Here's a new easy way to raise money for the Future Fisherman Foundation. Just start using Yahoo! powered GoodSearch.com as your search engine and they'll donate a penny to your favorite charity (that's us!)every time you do a search. In addition, if you do all of your shopping through their online shopping mall, GoodShop.com, where you can shop at more than 700 top online retailers and a percentage of your purchases will go to us as well. You pay the same price as you normally would, but a donation goes to the Future Fisherman Foundation!
Here's the web site — http://www.goodsearch.com. You can also read about GoodSearch in the NY Times, Oprah Magazine, CNN, ABC News and the Wall Street Journal. All you have to do is designate Future Fisherman Foundation as your charity, and then use Yahoo as your search engine. We will receive 1 cent per search. It sounds like a small amount, but if we each tell all of our students and contacts and friends about this...it could produce a nice amount. And it is EASY! For more information, check out the GoodSearch website at the address above. SEARCH ON!
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I just wanted to let you know that I have put this in our school newsletter with 500 students and 100 staff members! This sounds like an easy way to make money for F3!
I've put off writing for over a week now, guess I better react to the e-mail we got about a loss of funding. Damn, I hate it when I have so much to say and so few words come to mind to say it with.
Lots of bad news for me over the break. This morning I woke up to my wifes cell phone making lots of noise. She plugged it in last night and it makes a noise when the charger starts and stops. Our power went on and off at least 10 times before I realized what was happening. We have lots of wet snow here in Michigan and the power lines are hanging in the trees. So, this morning the bad news turned out that we have school today, even though the roads haven't been plowed. My walk to school today was pleasant except when a passing truck that covered me with slush and freezing water from the road.
The e-mail that we got, hit me hard. Not because I was looking to get more money for my program but because the Future Fisherman foundation had done so much for my kids. I feel bad too, for Teresa and Anne, they have done so much to breath life into the program. Thank you girls!
The Friday before the e-mail, I got word that a good friend of ours has terminal cancer. They have rented us a cabin for the last several years. The last couple of times we have been up there, they weren't even there. They leave us a key to everything, including their own home and we just leave a check on their kitchen table when we leave. Bill has had throat cancer a couple of times but Judy has been there for him. This time it is Judy who has cancer.
Late in the afternoon of Thanksgiving day, I went to the park to carp fish. I hadn't much more than chummed the water when my wife called me on my cell phone. Bill and Judy had stopped by and wanted to talk to me.
Of course, I stopped fishing and drove home, not knowing what in the world to say to them. When I walked through the door, Judy come over to me and gave me a hug. She said "the first few days were pretty bad," then she said, "I told myself, I needed to pull up my big girl panties and deal with it."
What can I say that would top that?
On the subject of "dealing with it." I have changed the search engine on any computer I have control over. I will be suggesting to my students that they also show support by changing their search engine over so the future fishing foundation gets some income. I have encouraged those that I talk to on the Michigan Carp Adventure-blog to change search engines also.
Our school bulletin will be going out again next month, and I will try to have something in it about the fishing foundation and the goodsearch charity.
I didn't want to give the impression that we should just give up. Judy asked the doctor if she had a year. He didn't answer her. She asked if she had Christmas, he said yes. We have planned a trip up to the cabin next spring, Judy is looking forward to it. Sometimes you have to play the hand you are dealt.
I've got new kids, we just started doing tri-mesters. The first couple of days I didn't bother taking attendance (oh my God, not take attendance?). Today, I walked in and asked the kids if they were sitting in alphabetical order?
No answer. "Get that way." I said. "We aren't messing around with all the stuff that we normally do." "If you are in the right place, you get an A, if not you don't."
A few minutes later, after everyone had found a place to sit, I asked again, "are you in alphabetical order, this is your grade for the term you know?"
They are up moving around again, this time some of the students are taking over and giving directions. This time, I walked around the room with a class list and marked an A for each student in the correct location. The ones that were in the wrong place got an E. There were only two sets of kids in the wrong places and they were just one click out of place.
Later in the hour, we discussed what had happened. We identified who had come forward as leaders, and why. I never smiled and said I wasn't serious. The kids and I had a real heart to heart talk about the organization of groups and the leader/follower thing.
