Coloring Within the Lines, 2017

Havar, fall, 2017

Principal: Ilila Peterson; Primary Teacher K: Jasmine Frankson; Primary Teacher 1 & 2: Walter Gibson; Primary Teacher 3 & 4: Henry Mendenhall; Primary Teacher 5 & 6: Rosemarie Mendenhall

Primary Students:  Jacob Carr, Richmond Grey, Lesia McMillian, and Olivia Humphrey are in 6th grade; Abigal Carr, Vivienne Humphrey and Robin Wren are in 5th grade; Ari Wilsonoff-Sagacious and Ava Wilsonoff-Sagacious are in 4th grade, Brooklyn Peterson, Jude Peterson, Claudio Pentragnani, Starling Wren and Nicholas Keller are in 3rd grade; Albert Frankson, Isabella Pentragnani and Palila Wren are in 2nd grade; Esperanza Herendez and Audrey Peterson are in kindergarten

There are two new students to the primary school this year and it's been a tough year so far for both of them. Esperanza and Audrey both have parents fighting the war, in fact Esperanza's mother and father were both away leaving her in the care of her grandmother, Carmela. 

Carmela has been volunteering in the classroom to help Experanza adjust and Jasmine is thankful for the extra pair of hands, especially when the girls both think about their parents and start crying, which happens about once a simday which is a lot less than what it was in the beginning of the simyear. 

Jude and Brooklyn are doing better in their classes, 

they have plenty of friends to keep them distracted from thoughts of war and missing parents.

Henry wonders when the school will hire a fine arts teacher and Ilila patiently listens. Her mind is elsewhere. She isn't feeling good and has been fighting the flu and trying to manage a household of children as a single parent in addition to the stress of wondering about her husband's safety yet performing her role as comfort to the other military wives and husbands who are missing their spouses...or worse, just found out that they would forever be missing that spouse.

Henry tries not to bother his boss that often

but he doesn't know how much more of 

asking his student to paint the same wooden sculpture will suffice.

Rosemarie's class is doing their annual garden 

and this group of students seem to enjoy digging in the dirt more than past generations 

or at least it seems.

Gretchen Humphrey was busy getting everything ready for the recital that evening.

A few accomplished students were performing a few violin concertos 

to their parents and family.

Lyndon couldn't help but feel his throat get tight as he watched Vivienne play the instrument.

She sounded just like her mother, Faith.

He just hoped that Vivienne would be better at conquering her demons than Faith.