Archive for the ‘Karen’s Journal Notes’ Category
Janelle Turcotte Hired to Teach at St. John Vianney School
Hi, All. We received this news about our daughter Janelle Karina Hood Turcotte. This letter was sent out today about Janelle being hired by St. John Vianney Catholic School as the 8th grade homeroom teacher, and we are proud! Congratulations, Janelle!!
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8th Grade Teacher Update
May 17, 2011 08:00:00
By Kelly Witt
Dear St. John Vianney Families,
Over the course of the past few weeks the staff has met and discussed the applicants for the 8th grade homeroom position. The interview team consisted of Mr. Pelkie, Ms. Milne, Mr. Hartely, Mrs. Hughes, Mrs. Palmer, and Miss Tami. Some key areas we were looking for in a candidate included the years of teaching experience, success with teaching 6th grade math, pre-algebra, algebra, and 7th and 8th grade science. In addition, we were looking for someone who has experience with Gonzaga Prep’s entrance exams and honors programs. There were many qualified candidates, however, one candidate not only met those requirements but also teaches summer school at Gonzaga Prep. After much deliberation and a unanimous vote by the team, it is with great pleasure that I announce the hiring of Janelle Turcotte as the 8th grade homeroom teacher.
Mrs. Turcotte has three years teaching experience and her previous position included teaching 7th and 8th grade science, pre-algebra and algebra. Not only does she have experience with Gonzaga Prep’s entrance exams and honors programs, she teaches Algebra I, Geometry, and science in Prep’s summer program. Her experience teaching these key subject areas at Prep will provide our students with the best education possible in the areas of math and science. The combination of teaching currently in the middle school as well as her teaching experience at the high school level is an excellent combination so our students will not only be prepared for high school but the programs we have in place will continue to be of the highest caliber.
Not only is Mrs. Turcotte prepared to continue teaching your child with the highest of standards, she is enthusiastic, energetic, and will motivate the students to perform at their highest abilities. She is eager to build relationships with both the students and the families of St. John Vianney. I know once you have the opportunity to meet her, you, too, will be blown away with her content knowledge, warm and welcoming personality, and will have trust in her ability to maintain the high standards St. John Vianney has in place.
If you have any further questions regarding Mrs. Turcotte please feel free to talk with myself, or any one of the committee members.
Sincerely,
Rick Pelkie
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Thank you to Rick Pelkie, principal of St. John Vianney School for sending out this fine letter. We are proud of our daughter Janelle.
James and Karen Hood
National Pet Dental Health Month
Did you know that February is not only National Children’s Dental Health Month but is also National Pet Dental Health Month? I was surprised to learn this as I drove past a veterinarian’s office that had this message posted on a sign in front of the building.
Having a National Pet Dental Health Month is a good reminder to focus on what keeps your pet healthy. You see, pets need to have their teeth cleaned, too. Bacteria can lead to a buildup of plaque, which in turn harms your pet’s gums and teeth. I’ve been told that scheduling teeth cleanings for your pet is highly ridiculous and very expensive. That may or may not be the case, but some people do choose professional dental health treatments for their pets. Another way to help keep your pet’s dental health in good shape is to clean their teeth at home.
A problem we have in today’s culture in the United States is the growing dental health problems in pets, which is often due to feeding a diet which is not natural for your specific breed. This contributes to gum disease and tooth decay. It has been proven that bacterial infection can adversely affect the health of humans as well as pets.
Be sure to feed your pet a healthy diet specific to your particular pet, and then make sure they have the appropriate items needed. For example, dogs have evolved from canines that were used to chewing on bones. This naturally helped clean their teeth. It is also worth it to use a soft, small toothbrush to brush your pet’s teeth from time to time. This will protect your animal’s dental health. This in turn will save you from having to pay for more expensive treatment later.
The American Veterinary Medical Association encourages us to celebrate National Pet Dental Health Month by checking with your local veterinarian for the best methods of keeping your pet’s mouth, teeth, and gums healthy.
Our Dogs’ Health News: I am worried about one of my beloved pet dogs, Dromi, who is a 14-year-old male Icelandic sheepdog. Dromi was actually my daughter’s dog, but we inherited him when she went away to college and was unable take him with her. He was imported from Iceland and has a wonderful character. He has been a terrific dog, but his health is failing. His eyes are still bright and alert, but he is definitely getting worse. He has tumors that are spreading all over his body, and I’m afraid that he doesn’t have too much time left. Losing a much-loved pet is always difficult. He has had a great life so far, and yes, he chewed on lots of bones to keep his teeth clean!
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Conference
Good morning. Today is January 18, 2011, and I am busy planning for the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conference. This conference takes place in New York City later this month, which I will be attending.
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) was founded 1971 by a group of Los Angeles-based children’s writers. It is an international organization based in Los Angeles, California, representing professionals in the field of children’s literature. It is the world’s largest children’s writing organization and the only international organization for people who write, illustrate, or have a professional interest in children’s literature. There are currently more than 22,000 members worldwide, in over 70 regional chapters, writing and illustrating in all genres for young readers from board books to young adult (YA) novels. The SCBWI facilitates communication between writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, agents, librarians, educators, booksellers, and others involved in the field.
