SOLSC #1 What will happen?

I am participating in the
March 2018 Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC).
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day, every day for thirty-one days.

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity

for teacher-writers to share and reflect.

Here I go again!

I believe this is my seventh year of participating in the March SOLSC. I am so appreciative of Two Writing Teachers for this fun opportunity! Each year, I am surprised to find something new to write about each day (it seems to magically happen), I am astounded by how this simple act of daily writing makes me more present and alert all day long, as I mine every moment for possible material in a slice, and I am awed – absolutely awed - by what I read in and learn from other blogs. It is a fabulous month of writing.

That being said - this is likely to be a year that I don’t quite complete the writing challenge. I am traveling on three special trips, one of which is a 30^th anniversary trip to Costa Rica with my dear husband at the very end of March. So, just sayin’! I’m going to give this year’s March SOLSC a good try,  and I will squeeze out all the joy and learning that I can, but I am also going to forgive myself if I write less than 31 slices.

Here’s to the challenge! Welcome to all the new Slicers!! Happy March!! Write on!!

"I have discovered in life that here are ways of getting almost anywhere you want to go, 

if you really want to go."

Langston Hughes

sol17-15 How can I learn more about that?

I am participating in the
Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC).
All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day, every day of March 2017. 

A big thank you to Two Writing Teachers for providing this unique opportunity

for teacher-writers to share and reflect.

I have been participating in an on-line 30-day exercise challenge, thanks to the prodding of a very dear niece...and I am amused by my warmup routine. Yes, I begin each workout with a Google search of all the exercises I don't know followed by viewing Youtube video clips of how to do them. Here's just a sampling of the exercises I've had to investigate:

• bear hug side plank
• burpees
• mountain climbers
• Russian twists
• tricep dips with leg raise
• holloman to knee crunches
• plank jacks
• chaturanga push-ups
• lateral skater jumps
• heismans
• Brazilian lunges
• curtsy squats

Don't you think I should be in amazing shape, just because I know what these are now? Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Practice, practice, practice.

I feel energized when I am "getting smart" about something new, much like an adventurer in new terrain. This positive feeling was the silver lining to my son's autoimmune disease - finding out everything I could possibly know, comparing different sources, learning what to question and what to accept as truth. It is the adrenaline boost for preparing for vacations, especially travel abroad - reading about the location, investigating sightseeing possibilities, and compiling lists of to do's. It is the 'piece de resistance' of my teaching - looking up new techniques, reading about others' experiences, getting background information, considering another perspective.

It is remarkable how essential the internet is to research and how quickly you can access the information you need. It wasn't so long ago that research necessitated a physical visit to the library. It wasn't so long ago when the big questions involved looking at microfiche (and I'm nerdy enough to have loved this level of fact-finding). It wasn't so long ago that if new questions arose or there was something additional to include, you needed to buy new typing paper and begin all over again. Truly, it is extraordinary what information is available right at our fingertips, within mere seconds.

It certainly makes my workouts easier!

SOLSC 2015 #1: Let's begin!

Each day during March, I am participating in the Two Writing Teachers Slice of Life Story Challenge (SOLSC). All participants are writing about one moment, one part of their day, every day for thirty-one days. My slices will be primarily about teaching preschoolers. Check out the Two Writing Teachers  website for lots more reflections on teaching. Thanks especially to Stacey, Tara, Anna, Beth, Dana, and Betsy for hosting this writing challenge. 

*******

This is my fourth year of this writing challenge, and I am filled with what I now perceive as "happy trepidation" - a mixture of excitement, fear, and possibility. The preceding days have been quite a crescendo - my computer died and it took another four days before I was able to get an appointment at the "genius bar," four days filled with extreme ideas of me writing posts by long-hand and scanning these with my phone or begging and borrowing computers from everyone in my family each day during the month - how could I do this blogging challenge without my own personal workhorse? Oh my! 

In the end, the issue was minor and fixed quickly; however, I was told that my four year old computer is quite "aged" and that "jostling" could cause the issue to happen again. 

Now, I simply have to go thirty-one days without jostling my computer. 

What the heck is a memory stick?

So, therein lies the fun of the slicing challenge - there is always so much more going on than the very post(s) you are trying to write! 

How will I negotiate life in the midst of writing?

