Head's Up, Kathleen McNamara

Europe 2020 Day 7: BIG Travel Day

Posted on February 13, 2020 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

We move from France to Belgium today. It’s a six hour journey, broken up by lunch and a short visit to Amiens, France. Right now we are settled on the bus after breakfast and checking out of our hotel. But the day began with Happy Birthday wishes for Reese who is 13 today!

Reese is 13!

We woke up in France and are headed to sleep in Belgium! It was a restorative day of travel, with a few stops including lunch in Amiens, France, where we visited the Gothic Cathedral.

We watched a movie on the bus: The Monuments Men, about how a group of art historians saved some very important cultural treasures that had been seized by the Nazis.

We arrived to our hotel this evening where we had a terrific buffet dinner and are now ready for sleep in anticipation of some more history tomorrow, looking at the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes forest.

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, education, global education, global skills | Tagged #7HillsEurope2020 | Comments Off

Europe 2020, Normandy and D-Day All Day!

Posted on February 12, 2020 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

Today was devoted to history and solemnity as we visited Arromanches, studied the landing, and took on the roles of different soldiers and paratroopers in groups. Our trusty driver got us through some pretty narrow streets in some tiny villages!

We had lunch in Arromanches, and students could choose from a few restaurant options. Lots took advantage of the local specialties: mussels, snails, langoustines, oysters and foie gras!

And there were lots of berets!!

Then we were off to the American Military Cemetery, Pointe du Hoc, Omaha Beach and Ste Mère Eglise for the Airborne Museum. There were some moving films and very powerful displays about the impact of the liberation of France as the Allies arrived.

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We then drove back to Caen for some student presentations and a delicious dinner of goat cheese salad, steak and baked potato and a regional specialty: Tarte Tatin. Off to bed!

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, education, global skills | Tagged #7HillsEurope2020, @7HillsSchoolWC, @MsMcNamara7H | Comments Off

Europe 2020, Day #5 Portsmouth to Normandy!

Posted on February 11, 2020 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

So today was a rough one, literally and metaphorically. After a very early (5:45am) wake up call, we left our hotel for the Port to clear customs and board our Ferry to France. We loved our private lounge that the group got to use as a home base for the six hour journey. In addition to snacks and a cafeteria onboard, there were two cinemas, so students watched movies if they chose to: Charlie’s Angels, Frozen II, Jumanji and David Copperfield. In addition, they napped. But the high seas proved very variable and many of us got either a little seasick or A LOT seasick. We left in cold windy sun, rode through torrential downpours and arrived to a sunny French coast, still very windy and chilly.

The last two hours in French waters were much better for our collective systems, but the English Channel was treacherous. (Yes, perhaps giving us some idea of the experience of the soldiers in 1944, but there are limits to “experiential education.”) We happily disembarked in Normandy at about 3pm local time (we are now nine hours ahead of Walnut Creek).

Once arrived, we met our coach driver who will be with us for the next five days, Andreus. Our first stop was the Caen Memorial and Museum and learned about the specifics of the Allied landings in Normandy, saw some short films and got into the history we will study for the next few days.

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We then checked into our next hotel where we will be for the next two nights. We then went off to a very nice restaurant where we had a typical Normand French meal: cod fritters, chicken in mustard sauce with scalloped potatoes and green beans and a chocolate lava cake. Yum!

Tomorrow we are off for a full day of touring in Normandy!

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, education, global education, global skills, Seven Hills School Walnut Creek, social emotional learning | Tagged #7HillsEurope2020, @7HillsSchoolWC, @MsMcNamara7H | Comments Off

Europe 2020, Day 4, London, mostly, then to Portsmouth…

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

Today we transitioned from the Underground to a coach for a sightseeing tour of London and then lunch! We saw all the sights around town and then watched the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace.

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After the guard we walked to Leicester Square for lunch. Then we had our opportunity to absorb some of the massive information in The Churchill War Rooms and The Churchill Museum. We could have been there for days, as there is so much information and rooms and rooms of artifacts. I do believe that it set the stage nicely for our next stop in Normandy!

Then we were off to Portsmouth for a late dinner.

We are bedded down for the night and have our earliest call tomorrow morning at 5:45 to make it to the ferry on time. More tomorrow!!

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, education, global skills | Tagged #7HillsEurope2020, @7HillsSchoolWC, @MsMcNamara7H | Comments Off

Day 3, Part 2, Rain and GLOBE!

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

…What’s in a name? Rain by any other name still gets us wet!

Well we weathered some unbelievable rain and wind on Sunday. Evidence here:

We had lunch in Covent Garden:

then off the The Globe Theatre.

We also mastered the London Underground:

Posted in 21st Century Skills, academic excellence in elementary schools, education, global skills | Tagged #7HillsEurope2020, @7HillsSchoolWC, @MsMcNamara7H | Comments Off

Europe 2020 Day 3! All London!

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

Today was a day of adventures, including such high winds that the London Eye was closed all day. So, London Eye out, British Museum in! We planned for a cultural time capsule by picking artifacts we would want to preserve well into the future. We saw an exhibit on TROY hosted by BP AND a protest exhibit against BP up for just 24 hours yesterday and today. Pretty wild.

We walked to lunch in Covent Garden in fierce winds and pelting rain and learned of value of WEARING our rain gear. We also learned that there are just moments when an umbrella is completely useless. Despite being drenched, we had a great opportunity to explore Covent Garden before our amazing visit and tour to the GLOBE Theatre! Then we took a river taxi up the Thames passed London Bridge and other financial sector sites to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge. Gorgeous, and much easier as the rain had all but gone away.

Then another walk and ride on the London Underground to our dinner spot in Kensington, where we ate a dinner. A brisk, sort of wet walk back to our hotel, where we packed and got ready for the next leg of our trip.

All in all, a wet and fun day!

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Europe 2020! Days 1 and 2: night flight and London visits!

Posted on February 9, 2020 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

SFO to Heathrow in nine hours!

Walkabout and scavenger hunt in Kensington.

Underground to Wembley for #TheWeddingSinger where we saw the show and met the cast! Thank you Lori Haley Fox!

Dinner of fish and chips and crashed at our hotel! A long 30 hours and a full day tomorrow!

#7HillsEurope2020

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NPR, Kwami Alexander and The Undefeated

Posted on February 6, 2020 by Kathleen McNamara Head's Up!

Kwami Alexander has been sharing poetry on NPR for a few years now, and each time I hear him, I get inspired. His latest children’s book, The Undefeated, just won the Caldecott Medal.

More about the book, which I have been reading to classes in honor of Black History Month: The Undefeated

Check out this community poem on abandoned New Year’s Resolutions.

NPR Community Poem on New Year’s Resolutions