Exciting news! This newsletter is a guest post by local writer and educator David Rockower. We hope you enjoy it!
In-progress ice sculpture at First Night State College
No matter the age of my students, they always squeal when witnessing the initial flakes of the season; I make it a point to stop class and let everyone rush to the windows, stare outside, and smile. Whether it’s the potential for an early dismissal, delay, or cancellation—or perhaps knowing that they can go sledding soon—it brings them joy. The same is true for my own children. When Nathan and Maddie were in elementary school, they played in the snow for hours, building forts, making “race tracks” with their sleds, and collecting icicles. With their love of snow and winter, Michelle and I were excited to introduce them to State College’s First Night activities.
First Night is a New’s Year’s Eve event that offers ice sculptures, musical performances, carriage rides, ice skating, craft-making, a 5k race, improv, puppet shows, and the infamous ice slide. Because our kids were still young (and Nathan was especially shy), we weren’t sure they would warm up to the experience. Still, we were excited to get outside together as a family. On our walk down Allen Street, Nathan and Maddie pointed at the ice sculptures, touched them with their gloves and laughed. They put their arms around each other and peeked through the window of an ice house. We were off to a great start.
The infamous ice slide in Sidney Friedman Park
Eventually, we made it to Sidney Friedman Memorial Park, where stood a slide made entirely of ice. Our kids watched, mouths agape, as older children sat on plastic sleds and slid down, screaming with joy until they plopped into a pile of hay. We asked if they wanted to give it a try. They both nodded but after we got in line, they hugged us a bit tighter. By the time it was our turn, they shook their heads and said, “no.” The slide looked entertaining from a distance, but when it was time to climb the ladder, it was just too intimidating. We moved on and found some hot chocolate to comfort their disappointed hearts.
Later that evening, I ran in the 5K Resolution Race. Though I was bundled up in cold-weather running gear, I found myself running alongside others dressed as a giant chicken, a wolf, Santa and several bananas. Running in races can be painful for me, but this one went quickly, as the runners were clearly there to have fun; for most, winning wasn’t a concern.
After the race, the kids were hungry, so we visited one of the food vendors and the kids stuffed their tiny faces with kettle corn until they were ready to revisit the ice sculptures. They walked around and around the ice dragon, running their hands along its tail. Eventually, they asked about the ice slide again, wanting to know if it would be there next year when they would be a bit bigger (and maybe braver). We assured them it would. After another round of hot chocolate, we headed home.
Almost a year later, there was a huge snowfall on Christmas Eve. Michelle and I have always commented on how beautiful downtown State College is after a snowfall. Each year, we talked about going for a walk on Christmas Day, when no one is downtown, the stores are closed, and we could enjoy the lights. But, either life got in the way or mother nature didn’t come through with enough snow. That year, we made it happen. Ours was the only car on Allen Street, and as we walked the sidewalks I’d traversed for most of my life, I experienced them in a completely new way. The quiet hiss of falling flakes along with the crunch of snow under our boots were the only sounds. The white and amber lights hung along the streetlights made us feel as though we were walking through a movie set. Downtown was asleep and we were not. It was magical.
We talked about the upcoming First Night activities and wondered if Nathan and Maddie would be ready to take on the ice slide. We made predictions about who might go first. Turns out, we were right: Maddie went without hesitation and though Nathan was still hesitant, he could not allow his sister to make this monumental leap without matching her bravery. And, as you might imagine, after conquering the slide once, they went joyfully again and again.
Nathan and Maddie are now both in college. This year, they will both be home for the holidays. I don’t think they will go on the ice slide or poke their heads through the window of an ice sculpture, but they will walk downtown with us, and we will remind them of the time when they were too scared to climb that ladder. Oh, and we will all definitely be drinking some hot chocolate.
The author and his family, many winters ago.
Heineman Fellow and 2017 NCTE Outstanding Middle Level Educator, David Rockower, teaches English at Delta Middle School, a democratic school in State College governed by students, teachers, and parents. David is also a freelance writer and has published articles in The Washington Post, Insider, Education Week, Your Teen for Parents, and is a regular columnist in State College Magazine. His book is titled The Power of Teaching Vulnerability: How Risk-Taking Transforms Student Engagement.
