 2012, October 12. Playground History Retrieved from  https://www.espplay.co.uk/tag/playground-history/

Heap covers why playgrounds have changed due to sue happy people of the world today. He also gives insight on where playgrounds started and the latest trends in new playgrounds.

 

Bornstein, David. 2011, April 7. The Power of the Playground Retrieved from https://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/07/the-power-of-the-playground/

Bornstein notes in this article regarding play time being good to develop leadership skills. He states that some children might learn better, if left alone.

 

O’shea, Kailtin. 2013, April 15. How we Came to Play: The History of Playgrounds Retrieved from https://savingplaces.org/stories/how-we-came-to-play-the-history-of-playgrounds/#.W0KRttJKjrc

This piece is written about where the design of playgrounds started as well as latest trends due to safety concerns.

 

Jespersen, Jeanette, F. 2017, November 17. The Risk-Benefit Equation of Challenging Playgrounds Retrieved from https://www.childinthecity.org/2017/11/17/the-risk-benefit-equation-of-challenging-playgrounds/

This article notes the relation between risks and learning at playgrounds. She references different Professors that call the need for risk important in order for children to learn.

 

This is a good piece. I enjoyed reading your essay regarding the obesity among children as this is an epidemic no one wants to address. When I had my first child, I wanted to make sure I made healthy decisions for my son as I knew what it was like to be a chubby kid. Your references cited are all great, I especially like that you used the CDC.

I remember spending sunny days at the Pierce Playground in Middleboro, burning my legs as I slide down the huge metal slide. Flipping backwards off the hard seated swings as my babysitter did an “underdog”. Spinning on the merry go round so fast the world kept spinning once we stopped. I remember the posts one summer, you could vote on the next playground design for the area. All made out of this chunky plastic with “safety” areas, no more hard swings or merry go round. Absolutely no more metal slide to burn my legs on! It was fun! It was our childhood. It was far from “safe”, according to today’s Consumer Product Safety Commission. Has this group’s idea of safety affected what playgrounds are meant for?

In the 1900’s, playgrounds were not free form. According to a paper written by Kaitlin Oshea, they had instructors to teach the children lessons and organize  children’s play. Play grounds were referred to as “lots” with old pipes, chains, and ladders. This reminds me of seeing “helicopter parents” at the park with my kids. My husband is the worst offender of this! If the kids try to do something that is scary to you, let them. It will build confidence in themselves as well as the parent.

All parents, new and old, enjoy bringing their kids to the playground to “burn off some steam”, but who is getting more out of it? The parents get a tiny break of having to constantly entertain. The children run, spin, slide, and laugh. Valerie Strauss, a writer and therapist, states that it is “vital to activate the vestibular complex to improve self-regulation and improve their attention span over time”. Could ADHD be treated with the merry go round? Strauss explains that after spinning on the merry go round, children have to focus in order to regulate themselves. This focus could be carried their whole lives, all in the name of fun. Strauss speaks to teachers who note the increase of children that can not sit still or focus in class. Is this increase due to the merry go round being taken out of playgrounds? Strauss says “Merry go rounds, teeter totters, tall swings, and slides all help out children establish strong balance systems”.

The playgrounds now-a-days lack the fun, engaging, slightly scary excitement! Children are less likely to want to go to the playground because their game system is more exciting. If the kids only knew that getting outside or to the playground is healthier. If the playgrounds would consider going back to the basics, maybe more children would lead healthier lives. What’s the harm in a merry go round?

 

Information sources:

Valerie Strauss, 2015, The Washington Post “Rethinking ‘ultra-safe’ Playgrounds: Why is it Important to Bring Back “Thrill Provoking” Equipment for our Kids”

Kaitlin Oshea, “History of the Land” and “The American City”

Matt Heap: www.espplay.co.uk/the-history-of-playgrounds

 

 

 

 

I really like your writing although there doesn’t appear to be a clear thesis statement. I do like the amount of details you used. You also referenced Gladwell’s work numerous times. After reading your essay, I feel like I could’ve written mine differently. I saw many notes that I missed and will correct in my own essay. Well done.

I load the kids into the car, drive past other stores that sell the exact items that I am going to get. Yet, I drive an extra 7 minutes to the store I LIKE shopping at. “You’re not getting any toys. Keep your hands off the shelves. Madeline, try using the potty as soon as we get there.”, I yell to the backseat. This shopping trip, like all others before it, is aggravating already. I don’t like shopping but the easiest shopping for me is food shopping. We’ve arrive, pulling into the first entrance in order to try finding a shady parking spot close to the front. I wonder if we will fall into the shoppers that Malcolm Gladwell writes of in Paco Underhill’s findings. Do we all “shop like we drive” as Gladwell said?

