Inch By Inch

Do you ever experience a reflective mood? A state in which your mind floods with thoughts, ideas, and memories, of all those vicissitudes of which our lives are composed? Today is a reflective day for me and I feel compelled to share those reflections with my readers.

The subject of my reflection is a long-term friend & colleague. A man whom I admire and from whom I have learned a great deal.  Indeed, my life is richer because I have known and had the opportunity to work with him in a variety of capacities over the years.  As I sit here letting my mind do its thing, I realize that this span of time is now more than 50 years. I used to think that those sharing friendships that long had to be quite old, but my perspective has shifted a bit on that particular issue.

This friend, let’s call him Tom, was born and raised in Milton. He grew up on a farm a bit to the north east of town. He was blessed to have several siblings and the undeniable advantage of being surrounded by a loving family steeped in strong values of hard work, responsibility, accomplishment, and love. He learned early-on that life was not centered on himself but on the greater community.  He absorbed that lesson well and let it guide the way he lived.  Tom embodies these words of Helice Bridges, “I am not here to make a living. I am here to make a difference.”

Not only a Milton native, Tom remained a local, graduating from both Milton Union High School and from Milton College.  He taught school briefly before joining General Motors in Janesville where he spent 32 years. The last 20 of those 32 he served as Administrator of the Rick Holte Education Center.  Tom was also busy paying his civic rent by serving for 19 years on the Blackhawk Technical College Board of Directors as well as a variety of leadership roles at St. Mary Parish here in Milton. I think you can begin to see his draw to education and his life focus of giving back.

I knew Tom in high school but not well. I was a transplant from the East Coast when 16 so I am not a native, but I strongly identify as a local. My wife, Sue, is a Milton native and knew Tom pretty much all through school. We saw Tom and his family from time to time over the years, so I was acquainted with his activities.

In 2010 I was working on establishing the Milton Area Youth Center so was looking for Board members.  I reached out to Tom. As I explained the plans for MAYC, I saw his eyes light up and I knew he was all-in.  I was so pleased to have his experience and his passion. You see, that’s Tom. When he agrees to participate, he is always all-in. He gives himself fully to the programs and organizations in which he believes. MAYC was no exception and its motto, Building Lives, Building Community resonated with Tom and fit him so well.

I began to serve on the School Board in 2008. Tom was elected to the Board in 2011. Once again, I was pleased to be officially working and collaborating with a person of Tom’s character. He was consistently prepared, asked great questions, and fulfilled his responsibilities in an admirable manner. He broke the mold on how to be an effective board building rep. in his assignment at Milton East. The School District’s motto is – Opportunity, Achievement, Community. Tom continues to mirror this in his life. After 9 years of service to the School District of Milton and our kids, last night was Tom’s final School Board meeting.  This makes me sad and is the cause of my reflection today.

Tom’s approach to life reminds me of a great old folk song written by David Mallett and covered by many artists. I prefer Peter, Paul & Mary (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHhRyjwYnX0). The words go like this, Inch by inch, row by row, gonna make this garden grow. All it takes is a rake and a hoe and a piece of fertile ground. Inch by inch, row by row, someone bless these seeds I sow. Someone warm them from below till the rain comes tumbling down. Plant your rows straight and long, temper them with prayer and song. Mother earth will keep you strong if you give her love and care.” Perhaps that is Tom’s secret from the farm and his family because he plants the rows of his life straight & long. He does temper them with prayer and song as he gives his community love and care.

Tom, you believe in something bigger than yourself. You exhibit no ambiguity when it comes to the question of – does the community owe us or do we owe the community? You always stated that it is about the kids. This is who you are.  Your remarkable record of service is because you made a choice, a conscious decision to step up, to serve, to create a preferred future for those coming behind. What a record! What a legacy! What a sower of positive seeds!

Thank you, Tom, for your service, your time, your dedication, and for showing us the way. Let me leave you with these words from Jim Will, “As individuals, everything we do affects our organizations, our community’s culture. We have no choice whether or not we leave our mark. Our only choice is what type of mark we will leave.”  When it comes to community service, you are a positive Outlier when compared with the general population.

