Gertrude Chandler Warner: The elementary teacher who wrote The Boxcar Children Mysteries

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Gertrude Chandler Warner of Connecticut, was an elementary school teacher who became famous for writing The Boxcar Children Mysteries. Photo credit: Gertrude Warner Museum.

There are many talented classroom teachers in our country who have also made a name for themselves as popular authors. One of these is Gertrude Chandler Warner of Connecticut, an elementary school teacher who became famous for writing the original version of the children’s stories known as The Boxcar Children Mysteries.

Gertrude was born on April 16, 1890, in Putnam, Connecticut. She decided at a very young age that she wanted to be an author. From the age of five, she wrote stories for her grandfather, and each Christmas she gifted him one of these stories. As a youngster, Gertrude suffered from frequent illnesses, and for this reason she never finished high school. In her sophomore year, she completed her secondary education with the assistance of a tutor.

In 1918, when World War I was in full swing, Gertrude was hired to teach first grade, primarily because many men teachers were being called to serve in the military. The position served to be a good fit for Gertrude, who continued to teach until 1950. During these years, she spent her summers completing education courses at Yale University.

All her life, Gertrude was a nature-lover. As a child, she developed butterfly and moth collections, pressed wild flowers, learned about the birds in her area, and tended a garden. She incorporated these interests in her classroom lessons, and she also developed nature themes in her books.

In 1924, while convalescing at home from a lengthy illness, Gertrude developed the idea for a children’s book. This is how she came to write the first installment of The Boxcar Children. This original version was published by Rand McNally and Company in 1924. Not only did Gertrude write the original story, but she also wrote the next 18 books in the series.

After her retirement from the classroom, Gertrude became a volunteer for the American Red Cross, the Connecticut Cancer Society, and other community service organizations. This talented educator and author passed away on August, 20, 1979, at the age of 89. She is interred at Grove Street Cemetery in her home town of Putnam, Connecticut.

To learn more about Gertrude Chandler Warner, click on this link to The Boxcar Children Museum.

Anna Julia Cooper: Teacher, abolitionist, activist, and suffragist

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Teacher, abolitionist, activist, and suffragist  Anna Julia Cooper, born into slavery, was one of the first African American women to earn a Ph.D.  Photo credit: www.blackpast.com.

There are many talented educators who have dedicated themselves to social causes. One of these was Anna Julia Cooper, an African American teacher who was also an abolitionist, activist, and suffragist.

Anna was born into slavery in Raleigh, North Carolina, circa 1858. As a young child, she developed an intense love of learning, even though teaching literacy skills to African Americans were forbidden until after the Civil War. Because of her love of learning, Anna decided to become a teacher. In 1868, when she was only nine years old, Anna garnered a scholarship to St. Augustine’s Normal School and Collegiate Institute. The school, now known as St. Augustine’s College, was founded by the local Episcopal Diocese to train teachers to educate former slaves and their families. During her years at St. Augustine’s, Anna earned a reputation as a bright and ambitious student.

In 1879, Anna enrolled at Oberlin College in Ohio. There she earned her degree in Mathematics in 1884. She was one of the first African American women to earn a degree at the school. After her graduation, Anna returned to Raleigh where she taught math, Greek, and Latin at St. Augustine’s. In 1887, she moved  to Washington, DC, to teach math and science at the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth. Later the school was known as the M Street School, and today the institution is called Dunbar High School. The school is the largest and most prestigious public high school for African Americans in the country. During the years she taught at the M Street School, Anna delivered many speeches calling for civil rights and women’s rights and she published A Voice from the South, a well-known book on the subject.

A lifelong learner, Anna studied French literature and history for several years before enrolling at Columbia University in 1914. There she pursued her Ph.D. At the time, she was also teaching full time. In 1924, Anna continued her studies at the University of Paris at the Sorbonne in France. In 1925 she successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, which explored the attitudes of the French people toward slavery during the late 18th century in France and Haiti. With this accomplishment, she was only the fourth African American woman in the US to earn a doctorate and the first Black woman from any country to do so at the Sorbonne.

To learn more about this amazing educator, click on this link for Rutgers.

Music educator Charles Pisarra leads Oklahoma band in Macy’s Parade

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Director of Bands Charles Pisarra led the Union High School Renegade Regiment from Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade earlier this week. Photo credit: Union High School.

One final post about the excitement generated by this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. A number of outstanding high school bands appeared in the extravaganza, including the Union High School Renegade Regiment from Tulsa, Oklahoma. This 185-member group was led by Director of Bands Charles Pisarra.

Charles has been a music educator at Union High School for the past 15 years. His school’s marching program is recognized all over the United States as an innovator in costumes, props, music, and show design. The school’s participation marked the second time in eight years that the marching band has earned a coveted invitation to participate in the iconic parade. The Renegade Regiment also earned a spot in the 2013 event.