Before we can get into the store, the kids ask to ride on the mechanical horse and truck out front. Great! I haven’t even entered the store and I’ve spent $1.00. Well played, Market Basket! As we enter the first set of sliding doors, I take note of this space. Grills! According to Paco Underhill in Malcolm Gladwell’s writing, this is the “decompression zone” where Paco says to never put anything of value because no one will buy it. Viola! Not only are we walking to fast to see what’s here, we won’t stop to buy a grill! I find a shopping cart, the kids hop on and we move like migrating cattle. All shoppers follow the given path by the store designers. No one can go left because the “wire fence” of cash registers stops us. On the way to the right of the store, we pass a dining area. An open invitation to stay longer, spend a few more bucks on a freshly made sandwich, relax. Is that what this is supposed to be? A vacation? No, but it puts us in the mindset that it isn’t just for food shopping, but a fun shopping experience! I remind myself and the kids that we need food, not an experience, and walk on. The wider walkways lead you to the major points of the store. The items we need are on the outside perimeter of the store. Fruit, meats, and milk, but the center aisles draw us in deeper.

After bumping into the end caps full of useless products, we make it to the first center aisle. Notice how much thinner this aisle is than the others to put shoppers closer to the product. One lane of traffic, all I need is water, but something bright and colorful catches my eye instead. I’m drawn to a beautiful display of Pepsi boxes lined up to make the American flag. That’s pretty, I think I want some Pepsi, as I put a box into my cart. The dreaded cereal aisle is next. I try to persuade the kids that Oatmeal is tasty and delicious. As they tell me no, Eli brings me a cereal that the box turns into a race car, Madeline is next and wants the shiny unicorn box even though she has no idea what it tastes like. She knows she likes it because the shiny unicorn is her soul mate. Ha! Yes, get those gross boxes of sugar coated cardboard, just please stop yelling in the store.

Finally, after weaving in and out of aisles we don’t usually go into. We get to the deli in the far back corner of the store. Take a number, wait, wait, and more waiting! “76!”, the deli lady calls out. I raise my hand, place my order and continue to wait. I could’ve chosen cheese out of the pre-cut food cart but who wants a pound of Munster cheese? Of course they wouldn’t want it to be that easy. The deli lady hands me 2 individual slices for the kids because they apparently look hungry. After getting the last of our needed items (milk from the outer perimeter of the store) we head to the check out line. We return to one aisle because I forgot hot dogs when I realize I forgot rolls too! Luckily, I remember what Gladwell wrote on Paco’s thoughts. He states “if you can sell someone a pair of pants, you must be able to sell them a belt, or a a pair of socks, or a pair of underpants”. Right above the hot dogs are rolls, ketchup, and mustard!

There are 24 registers, 8 open, and about 52 people waiting in lines. Why can’t they open more registers? They want you to be taunted by the impulse items. Buckets of balloons that no one could possibly need. Adirondack chairs for sale. Who buys Adirondack chairs at the grocery store? Someone who didn’t think they needed one until they were waiting in line at this particular store. The kids can reach the candy while we wait, making me repeat “No” more times than I ever thought I would have to. It’s then that it hits me. Grocery stores are almost unlike other retail stores. The setup is the same, but the types of product have to be more broad spectrum. Everyone shops here, not just men, not only women: it’s also families. They have to hit all the targets, have it all to appeal to everyone in your family. They have directed me through the path the marketers created to make sure I passed it all and had the options not to say no. There were sales people, but rather than ask what I needed, they make sure the shelves are stocked, so that I can have ALL of it. I have been tricked into spending $140 when all I came in for was fruit, milk, and meats.

 

In the reading provided, it is apparent that shopping is all about the psyche of consumers. Marketers use product placement to get shoppers to buy items they did not go in the store for. They place fast buy items where you are waiting long enough to browse near the check out lines so that it’s quick, cheap, and easy to grab. Also, the sales people are confident to direct shoppers, yet laid back enough to seem approachable. When you go to the store for a few things, you always comes out with way more than intended. I find myself doing it all the time. In the walk to the back of the store for toilet paper, I also picked up shampoo, cat food, and a protein bar. None of which I needed right now! The kids and I are waiting in the check out line as I tell them over and over again to put back the $4 toy that was right at their eye level. “Fine, put it up there so I can pay for it!” I caved, the marketing team won again!

I wake up before sunrise to the aroma of home-made pasta sauce and fresh garlic bread. I hear Nana Nana banging pots and pans. She cranks the radio when Jimmy Buffet “Fins” comes on. I can picture her dancing around the kitchen with her hands in fin shapes atop her head. I go out to the kitchen. The air is filled with cigarette smoke and laughter. The tiny kitchen table is surrounded by Nana Nana, Uncle David, and my mother. Nana Nana (my mother’s mother) is on the right. She’s is always well dressed and wouldn’t be caught dead without her bright red lipstick. Uncle David (Ma’s brother) to her left is always wearing his best sweat shirt and shorts regardless of the weather. Ma, across from Nana Nana, in her denim coat with matching denim pants. Uncle David is smearing ricotta cheese between layers of pasta for lasagna. Ma is preparing the tomato gravy. Nana Nana has made so many cavatelli, she has to lay them across her Queen bed on baking sheets. Sunday dinner has always been very important in our home. Nana Nana felt it made us a closer family, coming together as one, stronger. I didn’t know why this would all be so important until I became a mother myself.

