Science Teacher at Mt. Ararat High Proves My Family is Crazy

Fun fact that you probably didn't know. The third week of May is officially Maine Arbor Week. I didn't know that either, but I found out about it when a relative of mine who is a High School Science Teacher at Mt. Ararat High School showed up on Tik Tok dancing around her classroom dressed as a tree. My family is officially crazy.

Allyson Gilbert has been teaching at Mt. Ararat since the 2019-2020 school year, fresh out of Salve Regina University where she studied biology. She's all about plants and animals and has a unique fondness for ants, which I do not share and instead like to introduce them to a can of Raid.

Allyson is my cousin's daughter, which officially makes her my first cousin once removed, yet she insists on calling me her uncle, so whatever. I guess it's easier.

Anyway, back to Maine Arbor Week and why my "niece" is dressed like a tree dancing to "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and the Waves. In a nutshell, this is pure Ally. I've watched her grow up over the past 18 years when I reconnected with my mother's side of the family after her death and my uncle's the year before, and I can tell you she's always been like this. She's smart, funny, and a little outrageous. Who wouldn't want her as a teacher?

And not only is she funny. She's also punny. She told me in what I can tell just by is a very excited text, everything her class did during Maine Arbor Week:

We planted two apple trees on our campus; we played tree related jeopardy which I called "tree-via"; we did a tree scavenger hunt where they had to use guide books to identify different species of trees; we wrote Poe-tree (lol); and we tried tree treats aka cookies made out of acorn flour. We also tied it into our current unit on human impacts by discussing deforestation and the importance of protecting forests and trees. Plus listening to the Lorax sound track to get in the tree spirit.

She's crazy, but a very good crazy and our family wouldn't have her any other way.

Hold onto this one Mt. Ararat High School. You've got a keeper. Am I a little biased? Sure, but did you see that Tik Tok video? If only ant week happened during the school year, she'd be breaking out her ant costume next.