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Show 6 CLIPPER Friday, August 20, 1993 Grandma teaches the golden rule By MARK EDDINGTON Staff Writer KAYSVILLE There is no summer recess for Kaysville Junior High School teacher Ann Gammon. For this mother of six and grandmother of 13, school is always in session and the golden rule is the norm rather than the exception. Students raise their hands before and say please thankyou, are taught respect for seif and others, love to learn and love their teacher and classroom antics are saved for recess. Add to s, that the Scriptures, field trips, discipline and lots of love, and you have Ann's recipe for a foundation she hopes will prepare her students for life. The stakes are high, she said. After all, her summer students are not the same seventh and ninth grade home economics, nutrition and English students she teaches during the regular school year; they And the are her grandchildren. classes she conducts from the basement of her home from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays are more than reading, writing afld arithmetic; they are academics mixed with a heavy dose of religion and etiquette that would do credit to Miss Manners. It is a mix that lends a unique flavor to Ann's Grandma School, which is what her students call her summer speaking, sing-along- endeavor. The obvious question is why? e teacher with 18 years A experience in the Davis School District, one would assume she enjoys the respite from teaching afforded by summer vacation. Ann readily admits to enjoying a little down time and spending time with her husband. Bud, who recently retired from his civilian job at Hill Air Force Base. But as a grandmother she began full-tim- thinking of her grandchildren and the precarious future and challenges they would face, and her plans for rest and relaxation were put on hold. My daughters all work, she said, and 1 was really concerned that these little grandchildren of mine were not getting the kind of teaching that I was able to stay home and give to my children especially (LDS) church teachings, good manners and how to act...l. was really wondering what I could do to make a difference in their lives. Then an idea came to her: She was a teacher, and it is a teacher's job to teach. Why not hold school several days a week for her grandchildren? Having realized this, Ann began shopping at garage sales for chalk boards, arts and crafts, crayons, toys and other supplies. She purchased Brite music tapes, church film strips and started to organize lesson plans. Many of the class rules were borrowed from Robert Fulgham's bestseller. All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.. Grandma school began in late June with eight grandchildren from three daughters' and one son's families. Two other sons are married but don't have children. The students ages range from three to nine. Two older grandsons, David Gammon and Jake Wilcox, serve as teaching assistants. Class begins with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by singing and story time. Ann said she often used this time to help instill within the children a love of country by regaling them with true stories about family members who have served in the Armed Forces. Bud flew combat missions in Viet Nam, and some ancestors fought in World War 1 or were members of the Mormon Battalion. On other days, story time is devoted to stories about the pioneers or from Golden Rule make way for recess at Ann Gammon's Grandma School in east Kaysville. Mrs. Gammon's eight grandchildren meet twice weekly during the summer to practice reading, arts and crafts, and to learn manners and respect for themselves and others. Reading and the the Bible and Book of Mormon. Derek Saunders Ask what comes next, and without hesitation he replies: Snacks and recess. Children file outside to play games in the front yard, followed by milk and cookies, graham crackers and other treats in the kitchen. Sometimes I feel like I'm the chief cook and bottle washer, Ann confessed. School resumes for reading Older grandchildren read Scriptures aloud and younger ones follow along with picture book readers and film strips. After lunch, the little grandchildren nap while always right. It's a tough old world that they live in. The grandchildren seem to have no complaints with the curriculum. "Its funner sic than normal school, Wilcox. do work. Alicia said Julianne In normal school we just Sanders, 5, enjoys learning about Jesus. That's my favorite thing, she said. Teaching assistant David Gammon enjoys seeing all of his cousins. Angela Saunders, 9, enjoys playing with dolls at recess. More than being a teacher, Ann said she loves being a grandma. The great thing about this school and being a grandma is that I can love and spoil the grandchildren and do all these wonderful things. Then at 4 p.m. when it's all over, I can give them back to their moms and dads. time. others read quietly. The afternoon session is devoted to arts and crafts, swimming, trips to the library and field trips. The Hansen Planetarium and Eccles Dinosaur Park are a few of the childrens' favorites. Picnics in the park are also popular excursions. Being as they are my own grandchildren in my own home, there are no rules and regulations about what kinds of things I can teach or do, she says. Ann. however, is a firm believer in rules. Grandchildren who misbehave are sent to a timeout room until they can tell her what they can do to make the class better. She is also quick to reward appropriate behavior. Everyone needs rules, she said. Rules are nothing more than guidelines for us to live by. On Tuesday, the last day of Grandma School, Ann reflected on what has been a busy summer. I've become so close to the grandchildren, and I hope they have learned some good manners. They always remember to say Please, may I have, and Thankyou. They have learned how to clean up after themselves and to love one another... But is this approach to Pollyanna for the nineties and beyond? Will manners and the ball Is bigger than your's! Angela Saunders, 9, and Jeffrey Wilcox, 6, mug for the camera standing atop a post in their Grandma's front yard. My Golden Rule prepare children for the future? I hope so, Ann replied. I hope they'll have the moral integrity to do the things that are Teaching is hands-o- n experience for Kaysville grandmother Ann Gammon when it comes to her grandchildren. She started Grandma School to instill within her grandchildren the same values that she had imparted to her own children. |