Breakfast fills belly and heart with joy

I love pancakes but this weekend my favorite breakfast fare tasted sweeter than usual when I stopped by Duggan Middle School for the school’s pancake breakfast. The special treat of the day was the maple syrup that I slathered on my short stack. It was syrup that Duggan students had made themselves – starting from the sap collection process – as part of a hands’ on science learning project. It was wonderful to see the sense of pride and accomplishment on the faces of students as hungry patrons slathered their maple syrup onto steaming hot pancakes. The budget season is in full swing here at Springfield Public Schools and every day I confront the harsh realities of the costs of education materials, salaries, keeping up with technology, and so many other critical components of education. But at Duggan School on Saturday, I was reminded that sometimes the best teaching and learning doesn’t cost big bucks but takes little more than creativity, commitment and getting your hands dirty.