• We are zeroing in on the mental health zone around here lately.
The anxiety of the world can so easily leave us depleted.
So we retreat into our little back yard and we catch toads and grow vegetables and throw water balloons and make s’mores and sew and camp out and hang out and nap.
Then we’re shored up for what the world has in store for us again.
Take the time to rest.❤️
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    We are zeroing in on the mental health zone around here lately. The anxiety of the world can so easily leave us depleted. So we retreat into our little back yard and we catch toads and grow vegetables and throw water balloons and make s’mores and sew and camp out and hang out and nap. Then we’re shored up for what the world has in store for us again. Take the time to rest.❤️
  • #Repost @justice4matthewrushin with @get_repost
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All our worst fear, our kids being railroaded by law enforcement and wrongfully ending up in prison. 
Matthew Rushin defied a system stacked against autistic black boys in schools, graduated with honors from high school, was studying mechanical engineering in college. He was living a remarkable life, showing the greatness neuro-divergent people can be. 
Please sign the petition; support this mom fight for her son’s life. Link to his petition is on my bio. “STOP CRIMINALIZING OUR CHILDREN... sign the petition” -DLHugley : DL posted Matthew’s story on his page. 
We need to stop the racial profiling that VIRGINIA BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT is notorious for! 
We cannot sit in silence anymore! So many of you have come to me with your stories.... ITS TIME TO STAND TOGETHER! 
Railroaded by an unjust system,  Matthew is in prison for two reasons: 
1. He’s autistic. 
2. He’s black. 
He got into a serious car accident wherein another driver was seriously impacted. 
Police and a defense attorney not working in his best interests manipulated him into pleading guilty to a crime he did not commit. 
Nobody was killed in this accident. Police, prosecutor, even his own alleged defense attorney insisted what he did was intentional, that he intentionally got into a high speed car accident. 
That’s preposterous. 
There was another teen awaiting trial for a car accident, same time, same city. He was driving without a license, and a teenage girl was killed in the accident. 
He was released on bond; 
Matthew was not. 
Two reasons for that. 
Ready? 
1. He is not autistic. 
2. He is not black. 
Matthew has a brain injury for which he requires medical care he’s not getting, which has him in agony. The prison is also not properly vented or temperature controlled, so it’s from 90F-100F, with chronic pain Matthew suffers exacerbates his condition and places him in fatal danger. 
Matthew needs justice he’s been denied. 
Matthew needs medical treatment for a serious brain condition he’s being denied. 
Matthew, like all those incarcerated in his prison, need humane conditions, and not to be treated like livestock. 
#BLACKLIVESM
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    #Repost @justice4matthewrushin with @get_repost ・・・ SHARE BY LIKING: All our worst fear, our kids being railroaded by law enforcement and wrongfully ending up in prison. Matthew Rushin defied a system stacked against autistic black boys in schools, graduated with honors from high school, was studying mechanical engineering in college. He was living a remarkable life, showing the greatness neuro-divergent people can be. Please sign the petition; support this mom fight for her son’s life. Link to his petition is on my bio. “STOP CRIMINALIZING OUR CHILDREN... sign the petition” -DLHugley : DL posted Matthew’s story on his page. We need to stop the racial profiling that VIRGINIA BEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT is notorious for! We cannot sit in silence anymore! So many of you have come to me with your stories.... ITS TIME TO STAND TOGETHER! Railroaded by an unjust system, Matthew is in prison for two reasons: 1. He’s autistic. 2. He’s black. He got into a serious car accident wherein another driver was seriously impacted. Police and a defense attorney not working in his best interests manipulated him into pleading guilty to a crime he did not commit. Nobody was killed in this accident. Police, prosecutor, even his own alleged defense attorney insisted what he did was intentional, that he intentionally got into a high speed car accident. That’s preposterous. There was another teen awaiting trial for a car accident, same time, same city. He was driving without a license, and a teenage girl was killed in the accident. He was released on bond; Matthew was not. Two reasons for that. Ready? 1. He is not autistic. 2. He is not black. Matthew has a brain injury for which he requires medical care he’s not getting, which has him in agony. The prison is also not properly vented or temperature controlled, so it’s from 90F-100F, with chronic pain Matthew suffers exacerbates his condition and places him in fatal danger. Matthew needs justice he’s been denied. Matthew needs medical treatment for a serious brain condition he’s being denied. Matthew, like all those incarcerated in his prison, need humane conditions, and not to be treated like livestock. #BLACKLIVESM
  • I posted this a few months ago but felt like it needed an update.
Trauma informed care is important but it only treats symptoms of a much deeper  issue.
Teachers, we have GOT to start speaking up about the systemic structures in place in our schools that are harming children and families.
You know those mouthy teachers always questioning and fussing about policies, screaming for change, and who are labeled troublemakers?
Be that teacher.
#teachingIsPolitical
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    I posted this a few months ago but felt like it needed an update. Trauma informed care is important but it only treats symptoms of a much deeper issue. Teachers, we have GOT to start speaking up about the systemic structures in place in our schools that are harming children and families. You know those mouthy teachers always questioning and fussing about policies, screaming for change, and who are labeled troublemakers? Be that teacher. #teachingIsPolitical
  • The St. Thomas Dream Team delivered more graduation love to Jon today!  Thank you St. Thomas Episcopal Church for the love and support you show our kids. We are blessed that you are part of our village! ❤️
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    The St. Thomas Dream Team delivered more graduation love to Jon today! Thank you St. Thomas Episcopal Church for the love and support you show our kids. We are blessed that you are part of our village! ❤️
  • Some are just beginning and some have been at it for ages, but there is a significant shift and renewed energy among teachers to create change, ensure the lessons, books, and student interactions we have inside our classrooms are addressing racism, social justice, and equality in an intentional and active way.

