On My Mind...

I am deeply saddened by the events that occurred yesterday at Chardon High School in Chardon, Ohio.  As a former administrator, the worst fear I had was something happening to the students placed in my care each and every day.  Schools are one of the safest places a child can be but life has a way of intruding into a school in a profound way.  Such was the case yesterday.  My thoughts and prayers go out to the students, their families, the educators and the community of Chardon, Ohio.

Drills and practice are an important part of a school community.  Knowing what to do in case of a fire provides a school with a plan that ensures safety for the school family.  The same goes for having lockdown drills and plans.  What an awesome job the students and staff of Chardon High School did yesterday in the face of such a horrendous time.  Due to the plan they had in place and numerous practices, that school community was spared additional tragedies.  If you are a parent, please become knowledgeable about the lockdown procedures at your child's school and make sure your child knows what to do!  If your child's school doesn't have a lockdown procedure....you need to make your voice heard to the local school board and have that remedied right away!!!

It's also important for students to realize the importance of informing an adult of any tweets, Facebook posts, conversations or texts that indicate someone is going to hurt another individual or bring a weapon to school.  Nothing should be taken lightly when that happens...in fact, due to students reporting such things recently, authorities at 5 different schools around the country were able to stop a tragedy from occurring!!!

Educators and school staff take the job of student safety seriously and I just want to say... Thank you to each of them for the job they do each and every day to make their schools a safe place for children!!  You do make a difference!!!

Love Me Some Mardi Gras!!!

I told you it's been party time around here this month!!!  Our HOG Chapter celebrated Mardi Gras...Fat Tuesday last week.  Doing theme activities is something I love and last week was no exception. Amazing what a little purple, green and yellow will do to brighten up a meeting...never mind sparkly masks and some strings of beads!!! Here's a peek!!!

Food Friday #15

Do you love bread????  Warm, delicious bread???  If so, here's a quick and easy way to make Garlic Knots!!  I made these (doubled the recipe) for Souper Sunday and they were, I think, a hit (does an empty tray indicate a hit??)!!!  LOL!   Give them a try...you won't be disappointed!!

Garlic and Herb Parmesan Knots

By Linda Larsen, About.com Guide

This super easy recipe is a good one for kids to make. All you have to do is tie the dough in knots, roll it in butter and herbs, sprinkle with cheese, and bake.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

·         1 can refrigerated soft breadstick dough

·         2 Tbsp. butter, melted

·         1/2 tsp. garlic powder

·         1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves

·         1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves

·         3 Tbsp. grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate dough into 8 rounds and gently unroll. Loosely tie a knot with each breadstick, then tuck ends under to make a knot. In a small bowl, combine butter, garlic powder, and herbs and mix well. Brush this mixture over top of rolls, using all of the mixture.

Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, and bake at 350 degrees for 12-17 minutes until golden brown. Remove immediately from cookie sheet to wire rack; serve warm.