One part of my blogging preparation was reading all the fabulous information that Two Writing Teachers posted about the challenge. Remind you, this is my fourth year…much of this is now "re-reading" for me. Just this past week, Stacey wrote:

QUESTION: What should I write about? Can I write about teaching?

ANSWER: A slice of life storytelling technique that offers insight into an ordinary person’s life.  You can think of it as a small moment story.  You’re not telling about your whole day – just a piece of it.

and I realize -

I haven't been a real slicer.

I haven't been thinking of slicing as a storytelling technique.

I may have written every day for 31 days straight,

but I didn't write slices every day. 

Oh my! Not all of my posts are slices!

Actually,

it hit me bigger than this.

OH MY! NOT ALL OF MY POSTS ARE SLICES!!

Bigger still:

OH MY! NOT ALL OF MY POSTS ARE SLICES!!

Yes, I realize the title "Slice of Life" should have clued me in,

however, I interpreted it as simply - write a post each day.

Truly, it has been enough of a challenge to

make the space for writing each day, to create a daily post, to make my classroom - my preschoolers - the focus of the writing.

For my "slices" [and I now use the term very loosely], I have shared 

documentation of student work, 

what works and doesn't work in my classroom,

summations of training, workshops, lectures,

personal reflections, 

and

sometimes,

yes, 

only sometimes, 

a moment or part of my day;

sometimes,

only sometimes,

a slice of life.

OH MY! NOT ALL OF MY POSTS ARE SLICES!!

Why am I just now realizing this?

Why does it feel as if I am reading something brand new?

Why am I just now understanding? 

Something strikes me very funny about this. 

I am so proud to be in my fourth year of participation, 

I feel so experienced and able,

and,

in a single moment of reading Stacey's post, 

I feel like a total beginner.

As my friend Sybil likes to say,

We don't know what we don't know.

Dear Slicing Community, 

thank you for

taking me where I am at, 

embracing each of my posts no matter how far removed they may have been (and may still be) from a classic "slice," and

being patient with my learning.

Let's begin again.

To slicing!

Tuesday SOL Daring to try something new

 This is a Tuesday "Slice of Life" for Two Writing Teachers. Check out their website for lots more reflections on teaching.
*******

This is a muse,
a ramble,
a reflection,
about trying to prepare preschoolers for new experiences.

Preschoolers thrive on routine (whether or not they follow it!). Preschoolers love, love, love the familiar, the ordinary, the expected. This is the time of year that you reap the reward - children who know what comes next, what they should be doing, how to move from one thing to another. Our days together almost flow by...

unless you change the routine in some radical way.

This past week, I was again reminded of this: change is difficult for many preschoolers.

On Wednesday, we began a new morning gathering "tradition" - every Wednesday morning, between now and the end of the school year, our morning gathering will include not just the Big Cats, but the Giraffes (the other preschool class), as well. Aisha (Giraffes' Master Teacher) and I thought this would be great community building - another opportunity for these preschoolers to mix, a chance to sing, play, and listen together. Next school year, these two groups of children will blend together to create two new classes of Pre-K students.  Why not let them have a little more exposure to one another before the school year ends? Especially, in such a safe and familiar way?

Oh, the protests! By this time of year, I know exactly which children will have difficulty with this new "tradition." I decided to prepare these tykes. During breakfast, I mentioned it to each child, one-on-one.
"I don't like that. I like Gathering in our classroom."
"I'm going to just sit on your lap, Ms. Ingram."
"Why do we have to go there?"
"I don't want to do that, Ms. Ingram."
"I'm not going over there, Ms. Ingram."
This last friend, I decided to walk over to the Giraffes during breakfast, chatting him up, "Let's go visit the classroom now, so you might see that their classroom is much the same as ours, they have a nice Gathering spot, we are going to have fun."

In the Giraffes, we checked out the scene, and then, much to my total amusement, he turned to the preschool teacher and said, "This is all very wonderful, but I won't be coming over later."

I assured him he could hold my hand and/or sit with me, throughout the Gathering.

Fast forward: the group Gathering occurs.
Yes, it happened.
It took me many extra minutes to get my squirrelly, reticent preschoolers lined up to go next door.
It took me many extra arms to hold them. I sat down, breathless, sweaty, with one preschooler on my lap; two others nestled up close to my body, one on each side; still another preschooler perched somewhat behind me, hugging me around my neck. Both Melissa and Claire (the other teachers) were also shoring up a few timid souls.

