Mountain Views News, Pasadena Edition [Sierra Madre] Saturday, May 19, 2018

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Mountain View News Saturday, May 19, 2018 

WALKING SIERRA MADRE... The Social Side By Deanne Davis

A CELEBRATION OF THE LIFE OF 

JOHN ROBINSON


“A police officer came to my house and asked me where 
I was between 5 and 6. I replied, “Kindergarten.” 

 “Teaching seems to require the sort of skills one 
would need to pilot a bus full of live chickens backwards, 
with no brakes, down a rocky road through the Andes, 
while providing colorful and informative commentary 
of the scenery.” Franklin Habit

 Those statements are totally true! I got to see four 
amazing Kindergarten teachers in action Thursday a 
week or so ago. I take my hat off to Jane Deulin, Emily 
Hawkins, BJ Thorne and Lisa Spigai, the Kindergarten 
teachers at Sierra Madre Elementary School. It was 
the last Spotlight Performance and Awards Assembly 
of the year, featuring 104 Kindergarteners treating the 
audience - the rest of the students and a lot of excited 
parents to “A Year of Art History Review.”

 Kindergarteners danced on the risers as their parents 
waved enthusiastically from the balcony and hugs 
abounded everywhere. Any child who held out his or 
her arms received a hug from a teacher. This filled my 
heart with joy, seeing so much admiration and affection 
demonstrated.

 Order was called, with immediate compliance, and 
the assembly started with Ms. Christine Smart, the 
Sierra Madre Public Library’s Children’s Librarian, 
asking Principal Lewis if she knew what you’d call a 
book about the brain. She, of course, didn’t and you 
won’t either; it’s a mind reader. The students loved that. 
She then asked the kids what they were going to do 
over the summer and the answer was a resoundingly 
emphatic READ!! Well, I hope they do as summer is 
when there’s time to read, time to enjoy stories that 
excite, that inform, that amuse, that fill us with the 
desire for more books to read, more stories to explore.

 Miss Emily Clark, Director and Performing Arts 
Specialist and Miss Lynnanne Hanson-Miller, Dance 
Specialist let us know the Kindergarteners would 
perform one song from each of the other five grades’ 
shows and their own special song, “The Codfish Ball” 
as sung by Shirley Temple.

 It was all fabulous. These little guys and gals were 
totally focused on Miss Emily and they sang and danced 
with all the energy 5 and 6 year olds have, kicking off 
with the Fifth Grade’s visit to Early Man/Mesopotamia/
Ancient Egypt. What did they sing? “Ally Oop, of 
course!

 “There’s a man in the funny papers we all know 
(Alley Oop, oop, oop-oop) 
He lived ‘way back a long time ago (Alley Oop, oop, 
oop-oop) 
He don’t eat nothin’ but a bear cat stew (Alley Oop, 
oop, oop-oop) 
Well this cat’s name is-a Alley Oop (Alley Oop, oop, 
oop-oop)”

 Moving on, the K-kids traveled to Ancient Greece 
for the Fourth Grade’s number that contained a lot of 
Aye! Aye! Everybody Dance! And ended with Opa!

 We visited Ancient Rome with the Third Grade’s 
classic love song, “Cupid! Draw back your bow, and 
let your arrow go...straight to my lover’s heart for me,” 
with excellent drawing of bow gestures. For the Second 
Grade’s Medieval Times, the Kindergarten stars gave us 
“Camelot!” Then was the First Grade’s Medieval Fairy 
Tale, Cinderella. They did an incredible job on the Fairy 
Godmother’s magic song:

“Salaca doo la menthicka boo la bibbidi-bobbidi-boo

Put ‘em together and what have you got?

bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!”

The highlight of the K performance, though, was 
“The Codfish Ball.” They did truckin’ and steps that 
little Shirley and Buddy Ebsen did in 1936’s “Captain 
January.” Such a delight to see 104 small people so 
focused and so well rehearsed. They ended with “Baby 
Take A Bow!” And everyone sang the school song... 
“Sierra Madre School... You know that I love you!” 

 The Spotlight Awards were next, which always fill my 
heart with joy as so many awards are given out and so 
many are for being good citizens, good friends, good 
people. I wish you could have been there. It would have 
filled your heart with hope for the future, too! Have a 
great week and plant something. The rain has made 
everybody’s garden look fantastic!

 My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis 

Kindle books of all sorts and hardcover “Tablespoon of 
Love” are on there, as is “Star of Wonder.”

Star of Wonder the CD is now on TuneCore! Take a 
look!

Blog: www.authordeanne.com

 Follow me on Twitter, too! https://twitter.com/@
playwrightdd

The residents of Sierra Madre and all 
lovers of our San Gabriel Mountains 
are invited to congregate at Lizzie’s Trail 
Inn and the adjacent Mount Wilson 
Trail Park on Saturday, June 2, from 
10 a.m. to noon. We will be celebrating 
the life and achievements of John W. 
Robinson, educator, historian and 
author, who passed away on April 24. 

 Just as the Red Car and mountain 
resorts boosted our community from 
the 1890s through 1950, John was 
responsible for many of the nature-
loving hikers and campers passing 
through our foothill community. His 
many books and his participation in 
Dr. White’s Hikes into History brought 
an awakening among a wide group of 
Southern Californians regarding our 
own treasure of the Sierra Madre—our 
mountains. 

 Bring your stories of John Robinson and meet with friends and fellow lovers of the best 
“backyard” in the San Gabriel Valley! There will be speakers, videos and displays. Docents 
will be at Lizzie’s, and water and lemonade will be available. The event is coordinated by Dr. 
Bill White with generous support of the Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society, the 
City of Sierra Madre, the Los Angeles Corral of the Westerners, and the Big Santa Anita 
Historical Society. 

 

 For more details, contact Leslie Ziff, president, Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society 
at (626) 321-7735.


Robinson on Mt. Wilson Trail, 1996


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com

Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com