Nana Nana was the matriarch of the Covells. She was a 1st generation Italian immigrant and held on deeply to her beliefs. She had olive skin, pitch black hair (that never seemed to gray), and a captivating smile. Don’t let her 4’7, petite stature fool you. She had an Italian temper to accompany it. It all started slowly with her. First COPD, then becoming dependent on oxygen tanks. The hospital visits became more and more frequent. Seeing your strongest family member become weak and ill is beyond what anything can prepare you for. After 2 years, she was no longer strong enough to fight. The family had Hospice involved. From then on, it was comfort measures only. Uncle David, Ma, and I rotated shifts staying with her, giving her medications around the clock, listening to her delusional stories from the Ativan and Morphine. I felt important. Nana Nana had 6 children, 4 of which wouldn’t help, so I was there when she need someone. She needed me. There were days filled with anger that no one saw she needed them. Other days I felt like the Grimm Reaper was literally next to me on the couch watching her fade. Waiting. The day she passed away hit me so hard, even though I knew it was coming. I got the call while at work. There was nothing more I could do. She was at peace now, although her passing forever changed the shape of our family. No one made sure to call everyone on their birthday. On Thanksgiving, I couldn’t hear her say “Gobble, gobble. Happy Turkey Day.” There were no more Sunday dinners. It was no longer the one family unit, rather each family’s own unit. Broken apart far from the puzzle Nana Nana once fit each piece perfectly into.

I most likely learned selflessness from Uncle David. Nana Nana’s only son who helped care for her when she needed her children most. Uncle David, the cool uncle. David was always the life of the party. He brought me to a Bryan Adams concert for doing well on my 2nd grade report card. Being so close to him, I considered him like a second father. I was his “Cookie”. “Alycia’s 21!”, we all yelled from the limo he had rented for my birthday. Between Maggiano’s in Boston and the comedy club, I swore I would never drink again! Uncle David got me my first real job at the dialysis unit he worked at. To this day, I can go to any dialysis unit and hear how well liked he was and known to all the patients. David helped me so much in my life, I wish he asked for my help when he needed it most. We had fallen apart for about two years until my son was born. Unfortunately, he kept his cancer hush hush until it was too late. The family called for Hospice. Ma, myself, and my fiance took shifts to help David’s girlfriend care for him. His passing taught me not to hold onto regret. We had our ups and downs. I wish I had mended our relationship sooner. In his last days, none of that mattered, I still loved him like a father.

Ma is the youngest and only girl out of 6 children! Needless to say, she was Nana Nana’s princess and my best friend. Soon after David’s passing as if it were a horror movie, my mother started coughing up blood. After countless tests, procedures, and too many doctors to keep count, we had our answer. Non small cell lung cancer. Ma has a special case that is inoperable with a survival rate of 20% after 5 years. Living after 5 years is unheard of. Ma went through rigorous chemo treatments three times a week for twelve weeks and radiation for four weeks. Losing her hair was the least of her concerns. She wants to beat this. Ma is 4’9, dark brown hair, loves to eat, and has Nana Nana’s Italian temper! We are on year 2! Caring for her is different from caring for Nana Nana and Uncle David. I feel strong and in control. I feel important, not because she needs me, but I need her.

Caring for loved ones who are terminally ill has taught me lessons that nothing else could. Patience. Not to hold grudges or regret. Live life to the fullest everyday. Family is who is there in the long run, when life gets tough. Had I known the valuable lessons years ago, would things have changed? No. The outcomes would have been the same. Would I have reacted differently? No. I’m still this person who cares, who carries on even when I feel I can’t. I have learned who my true family is. It’s not the people who text “I’m here for you” at the time of diagnosis. It’s the people who come and sit with Ma, bathe her, make sure she’s eating. As a mother now, I can see why creating this home was so important to Nana Nana. I find myself repeating the same mantra to my children. I want them to have the same feeling of home, where family is everything. It all sounds cliche, until you live it. When there are no words, you have family. Nana Nana taught us all this from the beginning; only some learned the lesson.

I like your piece a lot. I enjoy that we can relate our essays due to similar subjects. I found it an easy read with many details. I especially like that you look forward to sharing the same experiences with your daughter in the same house. One correction I see, is the first few sentences seem to have doubled? “The large off white…with my family to care for her” section is repeated. The grapevine in the garden and as an analogy to growing in life is clever. Well done!