Whew! I made it into the classroom! We are sitting at Gathering, with the Giraffes.

I look at the Giraffes teachers, and what do I see? They mirror us, with several preschoolers adorning each teacher, at all angles. Aisha welcomes us - "Hello, Big Cats! Welcome to the Giraffes!"
Immediately, as if on cue, the preschooler on her lap says, "And, bye!" - making it all too clear that she would prefer that we be gone, that her routine not be new.

Reflecting on hard work

The year ended with some difficult feelings -

"not knowing," confusion, frustration.
There were intense discussions about tough subjects.

It strikes me  -
these feelings we have,
as we face the daunting task of growing a school,
these feelings are what every student experiences when learning something new,
when challenged,
when the work is hard.

I expect joyful, excited, compelled.
I forgot "not knowing," confusion, frustration.

You have to
keep on,
stay at the table,
see it through,
reflect,
be resourceful,
stay open-minded,
consider different ideas,
keep questioning,
try again.

You are learning as you go.

And it isn't straightforward. It isn't always clear.

What do you try next?
Is there only one way or many ways?
How do you ensure you are moving in the direction you desire?

In the midst of the hard work, you wonder,

Do I have the "grit" and "perseverance" for this? 

Yes, this is exactly what students feel as they experience hard work.

Learning and creating don't come easy.
It is good to be reminded of that.

Is grit something you only know you have when you are looking backward, 
in hindsight, 
seeing what you accomplished? 

Maybe you don't know you have it when you are doing it?

Hard work.

Keeping them safe and healthy

Yesterday,
we had an emergency lockdown,
blinds drawn,
children moved to the far side of the room,
all of us huddled together,
doors locked,
for a reason that proved
oh so minor and trivial
in light of the tragedy that unfolded in Newtown, Connecticut.

Schools experience lockdowns.
Preschoolers experience these.

I want to write about our adult "face" with children at these times.

I'm not talking about Newtown,
where unbelievable pain and horror actually happened,
to so many beautiful, innocent children and families.
My heart breaks.


For most of us,
we experience
almost 
crises.
Such as yesterday at my school.


Here in the Washington, DC area, I have taught preschoolers during many threats, fears, crises:
Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
Three scary weeks in fall 2002, as our area was under siege by a sniper.
Hurricanes.
Earthquake!
Numerous other smaller events.

All of these,

almost 
crises
for my school, my class of preschoolers.

Testing our preparedness.

Throughout all of these, it is so very clear to me -


Adults who have children in their lives
need to put down their computers,
put away their phones,
turn off the television,
do not talk about the horror that has - or might - happen.
Instead,
be present with these little ones,
projecting faces of joy, resilience, strength.

This is what we teachers know to do.

My school's note to families ended with the following directive:

Please contact me directly if you have any questions or concerns. I urge you to take care that all communication regarding this event be limited to adults only and not happen in the presence of children.

Herein lies the key to how we keep children safe and healthy:

Let children have happy childhoods.

Keep them safely buffered from our adult hell.

How?

Let me share from yesterday's lockdown.

We teachers began closing our blinds and curtains.

A child, "Why, Ms. Ingram? Why are you closing those? Are we doing shadow puppets?"

Me - "Oh that would be fun! We might! Let's play a new thing - let's all of us play over here! Ooooh, we could put our chairs like this and make a wall, and all of us stay on this side of it!  That would be fun!"

My entire class moved to the "safe" side of the room, not knowing 'why.'

A game, a delightful, magical, unexpected, different kind of game.

We teachers got down on the floor and played with them.

All of us jammed together.

We talked, laughed, goofed around.

We followed the children's lead - piggybacking off their thoughts, 

What if we were in a movie theater?

What if this was a race track?

What if there were dinosaurs?

No, a bear!

In our house?

I wasn't taking any notes, I can't recall every moment...

Truly, it was one big improv,

caught in the moment,

where whatever idea the children threw at us,

we tried to incorporate, tried to work with,

tried to "play."

Yes, my mind was in two places at once,

wondering about the actual emergency,

and, simultaneously, putting on a 

perfectly positive face and acting totally "present."