TOM WESTRICK, I am proud to be associated with you!  After all, Kids Matter

#cruzan4milton#WAM

School Board Election Musings

About three weeks ago I composed a letter in support of Mike Hoffman’s candidacy for the School District of Milton Board of Education.  I promptly sent this letter to both The Janesville Gazette and The Milton Courier.  The Gazette responded immediately, asking me to submit the letter in a bit different format. I complied with that simple request and they promptly printed my letter.  I watched The Courier for the next two weeks but, alas, my letter was never published. This seemed odd to me as I believe my letter conformed to their published regulations regarding length, content, etc. I was a bit fussed up about this but then realized that I might have sent it to an incorrect e-mail address, it may have ended up in Spam (many consider my thoughts & writing spam anyway), maybe I thought I sent it but did not, and on with the rationalizations. Of course, I would rather this was someone else’s fault rather than mine, but I try very hard to accept responsibility for my behavior. I like to think I live my life that way – at any rate, I have tried over the course of my now 70 years.  I then discovered that another letter in support of Mike was also not published.  So, I don’t know what’s up with that. I do not know how to run a newspaper. I have no useful knowledge concerning how papers decide what to publish and what to ignore.  So, this is out of my control and I will leave it. But this important election is now upon us and I really wanted to share my strong support of Mike so, here is my letter, followed by some comments about a couple of other candidates.

Editor – The Milton Courier

Are you looking for a School Board candidate who has 30 years of experience working with students not only in a classroom setting but also one-on-one as a tutoring specialist? A person of high integrity and deep personal faith? A person who has invested personal time in earning an advanced degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis? A person who has significantly served others in his world-wide not-for-profit endeavors notably in Africa and Haiti? Then Mike Hoffman is your candidate.

I have had the opportunity to observe Mike working with students. His knowledge, preparation and caring were so apparent. He is a master teacher who has positively influenced all those Milton students who have had the good fortune to experience his skill.

Mike and I have been friends for at least thirty years. My life is richer for that. Milton children are richer for his influence on them as are our teachers for having had Mike as a role model. Mike is a consistent man of character. I have every confidence that he will bring these skills and attributes to bear as a School Board member. Mike Hoffman has my vote and I recommend that you give him yours as well.

Jon Cruzan

Milton, WI

Thank you to my half a dozen readers for listening.

But, wait, I wanted to say a few words about a couple of the other candidates as well, namely, Shelly Crull-Hanke and Dave Holterman.

I was fortunate to serve on the school board with Shelly. In my mind, she was clearly an asset.  Shelly was always well prepared & informed. She did her homework. She spent time in our school buildings & attending activities.  She spoke her opinions & positions clearly, articulately, and with respect for others. When the board voted, she supported the vote of the majority.  Her experience as an educator in another school district brought with it great perspective.  Based on this record, she has my vote and support.

Dave Holterman is a great guy.  I have worked with him in the community and like his style and approach.  I worked on his behalf early in this election cycle.  I believe he would make a good school board member. However, as life would have it, Dave has slipped down my list, not because of anything he has said or done, but because of my experiences with Mike & Shelly. Sometimes when it rains, it pours.

I am grateful for this community. I am grateful for our phenomenal school district and the leaders over the years who have made it what it is and for the leaders today who build on that foundation and carry it forward.  I am grateful for all the interested candidates which provides us with a contested rather than an uncontested election. Janesville does not have that luxury or, apparently, degree of interest from citizens in their school district.

Let’s celebrate what we have and make it even stronger by casting you vote in this most important election.

After all, KIDS MATTER

#cruzan4milton#WAM

Southern Lakes Anthology

Have you ever discovered something – a program, an initiative, excellence - so good that you just have to share it? This happened to me recently. You may be aware of this good thing I’m about to describe, but I’m guessing many are not. Quite frankly, I’m a bit embarrassed that I didn’t know much, as it's likely the information has been there. I just didn’t pick up on it. To add to my embarrassment, I discovered that the program is in its 30^th year. Once informed, it took little time for me to believe that The Southern Lakes Anthology Project deserves to be in the spotlight.