Hey folks, we have been leaving Teresa and Anne out there all alone. It is time to show some leadership, we are in a survival situation!
Vance:
Great input. I have sent the letter to all my faculty and going to put in all the Christmas presents that we give out this year! Thought that would be a great gift.
Steve,
The stuff I wrote might make a christmas gift for the people you work with but I would still think in terms of a toy for your kids.
"Help, I've fallen and I cannot get up!" Well, almost. Last night during a teachers meeting I got bad news. The last day of school, everything, and everybody is out of our building for at least a year. We are moving to a new building (I had been thinking that I could do that over the summer) and the contractors will be in the day after school is out.
Lets see, (I am looking around my classroom as I write) there are the 6 full size ice chests. And of course the frig. There are 4 smokers (good thing I took the other 3 home to store). The 40 fishing poles that I haven't found a place for yet will need to be moved. And the photography equipment, lets see there is the enlarger, 7 studio lights and related light stands, the 5 cameras that I store here and wait, the 5 studio backdrops. Oops, make that 6 backdrops, I forgot the one I use behind the entire school board when I take their group picture.
Lets see, 4 coleman type camp stoves. Almost forgot the homemade smoker that I use to cold smoke fish. Then there are the 8 dutch ovens (outdoor style) that we use. One of the dutch ovens is big enough for a good size turkey or two mid sized hams. And speaking of turkey I can see the deep frier over there, almost forgot that. Then there are the 4 full sized grills I use when I have 200 kids or so cook outside. And there is all the electric stuff, fry pans and grills for when we planned to cook out and it is raining or the kids forgot pans.
I almost forgot to look close to my seat, lets see, there are 10 fishing reels that I bought at a garage sale and put new line in. Two full sized backpacks, one that I carry every day, and the other to carry equipment when the kids and I take hiking field trips. Oh, there are 3, 20 lb bags of charcoal, I need to get more of that, we have cookouts coming up, I didn't realize we were so down on charcoal.
Hey, there is a smores maker up there that I forgot I had, it will be good for some snowy day when I don't get the kids outside.
The list is just starting, I haven't listed everything that is just sitting here, nor openned the storage areas yet.
The problem isn't just the stuff I have here now, I need to bring more in. The last day of school with the kids I cook for the entire building, I have a 3 x 5 foot charcoal grill I use for that, and it is home in the pole barn.
Yep, I am looking forward to moving to the new building all right. Can't hardly wait!
Times like this I dream of living in a van down by the river. You know, the simple life. Hey Steve, stop by some time and see me, you can tell where I am at by the smoke that filters up through the trees. Life is good, enjoy!
4 degrees at my house this morning. We had a snow day yesterday, no school. It has become a tradition in our system, to have a really bad day, like Tuesday, with snow followed by freezing rain and have school as usual. Then, the following day, when the storm has past, we celebrate with a snow day. I guess you would have to live in Michigan to figure that one out.
Anyway, I started checking on getting something to knock holes in the ice, so my kids can ice fish this winter. I have an old heavy ice spud at home, but the thought of openning holes for more than 100 kids with that, doesn't please me. I went looking for gas powered drills, $400. & up, ouch!
At the store, they suggested that I get a couple of hand powered drills ($70 +) and expect that I would have a parent come in with a gas powered machine.
Any suggestions?
My wife and I are headed to Florida over New Years. I thought that I might put a short rod and matching reel into my suitcase and try some fishing. I don't have a clue on what I could catch with that limited equipment. What I was hoping for was carp in a city park lake, or salt water fish from something that might project out into the ocean.
Anyone from the Florida area have suggestion?
I added GoodSearch as my searchengine. Told other teachers about it. Having problems publishing. Wendy
No problems that time. I will try again. Every time I try to publish I get incorrect password.
Vance, I don't want to rub it in but it was 74 degrees here today. My kids would love a little snow though. We had to slide down the hill on cardboard boxes last week. Of course that makes me the best PE teacher in the whole world(according to my first graders). About fishing in Florida. We went to St. Augustine in October on one of those Bass Pro Shop time share free weekends. It was the rednecks from Alabama come to town. You should have seen the looks we got when we pulled into the World Golf Resort in our Honda Civic and started pulling out our fishing rods and coolers instead of our golf clubs. I don't know if you are going to the beach or not but most places have a city or county pier. You can rent or buy anything you need there. We took our rods but bought frozen shrimp and caught plenty of whiting. Then our kids fished in the golf course ponds while we listened to the sales pitch. They caught 10 to 15
1-3 lb tilapia on loaf bread. They drew quiet a crowd. If there is a will there is a way. We had a great time.
