 Zander would have been 10 years-old on Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010. This year the weekend before the big day was bright and sunny and it would have been a lovely afternoon for a birthday party in the Court Yard. It is now 18 months since we lost him, but on lovely afternoons like this one I can still hear him arguing with me about going outside. We have finally got used to living without him, but he lives on within all of us, whenever we think of him on any bright and sunny afternoon like this one, and remember what fun he was to be around. MOM & DAD We eat well and go to the gym and practice yoga. We both enjoy our teaching very much. We miss little guy. We continue in our efforts to restart our family. We want to thank all our family and friends and neighbors and students and everyone else for their kindness. We love you Brooklyn! WHAT HAPPENED? I have made a News Accounts page and posted a copy of the traffic court judgment in the case. The future of Zander's page: I feel like I have the garden all organized now and it just needs tending from time to time. When you think of Zander, this place will always be here, to help you remember what a wonderful little boy he was, always will be.   Zander introduces the Jersey City Field Trip. Shot in January 2008. Dad's favorite. Funny! Zander introduces the Times Square Field Trip. Shot in January 2008. Funny! Zander dancing on the Long Island Rail Road. Beautiful! Zander wins the dance competition at the Astrograss concert, January 2006. V. sweet. Zander's piano recital, June 2008. Funny! How important was 'Dancing with the Stars' to Zander? See him here with his birthday presents March 2008 Funny! Brooklyn Poet Laureate, Ken Siegelman, reads Zander's 'There's No One Like Me'. With thanks to Natalie & Andi. There's No One Like Me by Zander Toulouse Nobody's like me For all my special reasons For example: A board game To me there is nothing like a nice board game. I always like my bath water hot. I always like trains. I LOVE to dance a lot. Blue is my favorite color. I am the pride of the world. I know I can be a problem. But I am very useful sometimes.  Music.  The Flamenco.  Our many thanks to the following for their kindness & generosity: - Ms. Barbara and Ms. Atlanta from the American Ballroom Theater and the 4th and 5th grade teachers of PS29. - PS 29 and Principal Melanie Woods. - The John N. Blackman, Sr. Foundation which paid for the 5th grade dance lessons. - Chris & Bonnie would like to thank Natalie Giles for her help in making the 4th grade dance lessons possible. - The pupils and parents of the 4th and 5th grades at PS 29. It was so much fun to see all Zander's friends again and to see them dance like he wouldn't have thought was possible. As he would have put it, they were so great! We were so pleased and we know he would have been too. Thank you to everyone for putting on such a fantastic show. (Although I think Bonnie's Mom probably had it right when she said he would have complained that there was no paso doble). So far the fund established in Zander's name has given around $7180 to PS 29 to help with ballroom dance lessons for Zander's 4th grade class and $900 to Fordham University for awards to faculty for service to the eloquentia perfecta requirement in the new Core Curriculum. You can make an online credit card donation to the Zander Fund for ballroom dancing at PS 29 by registering at NYcharities.org and making a donation to "Parents and Teachers Association of PS 29 Inc" in the name of the "Zander Fund". You can make a donation by check by making out a check to the PTA of PS29 (for "the Zander Fund") and sending it to PS29, 425 Henry Street, Brooklyn, NY. 11201 (attention Natalie Giles). The PS 29 PTA has a line item in its budget for the "Zander Fund" and right now the money is for 4th grade ballroom dancing lessons next year. Many thanks to Jen Chapin for the wonderful moving concert she gave at Jalopy on Saturday 14th November 2009. Thank you also to my student Michael Kaplan for making the arrangements. We raised $560 for the Zander Fund.  Jen Chapin in concert at Jalopy.  Family & friends enjoying the beautiful music. by his Dad  It has been very important to me this long and lonely year not to let the sudden and terrible manner of Zander's passing eclipse the wonderful meaning of his life and the inspiration he gave to so many. That is why I have worked so hard on my childrens' story. It features a little boy based on Zander as its central character. Zander is a wonderful "straight man" to write funny characters around and this is the kind of ghost story that would have made him laugh because the ghosts are afraid of children and the grown-ups need a lot of help. There are also no end of the bad puns ("frightening the life out of the dead" and so on) that would have made him giggle. I wanted to do something special that would never have happened had he not been taken from us. The story gives me a way to share in the fun of knowing of him and to celebrate what a special little guy he was - and in our hearts - he still is. The Zander Calendar 2008 - Mar 08 - Best shots from 2007-08. The Philosophy of the Telectroscope - Jun 08 - But what - exactly - are we looking at? The Mermaids' Day Parade, 2008 - Jun 08 - Creatures from other planets, and what's really important about Coney Island... A Day Trip to Montauk - Aug 08 - Our mission to ride to end of every LIRR line continues...  THE FUNERAL: The funeral service for Zander was on Wednesday, September 10th, 2008, at 1:15pm at Riverside Memorial Chapel, 180 W. 76th St. NYC (Amsterdam and 76th St.) Our sincerest gratitude to all who were able to attend. It was a beautiful service and it seemed like there were a thousand people in the chapel. We were deeply moved to see how many people Zander's life had touched and take solace in knowing that so many people were inspired by him. OPEN HOUSE: The family received visitors Wednesday September 10th and all day Thursday September 11the, 2008, into the evening. Thank you to all who came to see us. We were overwhelmed by the generosity of neighbors and friends, and thank everyone for all the flowers and hampers and drink they sent and brought with them to entertain our guests. We thank you for your love. Zander lives on in our hearts! THE MEMORIAL: A Memorial was held for Zander at Fordham University at Lincoln Center on Friday 21st November 2008, 4.15-5.00PM, in Lowenstein Hall in the 12th floor conference room. The Memorial was a great success and we were very pleased and relieved. It was a chance for the Lincoln Center community to share memories of Zander but also to catch up with old friends. People were able to look at the pictures and videos of Zander and laugh and smile and we were very grateful for that. Butterflies were released in his memory. Requires Kleenex! Candles were lit in his memory. Very soulful.  and find out what an amazing little guy he was. Requires Kleenex! -> Click here for News Accounts from the day and a Copy of the Traffic Court Judgment. Beautiful tributes 'Daily News', September 15th, 2008 'Hearts broken at PS29 over death of Alexander Toulouse'. 'The Fordham Observer', Oct 1st, 2008 'Remembering Zander Toulouse'. Thank you so much for all the messages we received. They helped us more than you can imagine. We know little guy touched a lot of hearts and we are not the only ones who are heartbroken. With your help we can now see how Zander's light will shine on because he really was a very special little guy. |
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