Look for the Helpers

Welcome back, students and staff! During a much quieter than normal Thanksgiving break at my house, over appetizers on Thanksgiving Day, my spouse and I asked our two kids about this past year and what they felt they were most grateful for.  We felt that it was especially important this year to think about all the positive things that happened even in the midst of all the big misses we had.  I was pleasantly surprised to find my kids - who are 9 and 7 respectively - pretty reflective.  They mentioned being grateful for our health and the health of our family members,  time spent outdoors in nature, time spent together as a unit of four, the connections we were able to make with our extended family here in VT during the summer and the early part of the school year, and the ability to connect with family that is far away via zoom and facetime.  (While my son didn't mention video games, and my daughter didn't mention YouTube I am sure they were grateful for these t...

Good Morning Everyone! Each Thanksgiving I read the book, Bear Says Thanks , to my family before we eat.  It is a book that I got for my kids when they were little.  The author of this story writes a number of children's books that my kids liked mainly because they were fun to read with silly voices for each character!  (And yes, I do the voices for the whole family!)  I wish I had thought to record myself reading it to you, but you'll have to settle for this version from Storybook Central with, alas, no cool voices.  🤣🤣  I think the story may be more fitting than ever this year because at the beginning bear is feeling all alone and he is bored, bored, bored - just like many of us are feeling with our quarantine restrictions.  Soon enough though, bear and his friends get creative and cobble together bits of a meal to share.  In normal times, I like this book because it reminds us of the power of friends and the importance of finding little thing...

Happy Monday Students and Staff, I saw this video on Saturday and I knew immediately that I wanted to share it with all of you.  I don't think I can link it directly into my blog, so you'll have to watch it here .     I love so much about this video.  I love Brody's facial expressions and the way he conveys the lyrics as he dances!  I love, Fight Song  by Rachel Platten.  One of her very first lyrics is, "Like a small boat on the ocean, send big waves into motion."  In this video little bossbabybrody, however unintentionally, becomes that like that little boat.  He, (and millions of others too), doesn't hesitate to show the world just how special he is.  At four years old, he sets an amazing example of what it means to speak your truth (or dance it, in this case!).   Before you go getting sad about how hard it is to speak your truth sometimes, I want to acknowledge that middle school is a tough place to do it - not impossi...

We've made it to the end of another week folks and we are ever so close to our Thanksgiving break.  I am proud of each and every one of you for the effort and energy you have put into being successful during thr first third of the school year!  Today I want to mention a little celebration in honor of Transgender Awareness week which was this week.  Trans awareness week is a week when,  " transgender people and their allies take action to bring attention to the community by educating the public about who transgender people are, sharing stories and experiences, and advancing advocacy around the issues of prejudice, discrimination, and violence that affect the transgender community."   I want to acknowledge that once again, our brave little state has helped to lead our county in breaking barriers!  This past election day Winooski voters elected Taylor Small, VT's first openly Transgender Lawmaker!  You can read about her win  here . Congratulat...

Happy Thursday Everyone!   I have all kinds of tidbits for you today... When I read this, it reminds me of how important positive self-talk is.  Think about how you talk to your best friends.  Now think about how you talk to yourself.  Do they match, or are you always more negative in your self-talk than you are when you talk to your friends?  If you don't say, "You're never going to be good at anything," to your friends, don't say it to yourself.  If you don't say, "I hate how you look," to your friends, don't say it to yourself.  If you don't say, "you are so stupid," to your friends, don't say it to yourself!   You feel me?!?  You need to be your own best friend.  Treat yourself with kindness and compassion so that you will have the power, energy, and positive attitude to approach each day on the right foot with hope and the power to be successful!   Instead of reacting negatively towards yourself or others when bad thi...