Wendy,
You are rubbing it in. When I was walking to school this morning, it was unseasonably warm 46 degrees. Of course that was accompanied by rain, and gale force winds. By noon, the temperature had dropped well below freezing. It is predicted that it will be about 9 degrees tonight. So far the wind still continues to blow. Tomorrow we are scheduled to get more snow and continued colder than normal temperatures for the area.
Thanks for the tips on fishing, southern style. It sounds like you and your family had a really good time. That is what life if all about.
I have been discussing the Florida fishing idea on another blog with Michigan Carp fisherman. One of the guys on the blog is going to be in the same area of Florida that we are at the same time. The man goes down there fishing with his family every year for a couple of weeks and has gotten a lot of experience. He is planning on giving me a call and meeting with me to do some salt water fishing.
Wendy,
That "74" thing bothered me all night, I finally woke up and remembered where I saw it before. That was the temperature in my classroom last August when I stopped by to get ready for school to start. We are rather proud that our school has cut energy use by over 18% this year so far. Last year we had a big cut in use also, I just don't remember how much. I have the only room in the building with no air conditioning (not needed today by the way). It also doesn't have heat unless you want the noise level from the fan on the heater to drown out the sound of the band practicing down the hall. I was keeping the room warm with the heat given off by my computer, but now they tell me I have to turn that off at night too. I have a room full of smokers and grills but if I used them in the room the kids would be over come by the fumes. (It is a way of cutting class size though.)
By the way, that "Honda" thing. It is probably good that you went south for your vacation. Up here they pull you over at the state line if you aren't driving a car from the "big three" and make you walk. (Not really, but years back I was taking wedding pictures and the bride and groom had the reception at a union hall. I was driving "one of those other cars" myself that day. They would not let me park in the union parking lot with my "other car." I had to park out on the street and carry all my equipment for what seemed like miles.)
By the way, I found something on the net. BANK FISHING 101, A BEGINNER' GUIDE TO MODERN BANK ANGLING, BY Dr. Patrick Mills, Joliet Junior College Anglers Club. It has a lot about science related to fishing and really good advice about fishing. Best of all, the book (38 pages) is free to print off.
By the way, notice I didn't tell what web site the book above come from. Those of you that have done what you a expected to do, and changed search engines, will make a few cents for the Future Fisherman Foundation by using GoodSearch to locate that yourselves.
We wanted to share with you before the holidays, that we are in the process of getting Goodsearch approved through our school district so teachers can use it as their search engine at school. Our principal is working with our technolgy department for approval. Once it is approved, we can encourage our staff to use it and also pass it along to the other schools in our district that are involved with fishing. Our school is very supportive in helping out the Future Fisherman Foundation in anyway possible. We'll update after the holidays. Hutsell wishes you all a happy and safe holiday season.
Vance, if you have not left yet for the Sunshine State, where are you going? We may be able to give you some info on good fishing from the Orlando group. My edge of the county neighbor who was on a month long fishing/boating trip to New England and didn't make it to the workshop in MI may have some tips for you too from the off shore route. My family fishes a lot in the St. Marks area, too. if any of those places are where you will end up, let me know. My guys also kayak fish over on the east coast in the No Motor zone, close to the space shuttle launch area and do great.
I was at Bed Bath and Beyond this afternoon and they had very large reusable bags for sale for $2. Each bag sold donated $1 to the Fresh Water Game Commission. Wonder what is involved to get a business to do that for our group?
We are going to Hollywood Beach on Dec 30th. We are basically going to enjoy the sun and New Years, fishing is just going to be a side activity. I have someone that is going to meet up with me and give me my first lessons in Salt water fishing.
I can hardly wait to get down there, we get one snow storm after another here in Michigan. I've said for years that we don't get winters like we used to when I was a kid, but it looks like might be the winter we do.
Merry Christmas everyone!