In addition to directing the marching band, Charles Pisarra directs the Wind Ensemble, oversees a full time staff of eight assistants and nearly 20 part time staff members, and facilitates a nationwide team of clinicians and designers for the pageantry arts programs.

Union High offers an impressive music education program. The program serves more than 1,100 students, including five high school level concert band ensembles, seven ensembles at middle school level, two curricular jazz ensembles, four curricular winter guards, numerous extracurricular chamber music and competitive percussion ensembles, and over ten beginner-level instrument classes.

Charles Pisarra earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and his Master’s degree in Music Education, both from the University of Oklahoma. He is a member of the National Association for Music Education, the Oklahoma Music Educators Association, the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association, the Northeast Band Directors Association, and the Percussive Arts Society.

Illinois music educator Dr. Bert Johnson leads students in Macy’s Parade

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Director of Bands Dr. Bert Johnson led his students from Lincoln Way High School (Frankfort, Illinois) in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. Photo credit: Lincoln Way East Music Department.

Watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade has become an important tradition in many American homes during the Thanksgiving holiday. After having been cancelled due to the pandemic last year, this year’s festivities featured amazing performances from several outstanding marching bands from around the country. One of them was the Lincoln Way High School Band from Frankfort, Illinois, under the direction of Band director Dr. Bert Johnson.

Bert’s award-winning band is comprised of students from across the Lincoln Way High School District 210. The group garnered the Illinois Marching Band Championships Class 6A Champion and Grand Champion. They also earned a Bands of America (BOA)  Regional and Super Regional Finalist and a participant in the 2019 Tournament of Roses Parade.

Bert earned his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 1999. He earned his Master’s degree in Educational Administration from the University of Michigan in 2007. In 2015, he completed his Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and Policy at Loyola University, Chicago. In addition, he also holds both a principal’s and superintendent’s licenses for the state of Illinois.

Bert Johnson is a member of the National Association for Music Education (NAFME), the Illinois Music Education Association (ILMEA), the Jazz Educators Network (JEN), and the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA). He has served as Jazz Division Chair for the ILMEA District 1 schools and is member of the Advisory Council for the Music Educators Development Division (MEDD) for ILMEA. In addition, this accomplished educator is a regular presenter for ILMEA. He most recently presented at the NAFME national conference regarding “evaluation and accountability in the music classroom.” He has been selected as a Golden Apple Nominee twice, and in 2007 he received the Illinois Jaycees award for the the “Top Ten Outstanding Young People of Illinois.”

 

Music educators Pollack and Nguyen lead CA band in Macy’s Parade

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Many American families have an annual tradition of watching the Macy’s Parade on Thanksgiving Day. The extravaganza came back in full force this year, after having been cancelled last year due to the pandemic. Of the numerous high school bands that marched in this year’s parade, one was the Thundering Mustangs Marching Band from Trabuco Hills High School located in Mission Viejo, California. The group was led by Directors Brad Pollock and Quincy Nguyen.

Instrumental Music Instructor Brad Pollock of Trabuco Hills High School in Mission Viejo, California, led students in their performance at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. Photo credit: Trabuco Hills High School.

The Thundering Mustangs were invited to participate in the Macy’s Parade due to their “unorthodox” routines. The students spent countless hours working on a program that broadcast well and engaged the crowd. In addition to their Macy’s honors, the group has brought home the Western Band Association Championship 10 out of 27 years. They performed two years ago at the National Independence Day Parade in Washington, DC.

Brad Pollock became the new Director of Instrumental Music at Trabuco Hills High School in April, 2020. He is originally from Chicago, Illinois, and previously taught music education in Texas and Colorado. For the last 20 years, he served as the Band Director at Nogales High School in La Puente, California. He holds music education and performance degrees from the prestigious Berklee College of Music and Azusa Pacific University.

Trabuco Hills High School music educator Quincy Nguyen has directed the Thundering Mustangs Marching Unit for seven years. Photo credit: Trabuco Hills High School.

This year is Quincy Nguyen’s seventh year as the Marching Band Director for the Trabuco Hills High School Thundering Mustangs Marching Unit. He has been working at Trabuco Hills since the Fall of 1996.

When he was a teenager, Quincy was a student in the Trabuco Hills High School Instrumental Music Program. After graduating high school, Quincy was invited back to be a Marching Instructor.

Quincy attended the University of California, Irvine (UCI), from 1996-2000. In 2000, he graduated cum laude with his Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences and a minor in Management. While at UCI, he was a Golden Key National Honor Society Member and on the Dean’s Honor List for six quarters. In June 2004, Quincy earned a Master’s degree in Business Administration from UCI. During his college years, he was a bass clarinetist for the Saddleback College.

In addition to his work at Trabuco Hills High, Quincy also served as a marching instructor for the Impulse Drum & Drum Bugle Corps. The Corps an Open Class competitive junior drum and bugle corps. Based in Buena Park, California, Impulse performs in Drum Corps International competitions, and garnered World Champion honors in the 2006 DCI Division III World Champion.