When we got word that the crisis was averted, 

we continued playing, and quietly started to enlarge the area of play, back to the norm of the entire classroom.  I truly believe that the children had no idea that there was any "crisis" at all.

Which, I truly believe, means we teachers did our jobs.

All of us adults need to do our jobs.

Let children have happy childhoods.

Keep them safely buffered from our adult hell.

Here's the amazing truth I have come to discover -

I have the very best job in the world. 

When I allow myself to be present with these little ones,

at a time of such unspeakable pain,

when my heart is breaking, 

when the world seems so cruel,

when I allow myself to be present in their play,

it is such a gift.

I am surrounded by children,

immersed in their laughter, hope, and joy.

I hope there is lots of play this weekend.

Lots of hugs and kisses,

laughter and goofiness.

Keeping our precious little ones safe and healthy.

****
Stacey Shubitz shared this beautiful quote from Jordana Horn in her Two Writing Teachers blogpost A National Tragedy Affects Us All:

 If a handful of people can change the world for the worse, then I am certain that a handful of people can change the world for the better

What was your childhood like?

What was your childhood like?
How did you spend your days when you were three years old?
Who did you spend your days with?
Did you go to school?
Were you in a large group of same age children?
How much time did you spend outdoors?
How regimented were your days?

It is remarkable to me how things have changed for preschoolers
since I was young.

Imagine, in school all day long!

I wonder about this all the time.


Teaching in a public charter elementary school,
I feel almost continual tension between
"institutional" rules, regulations, goals, and
children's developmental needs.

Public education for preschoolers is
such a great opportunity for families.
We need to ensure it is a great opportunity for preschoolers.



In my teaching,
I try
to never lose sight of the individual needs of the children,
to let children have considerable flexibility in how their day goes,
to try as much as possible to follow the child's lead.


I truly believe that preschoolers
- three year olds -
should
more or less
follow their own drummer,
to pursue and develop their own interests,
to learn through play that they themselves choose.




Every day,
every day,
as much as possible,
I let the children

choose what they want to do,
dress up in costumes,
leave up what they build, to return to again at a later time,
get snack when they want,
get messy.





Every day,
every day,
as much as possible,
I let the children

run and run and run,
immerse themselves in great stories,
take off their shoes,
talk, sing, get loud,
play outside,
hide in special nooks,
laugh and be silly,
play with abandon, immersed, captivated,
experience the magic of learning.




Every day,
every day,
as much as possible,
I follow a routine but ignore the clock.






Every day,
every day,
as much as possible,
I try to be present with children.
I try to be alongside.
I try.




I am convinced
it is possible
to create learning experiences
that meet all the institutional rules, regulations, goals, and
also meet
children's developmental needs.

I wonder about it all the time.

Learning how to juggle

Because you can only learn to juggle step by step, juggling is a great
model for learning in general.

We learn to juggle drop by drop. It is not through success, but through many small mistakes (drops) that we learn to juggle. We learn from these mistakes and keep on trying until we accomplish the skill. Through juggling we learn that with practice we can accomplish great things. 

"Juggling & Whole Brain Learning"

Upon arrival to school, you receive a text message from your teaching assistant - she has missed her commuting connections; she is going to arrive late.

Deep cleansing breath.
Learning how to juggle.

Several plates in the air.

Photo person drops by your classroom before school with surprise instructions - please have parents review these proofs, check off if they want picture, and, if they don't, have them take a new form to set a new sitting date...I'll be back at end of day to collect this information from you.  How can you continue the planned morning activities and still get this information from families (without a teaching assistant to help)?

Deep cleansing breath.
Learning how to juggle.

Several plates in the air.

Quick, make sign for families, add reminder to daily message, hope that it takes care of itself....

Your principal says your report cards are overdue and she needs them right away; you feel certain you posted them on the school's Dropbox some ten days ago...hmmm.

Deep cleansing breath.
Learning how to juggle.

Several plates in the air.

Quick, take a minute to search... There they are - you inadvertently placed them in the wrong folder; you need to upload them again; you can fix this during the children's nap-time....

You shared the new specials schedule with families, celebrating the addition of a P.E. class; children and families arrive expecting this class, but you have just found out that - for unknown reasons - P.E. isn't starting this week.  So, do you pop everyone's bubble?