I keep waiting for a tap on the shoulder, "you are in a heap of trouble now boy," coming from someone of authority in the school system. My wife and I just got back to Michigan from Florida at midnight last night. Oops, school was back and rolling on Monday.
What do you say to them at the airport when they tell you that they have to replace the engine on your airplane? And of course it is the weekend after New Years and the planes are over booked to start with.
We had a similar problem last year and we ended up running through airports, to catch planes that weren't going to the proper locations, and we still ended up in motels. The motels were in places that were damn cold (areas well known for the excellent ice fishing) on top of it. Then our bags disappeared entirely, and didn't show up until almost two weeks later.
This year we just "bit the bullet," and said "okay", when they offered to put us up in a Ramada Inn in Florida.
Of course when a plane is taken out of the air, it over loads the other planes. We got bumped, lets see, now we have 3 free round trip tickets, each, to anywhere AirTran flies.
On the plane heading home, I got to thinking what a wonderful experience our trip had been. It was my first experience with salt water fishing. The plan had been for me to meet with "Frogfish," someone that I had met only on the web. Our travel plans were going to overlap and we could have one day to fish together. That would be the day after we reached Florida. We were running 5 hours late, (another plane problem) and when we arrived in Florida we discovered they had lost my fishing rods. We finally got the rods delivered to our hotel late that night, but I hadn't heard from "Frogfish." I decided that the fishing trip was off. Finally, about midnight, "Frogfish" called me. He had been fishing for the last 17 hours straight and had just gotten back to his hotel room. We agreed that neither of us had the energy to fish the next day. That actually turned out to be a good thing.
A couple of days later, I went to the pier on my own to fish. I met some of the most interesting guys and learned so much that things couldn't have worked out better. These guys fish every day and know their business. There was Ralph, who seemed to speak every language that anyone on the pier used. He introduced me to using Sand Fleas as bait for pompano. Ron, showed me how to use a Sabiki rigs to catch bait fish. The "Chinaman," was putting on an act for us and kept us all laughing.
Then there was Paul, 87 years young. He works and enforces the rules on the pier. He fishes every day of the year. Did I mention that he is 87 years old? Doesn't that give us all hope for our retirement years-87 and still fishing every day, can it get better than that?
Alaska Tommy,
I just heard that things had gotten very cold up there, is it school as usual or do you guy get some form of "cold days" off, like we get snowdays in Michigan?
At Hutsell, we were finally able to get approval from our technology department to use goodsearch as our search engine. Our staff of approximately 100 have been invited to change their search engine from google to goodsearch on their school computers. We also were able to share the information with six other campuses that are involved with fishing. Hope everyone is having a great start to their new year.
I just wanted to let you know that I just received a 2009 field trip grant from Target. The funding will go towards a balanced hot dog--I should have thought of fish lunch but didn't.., a t-shirt for each student for fish printing and the extra if to help pay for the bussing costs.
Hey world, I guess I need to rethink my ice fishing field trip. I took my kids outside to build snow shelters last week. I was doing something in my room after school that day and was stupid enough to take a phone call that late.
Anyway, I had an unhappy Mother on the phone. I had taken her son out and it was 18 degrees with a 4 degree wind chill.
Her son had come home and told her that I had spent the day going over how to dress in layers, and the importance of hats and gloves and proper foot wear, the day before. He had also told her that we were going out to build snow shelters the next day and that coming dress properly was a test to see how well they had listened.
The Mother said, "I would have sent him with boots and other heavy stuff if I knew he was going outside."
"Oops, I guess I didn't get that, didn't your son tell you that I said we were going outside today?" "Yes, he told me and he wanted to bring winter stuff, but I told him it was too cold and you wouldn't take them out, so he didn't take heavy clothes." she said.
Folks, I am a pretty easy going guy. I normally don't sweat the small stuff. And, I didn't this time either. Normally, if I am face to face with someone who is mad like that, I give them a hug. Damn, does that ever confuse them! Of course over the phone hugs are hard to give.
So, I kind of went over what she had said. "Lets see, I told them how to dress for the cold and demonstrated it in class. I told them we were going out today regardless of weather. Your son told you we were going out regardless of weather." Then, "you told him that I wouldn't take him out, and didn't send him with very warm clothes." "Is that right?"