Happy Wednesday Everyone, Learning how to appreciate the small things and celebrate the little victories is one way I am getting through my days right now.   As my husband and I drove home from dropping our kids off at school today (they have a half-day) I was discussing how much I like Wednesdays this year.  Although I miss being in the building with staff and students, and even though I am still working, it's like a mini mind break during an otherwise crowded week.  I get to sleep a little bit later, I get be see my kids off at the curb at school, I am working in my sweatpants, (and shhhhh, I haven't combed my hair yet!).  I am drinking my tea and writing to all of you.  This is my moment right now... Teaching ourselves to appreciate the times and to make the best out of each moment that we encounter is a valuable skill.  Life moves by quickly and being able to find the silver lining or stay grounded in the right now can help us be more alert to our ...

Happy Tuesday Everyone, I remember seeing this story about David Deutchman a while back, and it was brought back to my attention this morning.  Go ahead and watch first.   Touching right?!? The reason this story came back to me today is that sadly, David, the "ICU Grandpa." passed away this week.  He was 86 years old.  He had a long full, and happy life according to his children.  You can read a bit about his life here .   The reason I wanted to call attention to Mr. Deutchman's story is that I have written many times about giving to others, being of service to others, or volunteering your time.  I've written about how it not only helps others but enriches the life of the giver too.  In the linked article Deutchman's daughter, Susan Lilly states,  “Volunteering absolutely enriched his life,  The most meaningful part was the actual time he spent with these patients and their families. ... “He had a very successful business caree...

Happy Monday Everyone! Since the governor's new orders on Friday prohibit family and friend gatherings, it has become increasingly clear why taking precautions around this virus are important.  If we want this round of lock-down to be over quickly,  we need to remember to take social distancing, hand washing, and mask-wearing seriously, even around people we love and are close to.   We are now back to weekends and evenings spent at home in the company of only our immediate families, so I figured you might need some suggestions on how to spend your time.  How about making yourself into a human Rube Goldberg Machine?   Just be careful, and take your cues from this guy...wear your mask people!  Have a great week everyone! Be Well, Mrs. Hempey

Happy Friday the 13th Everyone! I thought I'd cue up a short film for you today... A beautiful little reminder that it's not the things in life that make us happy, but the people .  What really fulfills us is the time spent in the company of those we care about.  In addition, finding ways to bring joy to those we love fills us with equal amounts of joy!   I hope you have lots of Joy this weekend.  :)   Be well, Mrs. Hempey  

It's Thursday, Everyone! I recently read this account of events, by the late Nelson Mandela, that took place in a town in South Africa after Mandela became president of that country in 1994.   After becoming President, I asked some of my bodyguard members to go for a walk in town. After the walk, we went for lunch at a restaurant. We sat in one of the most central ones, and each of us asked what we wanted. After a bit of waiting, the waiter who brought our menus appeared, at that moment I realized that at the table that was right in front of ours there was a single man waiting to be served. When he was served, I told one of my soldiers: go ask that man to join us. The soldier went and transmitted my invitation. The man stood up, took the plate and sat next to me. While eating, his hands were constantly shaking and he didn't lift his head from the food. When we finished, he waved at me without even looking at me, I shook his hand and walked away! Soldier said to me: - Madiba, t...

Happy Wednesday Everyone, This morning I am attending the Virtual VT School Counselors Conference, so I may keep this brief, but I did have a topic in mind for a while which I haven't posted about, so I'll try to squeeze in some thoughts while I participate in my meeting.   As you all know, if you read my blog regularly, I love to watch new and exciting things on TV.  About a month ago, my husband and kids and I sat down to watch, My Octopus Teacher on Netflix and it was one of the best things I have seen in a long time.  It was different for sure, but it had so much to offer - profound moments, beautiful ideas, and inspiration to make one ponder.    If you have not watched it yet, check out the trailer... One of the biggest things that I took from this documentary was the determination and dedication of the filmmaker to his endeavor in the ocean.  The name of the film, My Octopus Teacher ,   is very apt because he truly becomes a student of the ...

