"An optimist is a person who starts a new diet on Thanksgiving Day." (Irv Kupcinet)

 

"Thanksgiving is America's national chow-down feast, the one occasion each year when gluttony becomes a patriotic duty." (Michael Dresser)

 

[Dedicated to my wife Dail]:

"The funny thing about Thanksgiving, or any huge meal, is that you spend 12 hours shopping for it and then chopping and cooking and braising and blanching. Then it takes 20 minutes to eat it and everybody sort of sits around in a food coma.  Then it takes four hours to clean it up." (Ted Allen)

 

"The thing I'm most thankful for right now is elastic waistbands." (Author Unknown)

 

"Turkey: a large bird whose flesh, when eaten on certain religious anniversaries, has the peculiar property of attesting piety and gratitude." (Ambrose Bierce)

 

"Thanksgiving is an emotional holiday. People travel thousands of miles to be with people they only see once a year. And then discover that once a year is way too often." (Johnny Carson)

 

The past few weeks have been a great example of the benefits of the flexible scheduling possible only at Veritas.  Two weeks ago our students arrived at school at 1 p.m. two different days -- but they were right on time!  That's because we attended special, night-time events at Baylor both of these days, so school began after lunch.  This photo was taken in the lobby of the Jones Concert Hall.  Several of our students were quite taken with these "From the Top" musicians (their musical abilities only?) so, of course, I asked them if they would mind posing for a picture.  They were, quite obviously, happy to oblige!

 

The very next night we left campus after a cook-out that followed our modified class schedule (1-5 p.m.) and journeyed to Waco Hall.  Max Lucado was the guest lecturer for the Ferguson-Clark Lectures, speaking that night on the topic of fear and how to overcome it.  Admission to both these events (the concert the night before and this lecture series) was paid for by the school -- included in students' tuition.  The next day our students put on green aprons and helped work the annual Waco-McLennan County Library Book Sale, as porters and checkers.  We were glad to contribute to the success of this important event. 

 

Yesterday we trekked over to Baylor's theatre arts department for a tour of their facility, the Hooper-Shafer Fine Arts Building.  The department's chair, Dr. Stan Denman, gave the kids an excellent "behind the curtain" tour of all the various stages that go into every theatre production. (In this photo one of the students is rummaging through dresses in the costume "closet.") The kids also met the young Baylor student who will work with them next semester as we attempt a one-act play. We'll be sure to let you know how this progresses! 

 

The next few weeks will be very busy. We have lots to do in the classroom as we near the end of our first semester ever in the history of Veritas Varsity, but we'll also be out and about town quite a bit. There are a number of special Christmas events taking place in town; we'll revise our schedule again and attend at least two of these. We're also planning an outing in Dallas right before the Christmas Break -- a visit to the Gaylord Hotel (and their incredible lights) where Mr. Sams plans to treat the kids to a special Christmas dinner in one of the fine hotel restaurants, followed by attendance at the Dallas Children's Theatre Christmas production. Again, all these events are covered by the tuition fees, tuition which, by the way, is actually being reduced for next school year.

 

Our fees will be highly competitive, and actually less than at least three of the principle private high schools in town!  Keep your eyes posted to our website in the next few weeks for updates on all our financial information (as it relates to next school year).