Deep cleansing breath.
Learning how to juggle.

Several plates in the air.

No, you decide to take children to the P.E. room and do an improvised P.E. of your own.  You've never led a class in this room before - the heating system has such a loud and unexpected growl, the children cannot hear a word you are saying....

Deep cleansing breath.
Learning how to juggle.

Several plates in the air.

You dare to strain your voice, projecting over the heating system. As if on cue, one child's nose starts to bleed and bleed and bleed - and you don't have any tissues in this room, there's no bathroom nearby, and there are 21 classmates throwing balls....

Deep cleansing breath.
Learning how to juggle.

Several plates in the air.

Back in the classroom, nosebleed is stopped, children are at centers, teaching assistant has arrived; you should call the child's family, to be certain that the nosebleed is a common experience and not some new, unusual thing.  You go to the family contact folder...hmmm...this family's telephone number is missing from your contact info folder....

Deep cleansing breath.
Learning how to juggle.

Several plates in the air.

You go to the principal's office to get the family's current info; there is a big meeting in the principal's office which you will be interrupting....

Deep cleansing breath.
Learning how to juggle.

Several plates in the air.

You get the file and go to photocopy it - but someone's in the midst of a big photocopying job....

Deep cleansing breath.
Learning how to juggle.

Several plates in the air.

There is a new phone on the wall of your classroom, allowing you to call families and continue working with the children...you dial out, but there is so much happy noise in the classroom that you cannot hear a darn thing on the other end.  You hang up.   Admin person runs in from reception area - I'm transferring a call to you from someone's mother, pick up your phone!  It turns out, you can't hear the new phone ring, either. You pick up phone, and continue to hear nothing.  You dart back to the reception area. Admin is not happy - I just put the call through to you!  Back you run to your classroom....

Deep cleansing breath.
Learning how to juggle.

Several plates in the air.

As you talk to the family, you scan the classroom, keeping eyes on the children...ahhh,

• two students standing ineptly on the side of play activity, unable to negotiate the wide gulf of friendship, how to play together, how to join in; if you weren't on the phone, you could work some magic;
• a couple children are running wildly around in the classroom, squealing, taking advantage of you being on the phone, giving all the signals that they need another location or another play idea; if you weren't on the phone, you could work some magic;
• one child begins screaming loudly - he has just spilled water from his water bottle on his clothes and he detests this cold sensation; you know he will not be consoled until he has changed his clothes; if you weren't on the phone, you could work some magic;
• two classmates run up to you with lots to share, talking over one another, ignoring your signal to hold their thoughts just for one moment, calling out, so excited, so elated...if you weren't on the phone, you could work some magic;
• one child begins emptying math manipulatives from the cabinet, one by one, trying to find the perfect one with which to play? A pile of loose, small, mixed-up pieces begins to grow; aack! if you weren't on the phone....

Deep cleansing breath.
Learning how to juggle.

Several plates in the air.

*****

Finally, nap-time.
You are certain that you'll get a moment of calm now.
You have to get to those report cards!

Except, one child; he does not want to take a nap; yesterday, he had an accident during nap and he doesn't want to repeat this; he needs several repeat trips to the bathroom before he feels calm enough to fall asleep. Finally, he falls asleep. Also, the few remaining restless ones fall asleep.  Yes!

As if on cue, a child wakes up crying from a bad dream....

This is just one of those days....

*****

At day's end -

Take home folders are not stuffed and ready to go.
One child's jacket and another child's winter hat are completely, utterly lost.
There is something unknown spilled all over the floor in the snack area.
Not one family has signed the photo log, to indicate whether or not they want photos.
Principal has not received the report cards.

Truth is, somedays, you are not a skilled juggler.
Tomorrow's another day.

*****
It is not through success, but through many small mistakes (drops) that we learn to juggle. We learn from these mistakes and keep on trying until we accomplish the skill. Through juggling we learn that with practice we can accomplish great things. 

"Juggling & Whole Brain Learning"

Tuesday SOL - One real positive this year

This post is for the Tuesday Slice of Life writing challenge on Two Writing Teachers.



The children were last seen in the school on Friday, June 15th, but, their voices echoed.

We teachers spent busy, long days last week packing up our classrooms for our move this summer to a wonderful new location.

