Pandas and parasols

A certain red-headed substitute was spotted heading into my classroom this morning.




















It's a curious thing.  Every year around this time, I find myself in need of a substitute.  Fortunately, Ms. Frizzle, driver of the Magic School Bus and science teacher extraordinaire, is always up for the challenge.  She has some unusual (and somewhat demanding) barter requests.  She will substitute for my class on Halloween if I will convince my seamstress and shoe-designer to work their magic.  Seems like a fair trade to me!





This year, inspired by my summer Fund for Teachers fellowship in Asia, she insisted on a new Imperial China dress complete with dragon fabric.  "The children will love the dragon fabric," she pointed out in the fabric store.  And she was right, of course.  By all reports, they did.

The Friz is a firm believer that the details are important.

Shoes would not be complete without pandas attached.
(Visit the Museum of Natural Science to see "Pandas: The Journey Home," an outstanding National Geographic documentary about the Wolong Panda Center in China.)






Earrings--a Chinese calligraphy brush and a golden fan (that actually folds open and closed!)--were a must to round out the ensemble.

Happy Halloween!