Dear Mr. Vestal,

Thank you for giving me the free classroom set of Crystal Stix and video at the Renaissance Festival last month.  After watching the video, I was so inspired to try this activity that I started working on them during my planning period and between classes. While practicing out in the hall, other teachers and students became interested in them and begged to try.  I think I've started a new fad!  I know that the stix have positive physical and psychological effects, but I teach academically gifted middle schoolers and the most positive effect they have had on my class has been motivational.  I keep them on the shelf in my room and allow students to practice them when they finish assignments early (you would not believe how speedy my students have become lately).  They find the stix so much fun that when I took them home over one weekend to play with them and forgot to bring them back on Monday, I thought I was going to be run out of the room by a disappointed mob of kids!  Thanks again for introducing us to this activity.  I hope this feedback has been useful to you.  I don't think I'll ever get as good as you are at it, but I now have a new hobby and motivational tool for my students all in one!

Sincerely,

Michelle Foster