Category Archives: achievements

Hang in there as you begin your Senior year at DHS

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Can’t believe you’re entering your Senior year at Dover High School Ben!

Grammy and I are trying to process the reality that Grandchild #1, born nearly 18 years ago, is in his 12th year of school, not counting kindergarten.  How did this happen so fast? Crazy!

We wish your final year at DHS was a normal one, without the constraints of Covid-19, meaning remote learning and ZERO in-person attendance at school. That sucks!

We’re sad you and your classmates (and everyone else in America not able to attend school who normally would) won’t experience the normal routines, customs and procedures we’ve taken for granted all these years.

We’re hoping a vaccine is developed soon and you’ll be able to get some degree of in-person Senior year high school experience (a few months perhaps?) before you graduate (including a somewhat normal commencement ceremony).

Hang in there, Ben. We’re proud of how you’re adjusting to all this change and know you’ll be okay. Stay focused, get good grades and don’t let the turkeys get you down. You’ve got the right attitude and this will continue to serve you well. Proud of you.

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GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL!

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This afternoon your played your first Winter soccer game, on a team with other Dover kids, playing in an indoor stadium in Hampton.

Last Fall you played soccer (as you have for many years), but your coach used you as a defenseman in every single game.  You did a great job, but she never gave you a chance to try offense, despite the fact that you’re one of the quickest and strongest kids on the team. You love soccer – it’s your favorite sport – and I love to watch you do your thing no matter what position you play.  But I have trouble understanding why an eight year old would be restricted to one position.

Play the field! Try every position! See what you can do!

So anyway, tonight – on your new team – your new coach put you on offense after playing you the first half on defense.  He’s a new coach, and he doesn’t know you yet, and he’s more open minded.

The other team was tough – you played them in Fall soccer.  They are relentless and ran the score up.  Finally Dover got off a solid kick, the shot hitting the right upper side of the goal and then taking a left turn inward.  You assisted on the shot.  Score!

Late in the game, down by five goals at least, you put your foot into the ball with assertiveness and it soared in a floating arc over the goalie’s head. You had scored your first goal!

playing your first indoor soccer game the day you scored your first goal you lined up with the goal straight on and let your leg fly into the ball. It lifted up high - like a field goal kicker's kick - and sailed well above their relentless goalie's head and arced in seeming slow motion into the goal.

Everyone congratulated you at the end of the game; we were so happy for you.  You were a little surprised, and very low key, I could tell, but you were glowing from the moment.  It was like you couldn’t believe it had happened.

Way to go Ben, way to go.  I’m proud of you!

the kindling of imagination

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The first book in the Lemony Snicket “unfortunate events” series was on your kitchen counter, so I asked how you liked it.  Having read the first five, I was anxious to hear your reaction. It’s an unusual theme … dark and foreboding, not unlike Harry Potter.

“I like it. I got it from the school library.”

I told you I read the first five books and had them at home. “Would you like to read them?”   “Yes,” you replied without hesitation.

Next time you came to my house, you immediately asked about the books.  “Papa where are those Lemony Snicket books?”  “In my office… in my bookcase.”  You marched in and took them.  “You don’t have the fifth one,” you said, “but I’ll get it from the library.”

One of the most amazing things about you is your love of reading.  You have an insatiable appetite!  You always have a book in-the-works and often read several per week.  In fact, three days after you took volumes 2, 3, 4 of Snicket I inquired and you had already read them!

Your favorite book series is Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  I haven’t read any so you told me I could bring one home…”take the red one, that’s the first one.”  I did.

I gave you the first book in the Harry Potter series and hope you enjoy it.  I’d like to read it with you – or talk about it – and someday visit Hogwarts at Universal Studios.  Here’s a picture of you “reading” Harry Potter when you were but a wee bitty pup.  The seeds of reading were planted at a young age, my friend.

Keep on reading your entire life Ben.  Reading is knowledge and awareness – yes – but it’s also the kindling of creativity, curiosity and imagination.  It will take you to wonderful new places and always be a good friend.