Promising Pals Breakfast!

Finally, the culmination of the lovely correspondence between all the Timilty Middle Schoolers and their devoted Penpals: The Promising Pals Breakfast! 

My primary concern of course was meeting my penpal!
I watched a terrific presentation by the Jazz quintet and speeches by some very important people.

There were about 1,500 people in attendance, including
Mayor Menino, and Superintendent of Schools, Carol Johnson.
I was blown away with their candid accounts of the success and failures of these supplemental programs that are attempted throughout Boston. This program has been successful in connecting inner city kids to supportive professionals for 25 years!  That's a lot of bragging rights!

Then I was served breakfast by my pal,  and got a chance to meet his friends, learn more about his interests, walk in the garden, explore the school, play basketball, buy him books and watch him dance.

I had a terrific time and cannot wait until September when we can resume our letter writing!

Picture borrowed from the Promising Pals website: http://www.timiltymiddleschool.org/pals.html

I am really excited about different things that are happening in my life - for example the many different fine institutions in which I am researching for graduate study, service programs etc. Also,

I have an eleven-year-old, brilliant  boy for a pen-pal from Roxbury who I am totally pumped to be writing to (yes, imaginary audience, even if  I spend my days teaching 11 year old's for work).
I enjoy writing him letters on my Crane's stationary and receiving his well written notes back. I can't wait to meet him at the Promising Pal's Event at his school.