A worthy education

This school has a special section where kids learn about ecology. I hope that it can open back up soon.

Where he Went to University

FFP is only a few miles from all the schools he attended. The closest, of course, is the University of Texas where we frequently walked from our downtown condo. (Currently, due to COVID-19 we are avoiding getting outside our apartment as much as possible.)  Here FFP is looking across the fountain on the mall looking toward the Tower. Because of the events of August 1966, that edifice always gives him pause. Today is Theme Day at City Daily Photo and 'school' is the theme. Click here to see what others have offered for this theme.

Quite a career!

We noticed this sign the other day -- T.A. Brown must have been quite a guy. He was a principal here for 41 years. Amazing.

Does Your Dog Bite?

Part of the Mancini schtick at the Austin Jazz Workshop school show involved sax player Michael Melinger dressing up like Inspector Clouseau and doing a comedy routine with the singer. 

Jazz in the Gym

No, it's not a sock hop!  Six of Austin's best jazz musicians played an instructional concert at a local elementary school yesterday morning.  Michael Melinger, the tenor sax player, is the president of Austin Jazz Workshop, which reaches out to kids in grades 3-5 with music and talk about the various instruments.  The hope is that the kids will be inspired to take up playing an instrument themselves. This year's featured composer is Henry Mancini.  They played songs like Moon River, Theme from Peter Gunn, Baby Elephant Walk, Charade, and Dear Heart. The kids were in awe and I heard one of the teachers telling a colleague afterwards, "That was world class!" Thanks to tireless work from Michael and support from the AISD and some loyal donors, they play in virtually all of the local schools each year.

Owl in Longhorn Land

Saw this car parked on Rainey Street one day. It celebrates the centennial of Houston-based Rice University. Don't know why a car would be so decorated especially in Austin. Rice is famous for engineering, for a band with a sense of humor (the Marching Owl Band or MOB) and not for football. So it's right up there in my book.

The robots are coming!

A couple of weekends ago, there was an unusual display at the Farmer's Market a block from our building. Some youngsters from the local science magnet high school were showing off their robot creations. One of the inventions had been to a national competition. Oh to be that young and that smart.

Mosaic School Bus

This sweet little mosaic, executed by the school kids??, is at Mathews School on Westlynn.