All tagged mike parker
If you have read my columns through the years, you know I am a retired high school English teacher. I spent 37 ½ years in the classroom at the secondary level and another 30 years part-time at the collegiate level. I consider myself somewhat of an authority on what parents need to do to help their children succeed in school.
As the new school year opens, I have already heard some accounts of disrespectful and even violent behavior toward teachers and staff in some schools. For the life of me, I cannot understand why students are allowed to spit on staff or curse staff with little to no consequences. That schools and parents tolerate such behavior does not reflect well on student conduct in our schools.
Although students increasingly rely on AI for schoolwork, an old-fashioned American History Essay Contest encourages young people to think creatively about our nation’s history and see it in a new light.
On Thursday, September 17, the Moseley-Bright Chapter of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution will host a public bell ringing event to commemorate the signing of the United States Constitution.
I am sure you noticed last week that the roads were a little more congested than usual. School buses are on the road again – and drivers need to exercise greater caution.
I am sure you noticed last week that the roads were a little more congested than usual. School buses are on the road again – and drivers need to exercise greater caution.
Three years ago, the N.C. State Master Gardeners started the Lenoir County Children’s Garden near the museum at the Richard Caswell Memorial at 2612 West Vernon Avenue in Kinston.
Three years ago, the N.C. State Master Gardeners started the Lenoir County Children’s Garden near the museum at the Richard Caswell Memorial at 2612 West Vernon Avenue in Kinston.
For several months, The Exchange at Hometowne has opened its doors to local non-profits for Bingo fundraising events. Tonya Adams is the woman behind these Bingo nights. As the owner of The Beauty Box and The Exchange, Tonya is a woman on a mission, working to make Lenoir County a better place.
Many of us remember the horror of September 11, 2001. We watched in disbelief as the news coverage of the deadliest terrorist attack in United States history that claimed the lives of 2,977 people unfolded.
A couple of weeks ago, we had our bi-annual family reunion in Vinton, VA – my family’s old homeplace for more than 100 years. During our time together, Aunt Judy planned a trip to Bedford, a small Virginia town just over 25 miles away.
Last week, I focused on the contributions of Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, two signers of the Declaration of Independence who served this fledgling nation with distinction after the American Revolution. Today, I would like to briefly focus on a few others whose work shaped the birth and growth of the institutions we so often take for granted.
I recently wrote about some of the signers of the Declaration of Independence who suffered personal and professional losses during the American Revolution. Today, I want to highlight just a few of the signers who became significant figures in the newly formed American republic.
Too many people today think of the Declaration of Independence as some ancient document – something akin to the Dead Sea Scrolls or The Odyssey. A truth few stop to consider is that the principles expressed in the Preamble to the Declaration are just as important today as they were in 1776.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we are often so caught up in the document itself that we overlook the 56 people who signed it. While the Declaration itself is worthy of more consideration than we ever give it, we need to consider the men who placed themselves and their families at risk in signing the document.
As we approach July 4th this year, we are especially drawn to remember the 250th anniversary of The Declaration of Independence. But we must never forget that no document exists in a vacuum. Jefferson and the committee that worked on the Declaration of Independence were carrying out a charge they received after the Second Continental Congress adopted the Lee Resolution on June 7, 1776.
While many of us have been focused on America’s 250th anniversary as we celebrate the Declaration of Independence and remember the war that followed, we would be remiss to forget that this year also marks the 251st anniversary of one of our most important institutions.
I was not on the CSS Neuse Foundation Board when the first “Wings Over the Neuse” fundraiser took place. In 2009, board members decided to raise the funds needed to place a monument to Alton “Doc” Stapleford to recognize and honor all the work and supervision he provided during the construction of the CSS Neuse II.
I was reading through some of my old columns when I came upon one I had written in January 2011 – my last semester of teaching at Farmville Central High School. I wrote:
Believe it or not, today is not Memorial Day. May 30 is the real Memorial Day. On a good calendar, you will see a notation that says of today, May 25, “Memorial Day observed.” Sadly, despite the calendar’s notation, few will observe the spirit of Memorial Day today.
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