Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/396235
editor's Note You can't test courage cautiously I've read that Halloween evolved from t h e a n c i e n t C e l t i c h o l i d ay o f S a m h a i n (pronounced "sow-en"), and our modern event has become less about scary ghosts and ghouls and more about costumes and candy. Except for my kiddo who'd prefer to watch a horror flick than anything else. The Celts used the day to mark the end of the My daughter Casey loves scary movies. Me? I get scared in scary movies. The Ghost and Mr. Chicken starring Don Knotts scared me, for pity's sake. It's ridiculous. How you can get excited about having the bejesus scared out of you is beyond me. That is what Halloween is all about though, isn't it? Or was. last month's school board meeting a can of food for each hour per week they spent vol- unteering — some 2,400 pounds of canned soup, vegetables and fruit was donated to the local food pantry (page 34). They told their story in a clever way, and helped out the community, too. As it turned out, the Hemet community learned more about how dedicated their teachers are. And CTA encourages you to tell your story, especially now at election time. I think it takes one type of courage to talk to com- munity members and lawmakers, if you've not done it before, and another kind of cour- age to talk to family and friends about voting. Luckily, your colleagues put in a lot of home- work for you on candidates and issues for this election (page 30), at the local, state and national levels, as they do during the regular legislative session. Honor their good work and carefully consider their recommenda- tions, which are based on what educators and students need most to succeed. So, is it scary to try new things? Some- times. It can be fun, too. I will tell you, the 3-D printer is seriously the coolest thing I've seen in a long time (page 38). OK — it prompts critical thinking skills, teaches geometry and the like, but I just think it's fun. Casey would think it was great fun. Of course, she'd be figuring some way to use it to make props to frighten trick- or-treaters as she prepares for her first Halloween in her first house. By the way, if you dare, there is a Halloween-related "word find" on page 56 based on recent letters I've received. As always, thanks for your comments. harvest season and the beginning of winter, and they believed this transition between the seasons was a bridge to the world of the dead. Interesting reading, as All Hallows' Eve approaches. Weird as it sounds, as I was reading about this, I ran across this quote: "You can't test courage cautiously." That quote made me think of Kristi Yee, Bill Freeman, Liz Wil- berg, Karen Dawkins and Lauren Reibstein, whom we're featuring i n o u r s to r y o n B re a s t C a n ce r Awareness Month. They've won their battle with cancer. You'll read about them (page 9) and how they intend their stories, scary as they are, to inspire others waging the same battle. I was overwhelmed by their quiet courage and heartened by those who stepped up to support them, like San Jose High School teacher Sal Martinico. He's hav- ing his head shaved by Michael Duong as a fundraiser for a student who has cancer. Courage takes many forms. For some, it takes courage to share their story. And creativity. Hemet t e a c h e r s i n R ive r s i d e C o u n t y proved they had both. To demon- strate the amount of their extra unpaid work time, they brought to Cynthia Menzel E D I T O R I N C H I E F editor@cta.org 8 www.cta.org