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Waving hello from Jersey! OLD Jersey — the island in the English Channel. Our kids have a two-week break from school, so we’re taking a little trip to this charming spot. It’s just a few miles off the coast of France, but it’s not part of France, and it’s not part of the UK either. Jersey has its own government and own currency, though it is connected to the UK and is considered a crown dependancy. English is spoken here and they drive on the left side of the road. Their tourism campaign talks about Jersey being Brit (ish) — they like their independent identity.
We head back to France tomorrow, but we’ve had a lovely time here. I had no idea how much history was packed into this 5 mile x 9 mile island. Jersey has one of the ten oldest buildings in the world, it is dotted with stone dolmens dating from 6000 years ago, and in WWII it was occupied by the Nazis. In fact, the Germans used over 17 million cubic meters of concrete as they attempted to build the Atlantic Wall, and a full 12% of that concrete was poured in the small island of Jersey — there are remnants of the occupation everywhere on the island. This is also the home of world-famous Jersey Cows, and we’ve been enjoying Jersey Cream Tea, and Jersey Ice Cream every chance we get.
If you’d like to see what we’ve been up to, I’ve been sharing on Instagram and saving things in this highlight.
Students Fight for Ejaculate Responsibly at a School Board Meeting
While I’ve been in [Old] Jersey, I received some remarkable news from New Jersey. A high school teacher in New Jersey emailed me to let me know that students made bold presentations for my book, Ejaculate Responsibly, at a school board meeting.
The students had organized a book discussion group and chose Ejaculate Responsibly as the book they wanted to discuss. Parents had donated books for the discussion. But the school board wouldn’t approve the donation.
So these bold students went to the school board meeting and advocated for their book choice!
There’s a video of the whole school board meeting on Youtube, and the students speak so well and confidently about the book. They get it. They address the provocative title and are so clear on why they chose this book and why it’s important.
And it worked! After their presentations, the book donation was approved.
You can also see the story covered in local news. If you’d like to watch the meeting, here’s the Youtube link and I’ve also included the video below — it’s a long video and the student presentations begin at 1:46:27.
Oh my, I wept while I watched the school board meeting footage, for several different reasons. I was deeply touched by the words of the students. I felt so proud of them! I was moved by the parents who facilitated the the book donation, and the teachers who supported this student-led activity. I was frustrated that the book was at first rejected by the school board (with apparently not much thought behind the decision). And I felt such hope that book discussion groups like this New Jersey example could happen in high schools across the country.
I hope you get a chance to watch some of the footage. Their presentations are short — just a couple of minutes each — but so impactful.
Lately on Design Mom
What to Stock in Your Art Supply Cupboard.
If you’re putting together a creative space for your kiddos, and not sure what to include, here’s a simple guide that has worked well for our family.
Lemon Curd Tarts — a Dessert for Two recipe.
Sometimes you want to make a treat just for two. For a late night chat with your teen, or a celebration with your partner, or an afternoon visit from your bestie. So I’ve got a whole series of Dessert For Two Recipes, and these Lemon Curd Tarts are one of my favorites.
Simple Baked Salmon with Kale Salad. This is a good meal option if you’re tired of heavy winter foods and looking forward to spring. And it takes advantage of the gorgeous citrus available right now.
That’s all for now. I hope you have a lovely day. Feel free to comment on anything I mentioned above, or whatever’s on your mind.
kisses,
Gabrielle
Kudos to those students!!
I got goosebumps reading about those incredible students!! ❤️❤️