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When you walk through Lincoln School you will see the walls are filled with pictures, artwork, projects.  Representations of what kids are learning about, what they have learned, or information about them.  It makes for a colorful display as you roam the maze of hallways.
  
When I find myself with a moment or two early in the morning or on my way out for the day, I like to stop and admire the hangings as I pass them.  Each day brings me a little closer to the Lincoln School culture; I see what matters to the children that house this school.

There are some pictures that have been up for quite some time now, as opposed to the others that are changed on a fairly regular basis.  In fact, I don't think these pictures have been changed for years.  They are photographs of students past.  Far past.

I was walking through a portion of building while my students were at Art and I stopped to look a bit more closely at some of these pictures--it was Monday, Nov. 7th.  The first one I saw was a photograph of a classroom with maybe 12 students in it.  Their desks were in neat rows and all the kids were looking directly at the camera, hands folded on their desks.  There wasn't a whole lot of expression on their faces yet I could see something in their eyes.
The windows to their souls told a story of worry.  A story of not being sure about something.  At first I thought maybe it was due to the photography of the time as it was in black and white.  I stepped closer.  It wasn't the photography at all.  It wasn't a trick of the light, either.  It was something that was in each of their faces.  I looked at the caption that accompanied the picture.  It read, "Lincoln School~~1917".  

World War I

Two pictures down the row there was another classroom shot.  This group of students had that same look in their eyes as well.  The look, however, seemed a bit more sophisticated.  They looked weary and unsure yet had a confidence about them; their eyes pierced the camera lens and told their story.  Again, I looked at the caption and read, "Lincoln School~~1940's".

World War II

Many have fought.  Many have died.  Many still struggle on our behalf for the privilege our children have to walk down a hallway in peace and security, gaining an education that will prepare them for the life they will lead. 

Today is Veteran's Day.  If I were to take a picture of my class and frame it for posterity, I wonder what a person some 70 or 90+ years from now would read in their eyes?
Mr. Casten
Nov. 11, 2011

Copyrighted material of Michael C. Casten

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