"Yes," she said. "I guess every one was on the same page but you," I said. Oops, maybe that wasn't the best choice of words, at any rate it didn't seem to go over with mom. "You may have told him that you were going out, and he told me, but you didn't tell me directly," she said.
"Say, I am so glad you called," says I, "because the kids are going out tomorrow, unless the actual temperature is down to around 0 or so." "Probably a good idea to send him with warm stuff."
Unfortunately, the temperature was down around 0 the next day and we didn't go out.
Anyway, back to ice fishing. I was thinking that I would take all my classes out ice fishing. But, maybe I would save myself some grief, or atleast save some afternoon phone calls by taking only those who sign up. Of course when we do more than just walk out behind the school I would have written permission from the parents.
I have been trying to make sure that I will have a gas powered drill to make the ice holes with. I have been trying to track down ones that are used and we could afford, but people who have them don't want to sell. New drills are out of my price range, and hand drills seem to slow for a large group. I have a couple of guys who might be able to show up with gas drills, but maybe isn't close enough for me.
Do any of you that have done ice fishing field trips have suggestions for setting up one? There is the issue of openning the holes in the ice. The question of how to deal with kids that get cold. And, the all important question, what do you do, when a kid has to pee?
Oh Vance the stories you have!!!!
Isn't that today's day and age with parents though! Hard to believe that she would have the nerve to call you about that. i just love parents like that! They are the ones who have me on bp medication!!!!!!!! My question always is What happened to responsiblity???? Went through this in the fall when I took my group fishing and a few girls didn't come prepared for the weather (33 degrees) and had only tshirt and shorts. Well I had reminded them for a week what day we were going, but they still didn't come prepared. A COMMUNITY member stopped and talked to me and didn't think highly of what we talked about. She proceeded to call the principal and talked to him about what happened and the "arrigance" of the teacher she talked with! That really set me off too. Well enough, just my question is where do we draw the line when it comes down to personal responsiblity?? We as teachers can't do EVERYTHING for the students much to their displeasure.
Steve,
It is strange, how sometimes things all come together and don't necessarily work out the way we had thought they might. As is often said, communication is a two way street.
My Wife aids and sometimes drives a "short" bus. She has a student she has been "helping" that has hurt her badly, several times in the last 3 years. Today, the young man (300 lbs or so) slammed her so hard that it appears that she may have a broken rib. Looks like her shoulder has some major problems and her hand is swelling and turning purple. It turns out that the student's doctor took him off his med's while changing him over to something that might work better. That is information that would have been nice to know, before my Wife ended up on the floor of the bus, throwing up. I guess that I have to admit, that everyone handles situations better if they have as much information as possible. My students can pass on information better than the student that hurt my Wife but the more we communicate directly with each other the better prepared we are to deal with things.
I call them the way I see them. It wouldn't have hurt me to make sure that parents knew what I was doing with the kids.
I called my wife after her bus run this morning as I usually do. The phone just rang, no answer. I assumed that she was just in a meeting or something. I didn't realize until later that she was up to the hospital being treated for injuries. I have experienced a lack of communication. It doesn't look the same as it did the day I talked to the parent on the phone. The shoe is on the other foot this time.
Remember those 3 round trip tickets to anywhere AirTran flies. I am thinking, anywhere AirTran flies that is warm. And I am also thinking the sooner the better!
As I write, my wife who was beat up on a bus yesterday, is being rechecked at the hospital again.
I didn't get home from school yesterday until about 5:30 pm then need to take my Mother-in-law to the emergency room. We got home at 4 am this morning. Lucky for me that I didn't have to get up until 6:30 am to get ready for school. (Of course I missed my usual morning walk.)
Hey folks, I am operating on coffee, donuts and candy. Have a nice day.
Congratulation Tammi on your Target Field trip grant. We applied for the same grant at Hutsell and also received it. We're using the funds to further our district wide angler club. The grant will pay for busses for two elementary schools to go on their fishing field trips this spring as well as additional fishing supplies.
The planning is still in the early stages, but it looks like I can expose every student in our building to fishing and water related activities, the last week of school.