Happy Tuesday Everyone, At the outset, we think of November as an election month, but after that, when the dust has settled, it's all about Thanksgiving and putting a focus on what we are grateful for.  This is the big one folks!  We've been talking about cultivating gratitude a lot recently in our quest to stay mentally well during these times but finally, a season where gratitude is front and center!   For many people, one big thing to be grateful for is the healthy food that nourishes us each day.  As Thanksgiving awaits us, many have begun to think about the feast that will be on the table this year.  Whether it be small with your immediate family or just a tiny bit bigger with people from your core group (keep it under 10 folks - Governor's orders), I always hope that everyone has what they need and want on Thanksgiving.   Unfortunately, this isn't always the case.  There are many families in VT that regularly struggle with food insecuri...

Good Monday Morning Everyone, On Saturday, as I watched Kamala Harris speak as the Vice President-Elect, I felt something that I have never felt before as a woman.  I am not sure I can even describe specifically how I felt because it's not that I haven't felt the feeling of possibility before, but I think it was a kind of increased possibility.  Or maybe it was a feeling of ultimate independence or shared responsibility  - the understanding that it's not just men that get to govern anymore.  It was the ultimate realization that women can have a seat at the table too!   Women have been allowed to vote now for a hundred years, and they have slowly made their way into the political discourse becoming legislators, representatives, and leaders in business and industry, but in top positions around our country, men still outnumber women.  Since women make up 50% of our population, doesn't it make sense that it's about time we see one at the top level of our g...

Happy Friday Everyone,  Considering we have lost most of the beautiful and colorful leaves around us for the season, I thought this thought was timely...   Think about those trees that have lost their leaves out there, and think about how strong they need to be to withstand the harsh, cold winter ahead.  Do you know why they make it?  Part of it is because of their roots (I am not a scientist so I am not going to say it's all because of their roots, but maybe it is?!?).  A root system that keeps trees grounded is similar to the root systems most of us have in place to keep us grounded.  Roots are like little tiny blessings that go deep within us and keep us strong!  In their Unlocking Human Potential article,  Duleesha Kulasooriya and    Maggie Wooll ,  describe roots as, grounding.  They connect us to our core values and principals and provided us a touchpoint and an affirmation of what truly matters, which is the community t...

Happy Thursday Everyone, I am sorry to say that I missed posting yesterday...I feel like I just ran out of hours in the day.  I think I sort of felt like this... I wanted to be sure that you know that I didn't forget you though!  ;)   With the now darker afternoons, I thought I'd try to give us a few reasons to not despair the loss of light.  Here are some things I look forward to during these dark months.   Twinkling holiday lights Turkey dinners Pie season A cozy fire Skiing Walking in the woods and finding animal tracks in the snow Finding the right gift for that perfect someone The spirit of the season My kids birthdays Holiday music Bluebird days where the snow is bright and the sky is clear Hot Chocolate with peppermint sticks Basketball season! Getting in bed early to watch a funny show! The promise of an upcoming storm and a snow day! A season to be thankful Being together with family Hot soup We can always find things to be grateful for, even ...

Happy Snowy Monday everyone!   Though we have snow on the ground this morning, I hear that the latter part of the week is supposed to be sunny and warm, so if you are not a snow fan, just hang tight, you may get to soak in some rays later this week.  For you mountain enthusiasts, I hear the snow guns are up and running, so maybe we'll get to break out the sticks around Thanksgiving - fingers crossed!   Even with the promised sun and the possibility of snowy fun, I know many people struggle at this time of year, and I want to acknowledge that the days are hard right now.   With the daylight hours now diminished and the afternoons darker, we need to support each other even more!  We need to focus on using our mental wellness tools, (breathwork, mindfulness, mediation, practicing gratitude, daily exercise, eating healthy foods, getting restorative sleep, and seeking support from loved ones, friends, and trusted adults).  We need to focus on find...