Last week, Sue and I were privileged to serve as judges at the Southern Lakes Anthology Competition. This is a program sponsored by the Southern Lakes Advanced Learners Network. Each year, SLALN invites students in participating school districts to enter this Competition. In October, Rising Red Hawks in 3^rd through 8^th grade, along with students from 30 -35 other southern Wisconsin school districts are introduced to the theme for the year. For instance, last year's theme was, Not Always Black & White. This year's theme is Beneath The Surface. Students are encouraged to enter original work connected to the theme in these genres: prose, poetry, art, cartoon, or illustrated writing. Local judging in December leads to those selected being entered in the SLALN final judging in January. Work selected at this final judging is published in the Anthology and student winners are honored in May at a special program and reception at UW-Whitewater.

This compilation, this book, this anthology is incredible! It is a bound book nearly a half inch thick of 8.5 by 11 pages which are choc-a-bloc full of truly amazing student work. Perusing any of these collections is an emotional experience as your senses are overwhelmed by example after example of absolute excellence held in your own hands. We are talking kids 8-15 years old here. And then you realize that these are our kids, our futures, our legacies, and you can't help but smile and say, “AH!”

I found my judging duties challenging but fun and energizing. My team, judging 8^th grade poetry, included two middle school teachers, one from the Kettle Moraine District and one from the Waterloo District. Additionally we had a facilitator, from the Beloit Turner District, who introduced each piece and recorded our scoring. As I looked around two very large banquet rooms filled with judging teams, plus those in charge, I began to comprehend the scale of this undertaking. It is huge and it is absolutely wonderful.

The Anthology Project inspires creativity, introspection, self-expression, risk, and the pursuit of excellence in academic channels. Think of the pride and sense of accomplishment to have your own work selected and then published for any and all to view and read. (I encourage you to look at the SLALN website (www.slaln.org) where you will find many programs in which Milton students have the opportunity to participate.)

I believe that a wide variety of school activities are key components of a good learning environment. Programs and activities run the gamut of academics, sports, the trades, music, the arts, and the list goes on. These opportunities encourage the pursuit of excellence and the creation of well-rounded individuals. We celebrate and publish sports information a lot. I am not against this but I also feel compelled to help our community know of these other competitions and demonstrations of student excellence. Throughout the Anthology's 30-year history, Milton has had its share of students selected as winners and, thus, published in the Anthology. Let's become aware and celebrate this. Ask your kids, ask your kids' teachers, ask your administrators. Go to your libraries and ask if they have copies of these Anthologies. I know that the Milton Public Library has some. I also believe that our individual school libraries may have some. They are a treasure. If you are searching for specific individuals, these books are well indexed by student name and school district. I urge you to seek them out.

Of course, no program like this even gets off the ground without caring, competent, professional teachers, building administrators and staff members all teaching skills, encouraging and advocating for our kids, and pouring themselves into their work. Milton is blessed to have outstanding educators at every level. I can't name them all here, but our Reading Specialist and Prism Coordinator, Amy Mertes, clearly deserves a “Shout Out”. She is a positive outlier and serves most ably as our connector to SLALN. She, along with her fellow Milton educators, believes deeply in kids and it shows.

Why? Because here in Milton, Kids Matter.

OPPORTUNITY – ACHIEVEMENT - COMMUNITY

#cruzan4milton#WAM

Warmed & United by Milton West Winter Sing

It’s early evening at the Platts Performing Arts Center. The crowd is pressing in quickly to find good seats and save places for family members who are still on the way. Parents, grandparents, and young siblings of those soon to be performing make up this audience and it’s heartwarming to observe groups greet one another, wave, or call-out to those across the room. The atmosphere is electric and the anticipation palpable. Throughout the audience, young children can barely contain themselves. It seems that many parents and grandparents are not far from this state themselves.

Adding to the excitement, the stage, bathed in bright lights, gleams and a variety of instruments reflect the light. The long curve of the risers forms a welcoming smile not only to the audience but also to those Rising Red Hawks soon to be standing on them, pouring out their very being in song.

That veritable fixture of the PAC, High School teacher Michael Dorn, unobtrusively makes his way across the stage completing his final mic checks.

