Well the first term of the 2016-17 school year is just 3 days and exams from being finished and SOOOOOO much has happened since I last wrote!
The last 4 months have flown by...really flown! In that time we have elected a new President. Not going to go all political on here. Let's just say my candidate didn't win. Nuff said.
I have organized my next travel trip with students and we are headed to London and Paris with pop over to Normandy in early June of 2017. Should be a blast! Our school's librarian and her husband are going along so we will all have a splendid time checking on the sites and seeing that part of the world.
We put our vineyard on the market and are hoping to sell it before the end of the year. Time to try new things and free ourselves up on weekends. we did it for 17 years.... and enjoyed it. Ready for new adventures.
Recently we have found ourselves praying a lot for our eldest daughter who was diagnosed with breast cancer in early December. She is having surgery on the 23rd, and the prognosis is very good. We are hopeful a lumpectomy with followup treatment and frequent rechecks will see her into the New Year cancer free. Have to say having the "c" word come up in relationship with your child is a real life-reckoning moment. Don't want to ever have that happen again if I can help it. Thanking God for doctors, health care, regular exams and 3-D mammography which made catching and treating Gret's cancer possible!
Beyond all of the above, I have spent my fall being what I do best, a teacher. Had some great classes to teach this year. Feel myself going slower as I work, and figure that being 61 is all about pacing yourself as you go along. Feel blessed to work with great people and mostly great students. Life is good and I am taking it at a pace I can manage. Will write more in the new year!
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Showing posts with label school. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 14, 2016
Monday, July 25, 2016
Last week of Freedom, Conventions, and Assorted Odds and Ends
Hello readers,
Am back after a hiatus spent with grandchildren and what we now officially call "Grandcamp". Four of the five were here for just about a week along with our youngest daughter, and we did have "grand" time. Running about looking at sites, making crafts and cooking for 3.5 times your usual table crowd makes for a busy week. It was fun.
So now it's time to get serious about the impending school year. And I am finding that a challenge. I really don't want to think about another year just yet. What's more, I find myself dreaming of grabbing a discount ticket to London and just jetting away! This is nothing new... it happens every summer during this time. I love my work, really enjoy the students and the variety, however about this time it feels a bit like a cage that soon I will be forced to crawl back into. I think the images I have of the work others do is part of the problem. I imagine other people at jobs where they can choose to spend more than 3 minutes in the bathroom or take a coffee break or lunch with friends and not be ''watching the room" and I inwardly fantasize about it. That's the sticking point for me about where I work and what I do - absolutely NO discretionary time. Your life is locked into 80 min. segments with 5 minute passing times and somewhere in the day you get "prep time" but you must use it while on campus. It's like being in a prison and it is not any surprise to me at all why all the inmates, both teachers and students, can't wait to rush out the doors each May! Is normal "work" like this too? Or do all you readers with "normal" (i.e. non-teaching) jobs get to call some of the shots about your use of time? So I start fretting about it a couple weeks out. The meetings get onto the calendar first.... I think to "break us all in" to the idea of having to be back in our routine.
For evening entertainment the past week I have been dipping between Netflix and the Republican Convention. Between the two, I will take Netflix. However, there was sort of train wreck quality to the RNC gathering that one couldn't help but watch. So tonight begins the Dems and it's kicking off with a bang that involves firing a woman who heads their national committee. If social media had anything to say about it, which it does but who cares, Senator Sanders should consider rising from the ashes and stealing the show, but that won't happen. However, given the list of speakers that will appear at this one, I will most likely find myself tuning in. I have at least found that conventions make it easier to knit or crochet while watching than do Midsommer Murder episodes on Netflix.
Are any of you less than excited about November's elections? I know I am NOT looking forward to all the ads on mainstream media... which is why I intend to avoid it as much as possible in the next 3 months. Most of you know that my husband is into all things political, although more on an international scale than a national one, so the days ahead are a bit like a big sports season are to other folks. Must admit, it's fun to be a spectator at times like these.
Movie review time: haven't seen many this summer and all of them so far have been kid flicks. Caught Spielberg's BFG based on the book of the same name by Rhoald Dahl. It was delightful and dark and well-executed. Mark Rylance was brilliant as the giant. Second film, The Secret Lives of Pets just about put both me and my 3yr old grandchild to sleep. I would suggest saving it as a rental for some night when you have little people you want to nod off around... and then quietly tuck them in. I will say this, cat lovers will not appreciate that all the cats in the film are either a) ridiculously overweight or b)viciously mean. It kept 3 out 4 grandkids mildly entertained and then they rated it only a 3 starts out of 5. My grandkids have serious movie critic chops, folks.
