t_rex is big

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rexy!

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Houston Man Honored at D-Day Ceremony

KHOU: Houston Veteran Remembers D-Day

Combs is now 84 and was just 18 years-old on D-Day. He said when told he would be driving a PT boat, "So then they asked for volunteers for PT boats. Well, what in the world is a PT boat? I volunteered for that," said Combs. He quickly learned that it stood for patrol torpedo. He was a part of a line of PT boats that protected the western waters above the invasion.

Mr. Combs has created maps, paintings, and models of his time during this invasion. He has helped this, very difficult to imagine, day come to life for many.

Thank you Mr. Combs for the service you have done for our country. And thank you for keeping the memories of this day alive for all of us.

ABC KTRK: Local veteran to be honored at D-Day Celebration

Remember D-Day

Remember those who died on the sacred ground of the beaches of France 65 years ago today. D-Day should never be forgotten. It was the beginning of a new world. May we never forget their sacrifices for our hopes to live free on June 6, 1944.

To learn more about D-Day, visit this link: D-Day from Army.mil

robbie - aidan playing the toy you got him years ago. he likes it now. he's a learning machine.

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swimmin @ the Y

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last day of preschool.

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Revisiting the 08-09 School Year

I was sitting tonight and thinking about my school year. I came across the video I created for the first day of class this year. It is amazing how little Aidan was! Crazy. I am looking forward to doing this video again. There are some things I am definitely going to change. I may add some of the comments from the student surveys that I handed out - like "words of warning" for next year's students.

I love doing this video because on the first day I don't even talk "Rules" with the kids. I just show the video. We discuss it a little and I ask if there are questions, but we move right along to getting to know each other.

Next year I'll probably make it a lot quicker and faster paced. And I will add more information. Maybe a preview of topics we'll talk about during the year and maybe some clips from students from the year before.

Aidan is so cute in this though. He will definitely be making another acting engagement next year!

Welcome to 2605 - Mr. D - 2008-2009 from Mr. Duez on Vimeo.

This is Mr. D's Rules and Expectations Video for 2008-2009. Starring Aidan!

Appreciation Part II

Continuing with another letter of appreciation from a student. This one was handed to me in our main hallway (called "Main Street") as I was running to class the other day. The student stopped me and just had this big look in their eyes. He just said, "Mr. D. I wrote this for you, I mean every word of it and Thank You for everything this year." I was stunned. But, not as much as when I sat and read it.

Dear Mr. D,
Easily the greatest man I have ever met in my life. I envy the happiness that you have, the love you have for your wife, your son, your job, and every aspect of life. From what I can tell you must have had a difficult childhood, but you took the best out of it and became somebody important.

You never gave up on me no matter what, and to have you there saying I could do it was so helpful. The last few years for me have been rough, especially this year. For the career project when my group stood up and I said I wanted to be a lawyer and you commented that I could do it most definitely, well that almost brought me to tears.

You tell me that I have so much potential, well Mr. D. I will try to push through the bad and be all that I hoped to be and more. You are someone I look up to and hope that I will be like one day. Your son is so very lucky to have a father like you to grow up learning from. The world is a much better place with David D around. I know I would have been lost this year without you.

Whatever I do in this life I just hope that I can reach your level of happiness. I hope that one day I will be like you, Mr. D. I do not think there are words to express how I feel. All I can say is thank you for everything. I will not let you down, never change, and I will see you down the road.

I will never forget you or all that you have done for me Mr. D.

Sincerely,
Your student

ps: One of my favorite all time quotes... it's really funny... "If it's free it's for me. If it's free, I'll take 3!" - DD

Kind of leaves (even me) speechless.

I put this on my blog for 2 reasons:

1) I hope some teacher somewhere reads this and realizes that you never know what kind of impact you can have on a student. Every day I come to work and try to be consistent and show passion for my job and build relationships as best I can with my kids. Sometimes we forget that what students are going through when they are not at school can be pretty tough. Being there for them is important. Never forget the impact you can have.

2) I hope Aidan reads this some day and understands why my job is important to me. I hope some day he realizes that a job is not just measured by a pay check. Sometimes the pay that isn't in the paycheck is priceless.

Appreciation

I have had several notes of appreciation from students in the past week. They really have meant a lot to me. I am going to type a few out here, but they are not for me... really they are for Aidan. I want him to be able to see why I do what I do.

When I left technology and turned down a lot of money to come back and teach, I hoped I would have an impact. That's really part of the pay. Knowing that what you do for a profession has the chance to improve the lives of others means a lot to me.

So here goes, the first letter was from an AVID student that gave me a Starbucks gift card for my birthday a few weeks ago. I know she probably can't afford to give me a gift card so it really meant a lot that she'd spend any amount of money towards something for me. She is a special young lady. All As in her classes. And she has 3 honors classes! So very proud of her.

This is for the most amazing teacher ever who never gives up on his students, is always there for anyone who needs help, and is an amazing role model. I thought this card would be perfect for you because I know you also long to see the world changed. Thank you for caring for us and may God bless you with an amazing birthday!

On the Starbucks card it said that money from purchases goes to support the Global Fund. She has the biggest heart and is always concerned about others. She wants to be a youth or childrens minister/pastor when she grows up. I think she'll be incredible at anything she chooses to do.

This was a letter that I got on that crazy Friday when we had a lock down on campus. This student has gone through a lot this year and it was the last full day of class. Everyone else was taking a test, but she was working on the quiz she missed a few days before. After she finished the quiz, she wrote this note and gave it to me. Then she asked if she could read it to the entire class. Of course we were all pretty emotional and stunned.

Mr. D, I've never really showed or have said how much I appreciate having you in my life. So I sit here and write to you. You've helped me in to understand that things in life come and go and sometimes there are road blocks along our path that we must break through. This year hasn't been the easiest, but the most worth while of my life. To be honest, I love my fifth period class and the adventures and journeys in here have been wonderful. It's come from not just the bottom, but through my whole heart to say you are THE GREATEST TEACHER on the face of the earth and probably the kindest most compassionate man I will ever come to know. I never knew that one person could change the outlook on the way I see life until I met you and I'm glad I did. I came into this year with very little self confidence and I am coming out strong and with pride and with so much confidence that I never knew I could have. So, I want to thank You Mr. D for teaching me not just what I can find in a book, but the things I will use for the rest of my life and with that I hold dear to my heart and go on to do something good with my life.

Stunning. It really gets to me, but I am just so happy that she is feeling better about herself.

So, Aidan... when you are old enough to finally read this on your own, "Pursue a job that isn't just a job... but something you are passionate about. Find the job that when you look at the clock on the wall, you hope it slows down because you have so much more to do today. Not the job where the clock on the wall is creeping along and you are hoping it could speed up until quitting time. It makes all the difference in the world."

[more tomorrow.]

aidan @ the library on the reading dragon.

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king tut left 2 me by a former teachr colleague who passed away. end of the year approaches!

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