We have taken students to a lake that the school has property on for some science education, in years past. This year it looks like we may be able to take one team at a time (4 teams in school) and keep them at the lake for the school day. (one team per day) This will allow time for introduction to some fishing activities, as well as allow teachers of different subjects to teach their classes outdoors.
I have a question for all the teachers that take their classes on a field trip. How do the other teachers in the building who have you for class that day handle not having class and not getting their prep? I haven't taken a class on a field trip before and wonder what type of schedule you have used to make the teachers happy.
George,
This will be our second year to take our fourth graders on a fishing field trip. This year, our district is paying for subs for our specialty team and fourth grade team. This eliminates the issue of teachers not getting their prep time. Their schedules stay the same. With budget cuts, I'm not sure this will happen every year, but we were fortunate to get subs this year. This past weekend, we certified 13 more teachers in angler education on our campus. Since there is such a high interest level, our principal continues to work with us to find ways to pay for subs.
I was wondering what schools do in additon to fishing on their field trips? We have a large number of students, so we divide them into two groups. While one group fishes, the second group rotates through stations such as bug picking, fish printing & boater safety. After lunch, the two groups switch. Any new ideas?
Thanks Brenda I will give it a shot to get a sub for the day. It will be interesting to she what she says since the school district has no money! Might have to double up on classes one day so the teachers still get their same amount of prep for the week. We will have to see what happens!
I will definitely pass this info on to other teachers as well as the school's fishing club.
Has anybody taught canoeing to their students? Quick question, I will have 1/3 of your students practicing canoeing in the water, what do you have the other 2/3's do? We will be taking a field trip to another school that has a pool so the students can canoe. Trying to get ideas of what the other kids can do besides watch and get antsy. Any ideas would be great. Thanks
I have been slow on adding anything to the forum. To answer a question from Vance about snow days in Alaska, they are non existent. Anchorage school district closed school a couple weeks ago due to an unexpected heat wave of 45 degrees above zero with rain which caused a major road problem. The sand washed off and the roads were ICY. some parts of Alaska had a change in temperature of minus 68 degrees to the 40 above. in Cooper Landing We went from minus 20 to 49 above. So rain started come down and turned all the snow to ice and water. needless to say our lake had water on top of ice and thawed and canceled our ice fishing. Right now it minus 5 below zero and the lakes are getting firm again for us to plan another day for ice fishing.
luckily we got some snow four days straight and ahve been cross country skiing at 5 above zero. We go outside to play unless wind chill drops the temperature colder than minus ten degrees. in the interior of Alaska they go outside until it dorps to minus 20 degrees with wind chill.
Well I hope all is well with you Vance and everyoen else
Tommy,
You make the rest of us look pretty soft, handling the weather and all the related things.
Any time you write, I talk to my kids about it, we are all really interested in what it is like up there. The kids were asking me about the school you teach in. I am thinking that you have a small number of students and that they spand several grades but I couldn't remember for sure. My kids just love to hear about Alaska, and you are our expert. I think that every kid who loves the outdoors, hopes to visit or maybe even live in Alaska at some point in their lives.
I may give you a hard time sometimes, but we are really interested in news from up there, please keep writing, we have missed you.
Vance you do a pretty good job with all your students. iread about your adventures and i feel I didn't take advantage of my area like you do yours. for a refresher i teach in a two room school house in a town of only 350 people. i teach kindergarten to eight grade and i have ten students right now. we do have a gym and we try to do many things outside like skiing and snowshoeing. we are getting almost 8 hours of daylight now which makes a huge differnce in everyone's moods. we are getting prepared to do our ice fishing safety class this week and then will be hitting the lakes to catch some trout.
I have been working on a new grant which seems really fun it is NASP (national archery in the schools program)and i figure we coudl start that during the month of April (when fishing is closed due to rainbow trout spawning time.) here in Cooper Landing and then be ready for fishing in May.
well i didn't use spell check and i figure you guys can figure it out. the dya is beautiful here and there is not a cloud in the sky and and it is 11 degrees. last night was beautful moon light night and i snowshoed up a mountain to enjoy the moon as it rose over the mountians.
don't forget the Iditarod starts in a month. I would love to win a teacher on the trail and accompany the race. that would be a blast.
Happy trails.
I am going to check into this. Anything to help the Future Fisherman Foundation is a good thing.
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