Still enjoying my bike, although I must admit that one week of 100 degree heat here in Misery-(oops) Missouri put the damper on my plans to ride daily. Some things are just not worth heat exhaustion.
Our pool seemed a safer option for the past 5 days of scorcher temps. I hope you all survive your final week of July with coolness!
Till next time - all the best.
Am back after a hiatus spent with grandchildren and what we now officially call "Grandcamp". Four of the five were here for just about a week along with our youngest daughter, and we did have "grand" time. Running about looking at sites, making crafts and cooking for 3.5 times your usual table crowd makes for a busy week. It was fun.
So now it's time to get serious about the impending school year. And I am finding that a challenge. I really don't want to think about another year just yet. What's more, I find myself dreaming of grabbing a discount ticket to London and just jetting away! This is nothing new... it happens every summer during this time. I love my work, really enjoy the students and the variety, however about this time it feels a bit like a cage that soon I will be forced to crawl back into. I think the images I have of the work others do is part of the problem. I imagine other people at jobs where they can choose to spend more than 3 minutes in the bathroom or take a coffee break or lunch with friends and not be ''watching the room" and I inwardly fantasize about it. That's the sticking point for me about where I work and what I do - absolutely NO discretionary time. Your life is locked into 80 min. segments with 5 minute passing times and somewhere in the day you get "prep time" but you must use it while on campus. It's like being in a prison and it is not any surprise to me at all why all the inmates, both teachers and students, can't wait to rush out the doors each May! Is normal "work" like this too? Or do all you readers with "normal" (i.e. non-teaching) jobs get to call some of the shots about your use of time? So I start fretting about it a couple weeks out. The meetings get onto the calendar first.... I think to "break us all in" to the idea of having to be back in our routine.
For evening entertainment the past week I have been dipping between Netflix and the Republican Convention. Between the two, I will take Netflix. However, there was sort of train wreck quality to the RNC gathering that one couldn't help but watch. So tonight begins the Dems and it's kicking off with a bang that involves firing a woman who heads their national committee. If social media had anything to say about it, which it does but who cares, Senator Sanders should consider rising from the ashes and stealing the show, but that won't happen. However, given the list of speakers that will appear at this one, I will most likely find myself tuning in. I have at least found that conventions make it easier to knit or crochet while watching than do Midsommer Murder episodes on Netflix.
Are any of you less than excited about November's elections? I know I am NOT looking forward to all the ads on mainstream media... which is why I intend to avoid it as much as possible in the next 3 months. Most of you know that my husband is into all things political, although more on an international scale than a national one, so the days ahead are a bit like a big sports season are to other folks. Must admit, it's fun to be a spectator at times like these.
Movie review time: haven't seen many this summer and all of them so far have been kid flicks. Caught Spielberg's BFG based on the book of the same name by Rhoald Dahl. It was delightful and dark and well-executed. Mark Rylance was brilliant as the giant. Second film, The Secret Lives of Pets just about put both me and my 3yr old grandchild to sleep. I would suggest saving it as a rental for some night when you have little people you want to nod off around... and then quietly tuck them in. I will say this, cat lovers will not appreciate that all the cats in the film are either a) ridiculously overweight or b)viciously mean. It kept 3 out 4 grandkids mildly entertained and then they rated it only a 3 starts out of 5. My grandkids have serious movie critic chops, folks.
Still enjoying my bike, although I must admit that one week of 100 degree heat here in Misery-(oops) Missouri put the damper on my plans to ride daily. Some things are just not worth heat exhaustion.
Our pool seemed a safer option for the past 5 days of scorcher temps. I hope you all survive your final week of July with coolness!
Till next time - all the best.
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The Joys of Being a Learner
For the last two days I have been immersed in the Midwest Educational Technology Conference here in St Charles. the best part of it is that I get to be a "kid again"; that means I get to be a learner. I get to discover new things and I also get to find things I can bring back to school to share with my students! It has been a total blast and the PERFECT thing to spark ME back to life in the middle of the winter!
Right at this very moment, I am sitting in a session on blogging and got inspired to revive my AP Lit blog. It is called "Our Tip of AP Lit Iceberg" and there's a link to it in the sidebar. So give me a couple days to get back to class... And then come have a look at what my kids will be buzzing about.