In the midst of the packing, we had several focused discussions about specific issues, both to wrap up this founding year of our school and looking ahead to year two.

In the midst of the packing, we took time to meet and share about our children.

I love being part of a staff that is truly all about the children.

I love how
we know about each other's students,
we embrace the time to share about specific issues,
we make these our whole school's issues.

Certain children need more.  It's as simple as that.

We shared about successes, we shared about continued challenges...their struggles, their "stuckness," their beings.

In the midst of the packing, we had "kid talk," all of us embracing the time, respecting the need for this time.  Time to hone in on what worked, what went wrong with specific children...considering their struggles, changes that are needed, ways we might support the child and family better, how to make changes in our teaching and across classrooms, in the school as a whole, to better support the child.  Were there common unmet needs?  Were there successful strategies? How might we work together to guide this student?

As I reflect this summer, I am happily aware that I love spending time with my colleagues.

I love how
we listen to one another's challenges in the classroom,
we draw a difficult child in rather than push them away,
we welcome older students to "catch a breath" in younger students' classrooms,
we have high expectations for their learning,
we seek to know the child.

Yes, we spent time on children, and the packing got short shrift.

I started off so controlled and organized - specific boxes marked "math manipulatives," "dramatic play - hospital," "engineering."  As time and spirit failed, it became a mad rush to just get everything into boxes, a frenzied, chaotic, get it done, I am fried, I need to go home conclusion to the year.

I'll find time in August to sort through those materials.

I'm glad we spent time on children.

Oh no! That's louse-y news!

Yuck.
Ugh.
Blegh.
Please, no.

The BIG CATS have lice.

My preschool class has had a couple of cases in recent weeks.
Here we go again.

Check out any of the major health websites and you see mention after mention of early childhood classrooms.

Info from the Center for Disease Control begins:

Head lice are found worldwide. In the United States, infestation with head lice is most common among preschool children attending child care, elementary schoolchildren, and the household members of infested children.


WebMD begins:

Head lice are usually found in hair, most often on the back of the neck and behind the ears. Head lice are common in preschool and elementary school-age children. Adults can get them too, especially adults who live with children.


Kidshealth.org says:

The bane of many parents, the head louse is a tiny, wingless parasitic insect that lives among human hairs and feeds on extremely small amounts of blood drawn from the scalp. Although they may sound gross, lice (the plural of louse) are a very common problem, especially for kids ages 3 years to 12 years (girls more often than boys).

Lice are, unfortunately, very common in early childhood classrooms. Children are in close community, hugging, and sitting alongside each other.

Yes, louse-y news.

UGH!

Some of my young families are very anxious. Understandably.
I have had lice twice in my life; my boys, too. I know - truly, I know - the work involved in treating it. I remember vividly how I felt when I first had lice...when I found out that two of my three boys had them. UGH! Right to the barber we went, where I quietly but urgently explained about our situation. I insisted he cut my hair short, and the boys - buzz cuts. Voila!



Yes, louse-y news.

It's very much on the kids' minds. This during hospital play - one child peering at me, "You have worms in your ears." Her classmate pretends to look in my ear, too, "There are bugs in you!," she exclaims.

Little do they know, I am seeing those bugs everywhere, too!

UGH!

A girl shouts, "Let me show you some yoga!" I turn to see her somersault and then six friends join her, landing in a big, happy heap of entangled bodies.
What do I see? Entangled hair.

Greeting one another at gathering - full body embraces.
What do I see? Entangled hair.

Playing together, sharing toys, a child yells, "I need that toy," quick swish of arms! grab!
What do I see? Entangled hair!

Dancing, moving to Laurie Berkner, pretending to be dinosaurs fast asleep.
What do I see? Entangled hair.

Exciting things in the sensory table, a child squeezes in next to his classmates.
What do I see? Entangled hair.

Playing house or hospital or restaurant or cars and trucks, children playing so close together.
What do I see? Entangled hair.


UGH!

- jackets in shared cubbies
- simple t-shirt smocks
- stacking cots after nap
- piles of belongings when the aftercare kids arrive in the classroom
- soft pillows in the book corner
- the big cozy chair
- the gathering carpet
- our dress ups

The odds are not in our favor.

Yes, that's louse-y news.

(I bet you are scratching your head!)