And then those Milton West 2^nd & 3^rd graders begin to file in. Cries of, “there they are!”, “I see her!”, “Where is he?”, ring through the room. It’s showtime. Music teacher, Alison Jewer, makes a few introductory remarks and the music begins.

The 2^nd grade starts the singing. Their voices are clear, bright, and so enthusiastic. They just nail their final number – ‘I Promise’ by Teresa Jennings. Read these words –

“When I make a promise, I will keep it.

When I give my word to you, I will act with honesty.

I will tell the truth you see.

When I give my word to you, you will know my word is true.”

Do any of you remember songs you sang in elementary school programs? I do, some of them remarkably well. I find the words and meanings imprinted indelibly on me even as I approach my 7^th decade. Does music teach our children and enrich their lives? I think so, and what great lessons are bestowed on them. This is so important because kids matter. Oh, the things we can learn from kids.

The 3^rd graders continue the lesson with another Teresa Jennings song, ‘Just One Candle’.

Pretty awesome words here as well featuring 3 great soloists.

“If I light just one candle

And you light just one too

And we pass the flame from wick to wick

From us to you and you.

And if we keep it going

Around the world you’ll see

The world is glowing with light that comes from you and me.”

“With one candle, just one candle. Yes, one candle burning bright.

With one candle, just one candle, we can fill the world with light.”

Just to be sure of the lesson, another Teresa Jennings song, ‘A Song of Peace’, also featuring soloists.

“If I could write a magic song that everyone could sing

I would write of love, of hope and joy, and things that peace could bring

And when we sing my magic song, all hate and war will cease.

If I could write a magic song, I’d write a song of peace.”

“One song for all of us. One song could bring us peace.”

Out of the mouths of babes! This night we were privileged to be taught, to be entertained, to have a preview of Rising Red Hawk members of Choralation, Octave Above, & Revolution. We experienced community building in action (I have long believed that our schools are our community centers), we reaped the rewards of all those staff members who did extra work to allow this program to take place in the PAC rather than the tiny gym at Milton West. We enjoyed ourselves, we nearly burst with pride, we were overwhelmed with good will, we participated in building lives, in building community.

After all, Kids Matter!

#cruzan4milton#WAM

Milton Educators, You Rock!

Last week, the teachers and staff members of the School District of Milton hosted parents, guardians, and family members of students at “conferences”. My guess is that most families take conferences for granted and are positively anticipatory about them. It is also likely that most value the opportunity to get up close and personal with a professional adult who may well spend more waking hours with their children than they do themselves. I believe that this contact is critically important for both sides of the equation. Thank you, families, for participating.

I also want to acknowledge that “conferences” don’t just happen. There is significant extra time and effort on the part of all school personnel to adequately prepare for this key activity. The custodial crews take pride in ensuring that our buildings are clean, attractive, and welcoming. Our teachers invest hours and hours in preparation to ensure that conferences are as efficacious as possible. They sacrifice their own personal & family time to provide evening hours for families who just can’t make it in a “normal” work day. Some educators are energized by conferences but most are exhausted. Please don't misunderstand me - this is a good exhaustion, a pleasant and contented tired - not unlike an intense run or a good bike workout. It's the feeling that comes with the knowledge that you worked hard, expended significant energy, gave all you have for that in which you believe. You feel good and our kids and grandkids are the beneficiaries.  After all, Kids Matter.

Milton Educators, thanks so much for your time, your dedication, your professionalism, and your caring. You are building lives and thereby building our community. I applaud you! You are Milton and, together, we are Milton.

Jon Cruzan

#cruzan4milton#WAM

Out of The Mouth of Babes

If you attended the regular School Board meeting last night, watched the Facebook live feed, or caught the video from the live feed sometime later, I hope you noticed a bright light of hope and courage.  Four Milton students owned the rostrum and addressed not only the Board but also School District Administrators, more than 50 citizens, and the press. 

I call this courage because many Miltonites would pale and shrink from the prospect of speaking in front of this many people in a small, relatively enclosed space, especially if that audience included those who might take issue with the position they were presenting.  Speaking in public rises to near the top of the list of our greatest fears.