Membership in this society provides many benefits for writers, including information and support, access to awards and grants, networking, local workshops and get-togethers, inside publications, online resources, manuscript and illustration exchange, member discounts, and more.
The SCBWI sponsors two annual conferences, on the west and east coasts of the United States, usually in Los Angeles and New York City, as well as many regional conferences and events throughout the world. It publishes a bi-monthly newsletter, has an interactive website, and gives out a number of awards and grants. Among these are the annual Golden Kite Award for the best fiction and nonfiction books and the Sid Fleischman Humor Award.
At this year’s winter conference there will be a panel discussion on Creating and Recreating the Picture Book: Three Views. There are also three workshops about What Makes Your Work Publishable: Today’s Market in Children’s Books.
I am looking forward to all the other authors I will meet at this conference, as well as all I will learn from the speakers and workshops.
Happy Birthday to My Husband, Jim!
Dear Readers,
Today our family celebrated Jim’s birthday, and it was grand! Family came home and all of our sixteen children were here except for Janelle and her husband, Paul, who had traveled to Portland, Oregon, to be fair and spend time with Paul’s family for Thanksgiving. They alternate every other year, so we look forward to next year and having them here.
Brianne and her husband took Jim and me out for Jim’s birthday breakfast at the Max, where we talked for four hours! Meanwhile, back at the house, Kyler and Kelsey cooked homemade turkey pot pie from the Thanksgiving leftovers. It turned out great. And of course, Jim also chose to have his favorite dessert—German Chocolate Cake and Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream.
Check out the pot pie recipe below for a tasty way to use up your leftovers.
Take care!
Turkey Pot Pie
Ingredients:
1½ c. frozen peas and carrots, thawed under cold water
5 Tbs. butter
5 Tbs. all-purpose flour
¼ c. chopped onion
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1¾ c. turkey or chicken broth
⅔ c. milk
3 c. diced cooked turkey
pastry for 9-inch two-crust pie
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Drain peas and carrots; set aside.
- Heat butter in 2-quart saucepan over low heat until melted.
- Stir in flour, onion, salt and pepper.
- Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat then stir in broth and milk. Place back on heat; heat to boiling, stirring constantly.
- Boil and stir 1 minute.
- Stir in turkey and vegetables.
- Prepare pastry.
- Roll ⅔ of the pastry into 13-inch square; ease into ungreased 9-inch square pan.
- Pour turkey mixture into pastry-lined pan.
- Roll remaining pastry into 11-inch square; cut out designs with small cookie cutter.
- Place square over filling; turn edges under and crimp.
- Bake until golden brown, about 35 min.
Yields: 6 servings.
Happy Thanksgiving 2010!
Thanksgiving is wonderful day to pause and reflect on the many blessings that we have and realize we have. It is also a day to reflect and give thanks on the many blessings that we take for granted, which include the many freedoms we take for granted each day, and the many gifts we have that come to us in a variety of packages. The difficult challenge is to stretch our comfort zone to return our thanks and share our blessings with others in our all too busy lifestyle. Thanksgiving is a great time to take time and analyze how we can spend time giving to others in our daily lives and to those in our local communities and global communities. Keisha made a pecan pie for our Thanksgiving dinner, and it was great. Following are the recipes she used. This pie crust is now our favorite!
Best Pie Crust
Ingredients:
1 c. all-purpose flour
7 Tbs. cold salted butter
¼ c. ice water
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sift flour into mixing bowl.
3. Using large holes of a hand grater, grate butter into bowl with flour.
4. Lightly blend butter and flour with your fingertips until texture is like coarse cornmeal; be careful not to overwork dough.
5. Add ice water and blend until thoroughly incorporated.
6. For dough into ball, and place on floured surface; roll out dough to ⅛-inch thick, adding flour as necessary.
7. Place 8½-inch pie pan face down on dough, and cut dough to fit, leaving a border of about 1 inch.
8. Line pie pan with dough, trim edges, and refrigerate until ready to use.
Yields: One 8½-inch pastry shell.
Pecan Pie
Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 c. white sugar
1 c. dark corn syrup
2 Tbs. melted butter
1½ tsp. pure vanilla extract
⅛ tsp. salt
½ c. darkly roasted pecans, ground
1 c. med. pecan pieces
¾ c. pecan halves
1 unbaked 8½-in. pie shell
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare pie shell; set aside.
3. In electric mixer, add eggs and beat on high speed until frothy, about 1 minute.
4. Add sugar, corn syrup, butter, vanilla, salt, and ground roasted pecans; beat on medium speed until well blended.
5. Stir in pecan pieces; pour filling into prepared pie shell.
6. Spread pecan halves on top filling, and press lightly.
7. Bake for 40 minutes; reduce heat to 325 degrees F., and bake until filling is brown on top and crust is light golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes.
8. Remove from oven and cool at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.
Yields: One 8½-inch pie.
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