A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large
and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.
He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.
He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.
He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.
Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full.
The students responded with a unanimous ‘yes.’

The professor then produced two Beers from under the table and poured the
entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed..

‘Now,’ said the professor as the laughter subsided, ‘I want you to recognize that this jar
represents your life. The golf balls are the important things—-your family, your children,
your health, your friends and your favorite passions—-and if everything else was lost and only
they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter
like your job, your house and your car.. The sand is everything else—-the small stuff.

‘If you put the sand into the jar first,’ he continued, ‘there is
no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you
will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

Spend time with your children.
Spend time with your parents.
Visit with grandparents.
Take your spouse out to dinner.
Play another 18.
There will always be time to clean the house and mow the lawn.

Take care of the golf balls first—-the things that really matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the Beer represented.
The professor smiled and said, ‘I’m glad you asked.’ The beer just shows
you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room
for a couple of beers with a friend.

Cheers!

Idina Menzel (or, as her not-so-close friend John Travolta refers to her,
Adele Dazeem), Jimmy Fallon and The Roots took to the classroom to
present a rollicking rendition of “Let It Go” from the movie “Frozen”.

The playfulness and joy reflecting in this video is presented to you as a reminder that music in
the classroom is critical. Not just for its educational merit, but also because it’s just…plain…fun!

FUN FACT: The L I G (for Let It Go) wooden blocks that Jimmy is holding in the video?
Those were graciously donated to the shoot by Jimmy’s daughter, Winnie.

We created SKULLASTIC because we loved school. Sometimes wish we were still IN school!

So when we found this parody of the anti-bullying “It Gets Better” videos, we had to share. Remember
the super popular kids? The ones with ALL the charm, looks, athletic ability, and rockin’ confidence?
The ones with the world at their feet? Some of them are here to let you know “It Doesn’t Get Better”.

14 year old Jordan Nichols wrote a poem.

Sounds pretty hopeless, right?

Now, read it in reverse:

Unless we turn things around
That might be true,
People thought we couldn’t come back
We knew that
Was a joke.
Working hard
Was how we handled our problems.
Giving up
Is something we never did.
Changing our world for the better
Will not be easy, but we will try.
Forgetting about that time,
Is a dumb thing to do.
Being loving, respectful, and kind
Is the way to go.
Living only for money and power
Is a waste. And we know
We actually succeeded
Thinking that
Our generation was a failure.
That is wrong, the truth is
We were the peak of mankind.
Never will anybody say,
Our generation will be known for nothing.

Never underestimate the power of a child’s ability
to see a world we do not see. Bravo Jordan. Bravo!

Tonight is the Schoolhouse Supplies Celebrity Spelling Bee at the Portland Art Museum in Portland, Oregon!

We are mega fans of spelling bees. Have you seen Spellbound? If not, Netflix it and you’ll buzz for bees too.

We are very excited about this year’s event because last year’s winner, Zia McCabe will be defending her title.
Zia is keyboard player and super cool chick from our favorite band, The Dandy Warhols. Last year’s win
was a bit of a shock to her, but word on the street is that she is P-O-I-S-E-D to take the title again this year.

She’ll be facing off against Cupcake Wars winner and owner of Kyra’s Bake Shop, Kyra Bussanich,
news anchorman and reporter Reggie Aqui and Portland Trailblazers high profiled rookie, CJ McCollum.

The annual event is the big fundraiser for Schoolhouse Supplies, a non-profit organization that supports
public education in Portland by giving students and teachers free classroom supplies. 100% volunteer run,
they operate Oregon’s only Free Store for Teachers which is stocked with supplied donated by the community.

To learn more about Schoolhouse Supplies and the Celebrity Bee, click here.

Good luck to tonight’s celeb spellers! We’re rooting for you Zia!!!!