I call this a bright light of hope because of the manner in which these students delivered their message.  Alexis, Chelsea, and Kennedy are middle school students, maybe 13 or 14 years old.  Macy is a third grader, maybe 8 or 9.  These girls were prepared. They were articulate. They were passionate. They were mature beyond their years.  They gave up their personal time (one came directly from swim practice & returned to the pool immediately after her presentation) to speak to the community on a topic about which they care deeply.  They were awesome!

Alexis, Chelsea, Kennedy, & Macy are young girls.  They are products of our school system and our outstanding programs and teachers.  The bright light of hope I saw was that they were passionate, opinionated, and willing to share their perspective in a way that clearly demonstrated the core values of RESPONSIBLE, RESPECTFUL, SAFE, and KIND.   These values are presented, taught, and lived throughout our school district from 4-k to 12^th grade.  Alexis, Chelsea, Kennedy & Macy lived those values at the Board meeting and modeled behavior we could all do well to emulate.  I do not personally know these girls but I was so proud.  There is hope. These girls are Milton. We Are Milton. #WAM

The Lessons I Learned From "Annie"

I recently had the privilege and the challenge of being a member of the cast of Annie. Live theater is magical. This show was no exception. As many of you know, the Annie story is one of optimism.  It’s upbeat. It’s forward looking.  It’s fun and it delivers a strong message with which people resonate.  As a cast member I not only heard this message but became caught up in helping deliver it.

If you have been a performer in a live production you understand the feeling, the vibe, and the buzz that occurs as a group of near strangers come together, and bond as the chaos of first rehearsal matures and grows into a show. It is a powerful and nearly palpable atmosphere and experience. 

There are always lessons to be learned from any group activity.  The Stage One, Inc.  Annie cast was no exception.  About half the cast were children – mostly young girls around 10 or 12.  After all, the show does feature young girl orphans.  Closing in on 69 myself, I was nearly the eldest actor on the stage.  Of course I was joined by many other adults. These fellow adult cast members were great but it was from the kids that I learned the most.  As I rehearsed and performed with these kids I was stuck by so many things; lessons we adults would do well to emulate.  

First and foremost were energy and engagement.  These kids wanted to rehearse and perform. They were thrilled to be a part of something bigger than themselves. They threw themselves into their characters and created new personalities.  They participated in long rehearsals and repeatedly worked their lines and blocking. I never heard complaints from them.

Next comes common courtesy. These kids proactively and respectfully greeted us old geezers and all cast members. I heard please and thank-you often.  This is so refreshing in today’s world where we are bombarded with disrespect, name calling seems to be accepted, and there is a dearth of courtesy. Cast members never descended to these levels.

This one, coachability, is huge, especially in a play.  A Director’s job is to guide, coach, make suggestions, and correct. It has been my experience in community theater that many adult actors seem to think they know more than the Director.  They bristle against and resist redirection, suggestion and correction resulting in much wasted time for all concerned.  Not these kids. Rather, they appeared pleased to have coaching that would make their performances stronger.  When redirected, their typical reply was, “Thank you”. Then I observed them immediately incorporating those directions into their performances.

Hard work and focus are such a great combination and, boy, did these kids bring this.  They knew their lines early on.  They knew their dance moves. They knew their blocking.  None of this happens without dedication, focus, and plain old effort. 

Adaptability had a great role also.  Theater demands constant adaptability as rehearsal spaces change, musical accompaniment varies, a fellow actor inadvertently jumps several lines, the Director moves in a new creative direction, or your carefully positioned props get moved.  These kids flowed with and even thrived on these challenges.

Annie kids actively practiced support for and affirmation of each other and all cast members.  Many were the high-5’s, the thumbs-up, the nice-jobs that greeted fellow performers as they exited the stage after completing a scene or as they passed each other in the wings.  Often I would hear the concerned query, “How’s it going tonight? Are you doing okay?”  Such caring, such concern.

That’s what happens when we get out of ourselves and participate in something bigger than we are.  Maybe it’s a play, maybe it’s a work group, a church, a community.  It’s that sense of unity and purpose that we are so missing.  And there I was, sitting in the wings at JPAC, being taught these so basic values by kids.

After all - Kids Matter