The Herons had a very special visit this afternoon from Peg Hassett's mother, "Mrs. B." Peg volunteers with us through the DART program which places retired volunteers in Dakota County classrooms. She is also a special person in J.S.'s life (which is how we met her this past December.)
When Peg heard the students' questions about World War II during our read aloud A Long Way From Chicago, she suggested that her mother come in to talk with us since she was a teenager in St. Paul in the 1940s.
It was a wonderful visit. We got to hear about how Mrs. B's family grew a victory garden and how her mother went to work as a long distance telephone operator (who needed special security clearance.) She saw German POWs working the fields when she and her father went fishing in southern Minnesota. She shared stories about rationing gasoline and using ration coupons to buy meat (including the poster she saw at the meat market, "Because of Hitler, your meat is 'littler'" As usual, the Herons were very curious and asked many, many questions.
The students really seemed to appreciate what a special opportunity it was to learn from someone who had lived the history they were reading about. Perhaps it will inspire some great conversations about the history their grandparents have lived.
The Rookery 
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