But this isn’t just about our classrooms and class libraries and social studies lessons and a drive to shift the classroom narrative. All of that is absolutely essential, but it can’t be the pinnacle. It can not stand in isolation.

Our classrooms sit on the foundation of our entire school, school districts, and educational policy. Those foundations are broken and crumbling under school, district, state, and federal policies that are centered around whiteness and steeped in institutional racism. These policies and practices undermine anti-racist work teachers and students are doing, and will be doing, in the classroom.

So we better not go back in that building and close our door and teach. We better throw that door open and start yelling. 
DIG deep into how the foundational systems of our schools contribute to racism, injustice, and inequity.

TALK to colleagues, admin, school boards, superintendents, neighbors, and parents. We are likely not going to change a racist heart, but we surely can disrupt a racist system. 
Listen to, yield to, and support Black colleagues. Challenge racist behavior and practices. Ask questions at faculty meetings, get on that curriculum committee, challenge district policies, email your school board member, go to board meetings, rally your colleagues. 
SPEAK up and be LOUD in your demands for anti-racist schoolwide and district policy. Require our schools to change problematic policies within:
* PBIS
* discipline policies
* attendance policies
* standardized testing
* grading policies
* dress codes
* tracking
* digital education
* lack of recess
* reduction of arts, music, and pe
* special education
* gifted programs
* language divides
* funding
* adopted curriculum
* lunch programs
* retention
* trauma informed practice
* SROs
* SEL programs
* family communication and participation
* access to enrichment
    88 4
    Some are just beginning and some have been at it for ages, but there is a significant shift and renewed energy among teachers to create change, ensure the lessons, books, and student interactions we have inside our classrooms are addressing racism, social justice, and equality in an intentional and active way. But this isn’t just about our classrooms and class libraries and social studies lessons and a drive to shift the classroom narrative. All of that is absolutely essential, but it can’t be the pinnacle. It can not stand in isolation. Our classrooms sit on the foundation of our entire school, school districts, and educational policy. Those foundations are broken and crumbling under school, district, state, and federal policies that are centered around whiteness and steeped in institutional racism. These policies and practices undermine anti-racist work teachers and students are doing, and will be doing, in the classroom. So we better not go back in that building and close our door and teach. We better throw that door open and start yelling. DIG deep into how the foundational systems of our schools contribute to racism, injustice, and inequity. TALK to colleagues, admin, school boards, superintendents, neighbors, and parents. We are likely not going to change a racist heart, but we surely can disrupt a racist system. Listen to, yield to, and support Black colleagues. Challenge racist behavior and practices. Ask questions at faculty meetings, get on that curriculum committee, challenge district policies, email your school board member, go to board meetings, rally your colleagues. SPEAK up and be LOUD in your demands for anti-racist schoolwide and district policy. Require our schools to change problematic policies within: * PBIS * discipline policies * attendance policies * standardized testing * grading policies * dress codes * tracking * digital education * lack of recess * reduction of arts, music, and pe * special education * gifted programs * language divides * funding * adopted curriculum * lunch programs * retention * trauma informed practice * SROs * SEL programs * family communication and participation * access to enrichment
  • As Episcopalians, we renew our Baptismal Covenant at every baptism. The covenant includes five questions that show how we are called to live out our faith as Christians. These are the last two questions.
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    As Episcopalians, we renew our Baptismal Covenant at every baptism. The covenant includes five questions that show how we are called to live out our faith as Christians. These are the last two questions.
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  • After I finished with the little pumpkins in my classroom early last winter, I put them in the empty window box outside my trailer so we could watch them decompose.

When I left school in March, I forgot all about them. I went back a couple of weeks ago and the window box had a huge clump of pumpkin plants!

But they were starting to die from lack of water and no space. I separated them and planted a bunch in my yard, and the rest I spread out in the window box.
Then, more seeds that were mixed in the soil began to sprout and I have a big pile of pumpkin plants!

I gave the sprouts away to my neighbors and I hope little tiny pumpkins sprout all over the neighborhood this fall🎃❤️
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    After I finished with the little pumpkins in my classroom early last winter, I put them in the empty window box outside my trailer so we could watch them decompose. When I left school in March, I forgot all about them. I went back a couple of weeks ago and the window box had a huge clump of pumpkin plants! But they were starting to die from lack of water and no space. I separated them and planted a bunch in my yard, and the rest I spread out in the window box. Then, more seeds that were mixed in the soil began to sprout and I have a big pile of pumpkin plants! I gave the sprouts away to my neighbors and I hope little tiny pumpkins sprout all over the neighborhood this fall🎃❤️
  • Glad to actually have an income right now. Grateful to have food on the table. 
Relieved to be able to quarantine my family and be safe.

Still wondering why the food bill has increased and where the food is going. I’m not buying that many snacks and two of us have even lost weight in the last couple of months. But the grocery bill- ugh!

#quarantine #quarantinelife #quarantinesnacks #quarantinegrocerybill #stayhome #stayathome #momlife #momofboys
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    Glad to actually have an income right now. Grateful to have food on the table. Relieved to be able to quarantine my family and be safe. Still wondering why the food bill has increased and where the food is going. I’m not buying that many snacks and two of us have even lost weight in the last couple of months. But the grocery bill- ugh! #quarantine #quarantinelife #quarantinesnacks #quarantinegrocerybill #stayhome #stayathome #momlife #momofboys