I have hit a blogging milestone. This here is my one hundredth post. I had been mulling over what I should write about to mark this accomplishment, and all I could think about was Zero the Hero. Zero the Hero? Who’s that you might be asking. Well, he has nothing to do with gardening, but everything to do with the number 100.Â
You see, not too long ago, I spent my days as a classroom teacher in an elementary school. For most of those years I taught in classrooms that were visited by Zero the Hero on every tenth day of school. Like the Tooth Fairy or Santa Clause, he comes unseen in the middle of the night and leaves a little gift to mark the occasion. On the tenth day of school he might leave a new book for the classroom. On the twentieth, maybe markers. On the thirtieth day, maybe thirty pencils. Later in the year he might leave a challenge question for the students to solve. You get the picture. Basically, a fun way to teach young children the importance of the number zero and its use as a place holder.
Zero the Hero comes until the 100th day of school and then retreats into his resting place until the next school year. Where I taught, we marked the 100th day by making a sundae with one hundred scoops of ice cream. The children’s shouts could be heard throughout the school as they counted out the scoops the parent volunteers and teachers dropped into a (clean) rain gutter. It is the one day of the year that the 4th – 8th graders still want to believe that Zero the Hero is real and secretly wish he made visits to their classrooms.
Unlike blog posts, you can’t control when those tenth days of school come. It has taken me about a year and a half to reach post one hundred. I put off the one hundredth post until I was ready to write. Not so for days of school. I had many a night when I would wake up at 2:00 a.m. and realize in a panic that it was the 30th or 60th day of school and I had not planned a Zero the Hero gift. I would scrounge around my house or my supply closet in the classroom in hopes of finding something sufficient. I always breathed a sigh of relief when the 100th day came and went. The pressure was off.
So, how does this all tie into tomatoes? Here goes. As part of the 100th Day Celebration, students were asked to bring in collections of 100. They brought in everything from pennies to chewed pieces of gum (yes, chewed pieces of gum). Some collections were brought in bags, others neatly arranged and glued to cardboard, a few in the form of sculptures, as well as other creative displays. So in honor of my 100th post, and to my former life, I present my collection: 100 tomatoes.
The Novice Gardener said:
Congratulations! The 100 tomatoes look awesome. I definitely can relate to this post. I love growing tomatoes and I work in an elementary school!
Growing Up in the Garden said:
Thanks! Does your school “employ” Zero the Hero?
The Novice Gardener said:
No, thankfully! That must have been so much pressure! Every 10 days? But we do celebrate the 100th day of school. Every grade has its own tradition in marking the day. Dressing up as old people, wearing hats with 100 things on them, etc.
Allison said:
🙂
thelandroverownerswife said:
Lol, now you’ve got to eat them all 🙂
What a lovely tradition to have started and fabulous memory you created for all the children that passed through your classroom.
Oh and congratulations on reaching your 100th post.
Growing Up in the Garden said:
Thanks! I can’t take credit for starting the tradition, but certainly can for participating. Not sure who created Zero the Hero. My daughter starts kindergarten in about a month and she will love his visits I am sure and she will certainly remember the giant ice-cream Sunday!
Tammy said:
Oh Zero the Hero would be so proud! I love this post. Congratulations on such a milestone. I love it! 🙂
df said:
The primary school that my older boy attended celebrated the zeros in a similar way; such a great idea (but such a lot of work for the teachers!). I absolutely love your one hundred tomatoes!! Congratulations 🙂
Growing Up in the Garden said:
Thank you! It is a lot of work for the teachers, but also a lot of fun. I am looking forward to seeing my daughter’s reaction to the whole thing. I haven’t told her anything about it, wanting her to be surprised with his first visit. She starts K this year.
The Belmont Rooster said:
Congradulations on your 100th post!!! Very creative with the tomatoes! I hope you thought that idea up before 2 in the morning!
Growing Up in the Garden said:
LOL! Yes, I think so anyway. Thank you.
Christina said:
Congratulations! Hooray!
The Novice Gardener said:
I hope you don’t mind, I used your tomato picture in my 100th post. Full credit is given, of course. I put in the link. It’s part of Zero to Hero roundup challenge, believe it or not. That was how I recalled your post! 🙂
Growing Up in the Garden said:
Yes, no problem. Thanks for letting me know and for the credit (of course). And congratulations on your 100th post!