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In Memory of Summer Break 2012

August 18th, 2012

Summer Break 2012, May – August 2012, Memorial services to be held by teachers and students daily, for the next nine months all around East Texas. Summer came and left us (as she usually does), abruptly this year. Knowing her has been a rich and rewarding experience. She played hard to get through June, allowing us the rain and cool moisture we had missed the preceding year. As such, we mostly stayed indoors reading (and enjoying our lower energy bills), as well as attending events like Vacation Bible School. In July we she began coming around a bit more but remained somewhat standoff-ish, so we busied ourselves with visiting the Tyler Zoo, or other area outdoor venues, like Lindsey Field or Rose Rudman. Still, we knew she couldn’t stay away indefinitely.

By August, as if sensing that her time was short, her visits became longer, and more intense. We felt her warmth in the stands at the Ball Park, and at the pool. We even tried to put a little distance between us by ducking into local museums, and movie theaters. At the end of the day, we watched the Summer Olympic Games on TV and enjoyed our time with her, all the while, wishing the bliss wouldn’t end so suddenly. But of course it did. The time has come for us all to return to the classroom, some as teachers, some as students, but all with vivid recollections of Summer 2012. Goodbye Vacation. I look forward to meeting your predecessor in 2013.

The Summer Break is survived by the coming of Autumn, the fall football season, post- season Baseball, including the Ranger, (make the sign of the cross here), and the coming of cooler weather. The end of the Spring, Winter and the 2011 School year preceded her in passing.  

Discovery Science Place in Tyler… Finally

July 24th, 2012

After much reading, writing and discussion, I finally took my son to Discovery Science Place in Tyler. The stop largely exceeded my expectations. Discovery has a climbing wall, an extensive network of caves, a large ship, which focuses on geography, and numerous science stations, which allow visitors to view rudimentary scientific principles in action. My favorite station allows youngsters to find and excavate dinosaur bones. Another wing of the museum shows young visitors models of local businesses and community institutions. Kids can visit the bank, grocery store doctor’s office or an eatery. They can also learn about the legal system while putting their friends and family members on trial.   This summer’s special event is “Predators, the Exhibit.” The traveling exhibit is brought to Tyler thanks to the Museum of Discovery in Little Rock, Arkansas. It lets visitors get up close and personal with some of our planet’s most adept hunters. Discovery Science Place has also been holding its Camp Discovery program, which as I understand it, is kind of like a science version of Vacation Bible School. The program started back in June and continues until August 11th, so there’s still a little time for those interested to get involved.   Discovery Science Place is a really fun new stop for our area. Obviously it has some growing to do yet. I don’t think its ready to be the draw for outsiders that local favs like The Caldwell Zoo, or the Brookshire’s Museum are. But given a little time and development, it could be. It has certainly created a buzz among parents in our town. Lately, seems I’m always being asked “Have you taken him to Discovery Science yet?” Regardless, the kids will love this museum, and they may even learn a little something along the way.          

Vacation Bible School In Tyler Texas

June 21st, 2011

Tyler TX vacation Bible schoolWe here in Tyler are in the middle of Vacation Bible School (VBS), season right now. Churches all over Tyler are either just beginning, or just finishing their summer activities for area children. Summer programs for the kiddos have become culturally ingrained not on only in East Texas but around the country. I remember attending VBS programs as a child, sometimes at churches other than my own. Of course VBS is essentially a week long Sunday school class that runs from about nine in the morning until noon, (depending on the program). Such programs are popular with parents who are always on the lookout for summer activities for their kids. Church programs are great because they’re safe, secure, and the curriculum is of course formative for the student’s faith. They also have the side benefit of allowing parents a few hours of peace and productivity.

Vacation Bible School is usually a healthy mix of activities and lessons. One of the most popular curriculums this year is called “Pandamania.” Each day’s lesson takes a classic biblical story and draws out a simple theme. The five central stories are as follows: The Creation Story, Elijah vs. the Prophets of Baal, Jonah Runs from God, Jesus Dies and Comes Back to life, and God Gives Hannah a Baby. Numerous churches in town are using the Pandamania curriculum, including; Calvary Baptist Church, Central Baptist Church, Pollard United Methodist Church,Trinity Lutheran and Christ Episcopal Church. I may well be leaving someone out, if so I apologize. Pandamania, like most VBS programs is doctrinally non- sectarian in order to allow as a many different denominations as possible to use it.

There are programs running all through June and into July, all over Tyler and East Texas. My personal fav is Christ Episcopal Church’s, which runs all next week (June 27th through July 1st), from 9:00 am until 12:00 noon. For more information on the Pandamania program go to

http://pandamania.group.com/ . For more on Christ Church’s program go to their children’s ministry page at http://www.christchurchtyler.org/childrens.htm .

Summer Activities in Tyler Texas

May 17th, 2010

Well another school year has come and gone! It’s a time of year anticipated by students and teachers alike, (although most students don’t realize that we teachers look forward to it as much as they do)! Maybe it’s better to keep them in the dark on that account. The arrival of summer can be a mixed blessing for many parents however. While most of them look forward to spending more time with the kids, keeping them busy during the summer months can be a source of concern. With this in mind I thought I’d offer a few random suggestions for vacation activities to look into this season.

Dave Fowler is a personal trainer and fitness guru extraordinaire. As the summer heats up and East Texans take to the water, Dave offers swimming instructions to anyone interested in becoming a stronger swimmer. His usual “classroom” is the pool at Tyler Tennis and Swim from the hours of eight am to noon, but he gladly works with clients based their own availability. He has even held adult classes as late as nine o’clock at night. Dave has also been known to make house calls for those who prefer the comfort and privacy of their own pools. For those looking for a cool activity or just another outlet for exercise Coach Fowler offers a terrific opportunity. Dave can be reached by calling (903)520-9646.

Many area churches offer summer activities for Tyler youngsters including Vacation Bible School programs. Christ Church in Tyler is offer a program entitled “The High Seas Expedition.” The theme is “Explore the Mighty love of God!” The children hear Bible stories, participate in small group learning, paint, and do various crafts which teach Biblical lessons. The VBS runs from July fifth, through the ninth. For more information contact Christ Episcopal Church at (903)597-9854, or see their website at www.christchurchtyler.org/SerengetiTrek.htm.

For parents with school age children and busy summer schedules, Tyler Christian Preschool offers a summer daycare term. The children spend their summer days on field trips, doing arts and crafts, and learning about faith and family. This school is a wonderful, environment with caring teachers where school age students will learn and grow throughout the summer months. The children will have a tremendous time there! I can speak from personal experience as my son loves this school! For more information see their website at www.tylercp.com. Readers can also look for the title “Tyler Christian Preschool,” elsewhere on this site.

For those parents interested in more of a family “Stay-cation” experience, there is always the more traditional route. As a sports fan, taking my little guy to his first Texas Rangers game, ranked up there with his first communion. Although the drive to Arlington seemed longer than I remembered the experience was well worth the effort. Making the journey to Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is also an exciting way to stay cool, but if parents are in the market for something closer to home, consider Splash Kingdom in Canton. The lower prices and closer proximity to Tyler may be a worthy trade off for a smaller park. (For more info on Splash Kingdom, see the recent article on this site entitled “Splash Kingdom Water Park gets you fun in the sun.”) Also visit their website at www.splashkingdomwaterpark.com.

There are certainly many more options for summer activities, but these are a few of my favs. Check back with tylertxdirectory.com for more options as they unfold this season.