Right at this very moment, I am sitting in a session on blogging and got inspired to revive my AP Lit blog. It is called "Our Tip of AP Lit Iceberg" and there's a link to it in the sidebar. So give me a couple days to get back to class... And then come have a look at what my kids will be buzzing about.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Back in the Saddle Again
We have been back to school since August 10th and what a wild ride it has been. If any of you have peeked at my classroom blog, you know we have embarked on a grand adventure at Lutheran High this year! We are doing a 4x4 intensive block schedule and are using 1:1 iPad2 technology as a tool in our classrooms. This has been QUITE an interesting 2 weeks! Kids are holding up well and so are the teachers. It's been rather fun to see all the collaboration that goes on when one or two people in a room need help. (esp. if one of them is the teacher!) While I can't say I am completely comfortable in my "new format" yet, I am definitely enjoying the ride! I like the way my students are tackling the new things alongside of the old, and it has reinvigorated my teaching... so as of right now, it's a thumbs up from this old teacher!
Summer seemed to slip away all too quickly this year, but it is STILL hot and the pool is still open and now that my left foot is pretty much all healed up, I am trying to enjoy every minute of it that I can.
Summer seemed to slip away all too quickly this year, but it is STILL hot and the pool is still open and now that my left foot is pretty much all healed up, I am trying to enjoy every minute of it that I can.
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Over the Hills and back Again...
March is coming in as I write this in the wee hours of the new month. I am wishing I could snatch back some of the wasted minutes from the past two months and make them into something more substantial, but that is not the way life goes.
We have been VERY preoccupied of late, so much is going on in the world, in our school, in our family, and in ourselves! Let's see.... where to start...
Well, the world is in an uproar. Clamor and calls for democracy and self-determination are roiling through the Arab world as I write this. Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, and currently Libya are all experiencing change brought about by young, disenfranchised youth in those places who are all interconnected via technology and crying for change. They will get it, and we are all left wondering what the world will feel like once it all shakes out. My students are mostly fretting about whether gas will hit $5 a gallon as a result. Typical American response, sadly. History is happening and we're fretting about our gasoline and whether our favorite Cardinal baseball player has signed his contract agreement... duh!
As far as school goes; big changes are on the horizon there too. We are switching to the intensive 4x4 block schedule next year. For those of you who may not know what that is, our students will take 4 classes per day for 80 minutes per day for an entire semester. Then in the second semester they will take a whole new set of classes. Should be a great way to learn, to be able to focus on something deeply and to have the luxury of TIME to think and process what you are learning. I must admit I am pretty stoked about it. On top of that, we are working toward funding (and recently were awarded a grant that will match those funds) to become a 1to1 school. That will enable us to put an iPad into the hands of every student in our school.... and to substantially change the way we do school in a HUGE way! The future seems to be arriving for us at LHS, and it's really exciting to be there to teach in it!
On the family front... big doings there too. Our family patriarch, Uncle Carl, is recovering from an ordeal with a sinus infection that had everyone believing he may have had a stroke! Honestly! It was a scary week or so til the doctors figured out what was going on. What a blessing Ed's sister and Kate's crew were to him through these days of recuperating! He's on the mend and we hope to see him playing in his vineyard again really soon. Ed turned 57 this past month... on Feb 21st... and Kate hit the big 32! That second event made me feel oddly old this year. Not sure why, but it did.
Perhaps that last thing is the "ourselves" part of this post. I am feeling as if I am approaching a personal crossroads in my life right now. Nothing certain about it yet, just that inner inkling that things are about to shift. A sense of a groundswell coming in life and it is making me vaguely uneasy. I am sure it will all come clear in the weeks ahead, but I know it's out there.
Then again, with spring trying to raise its head, perhaps that's the feeling entirely. The end of winter, or at least the wish for it, always makes me edgey with anticipation....there's no getting around it. I feel the need to slip away from the routine and do something different. What will that be? I haven't a clue and, perhaps, that's the adventure of it all.
We have been VERY preoccupied of late, so much is going on in the world, in our school, in our family, and in ourselves! Let's see.... where to start...
Well, the world is in an uproar. Clamor and calls for democracy and self-determination are roiling through the Arab world as I write this. Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, and currently Libya are all experiencing change brought about by young, disenfranchised youth in those places who are all interconnected via technology and crying for change. They will get it, and we are all left wondering what the world will feel like once it all shakes out. My students are mostly fretting about whether gas will hit $5 a gallon as a result. Typical American response, sadly. History is happening and we're fretting about our gasoline and whether our favorite Cardinal baseball player has signed his contract agreement... duh!
As far as school goes; big changes are on the horizon there too. We are switching to the intensive 4x4 block schedule next year. For those of you who may not know what that is, our students will take 4 classes per day for 80 minutes per day for an entire semester. Then in the second semester they will take a whole new set of classes. Should be a great way to learn, to be able to focus on something deeply and to have the luxury of TIME to think and process what you are learning. I must admit I am pretty stoked about it. On top of that, we are working toward funding (and recently were awarded a grant that will match those funds) to become a 1to1 school. That will enable us to put an iPad into the hands of every student in our school.... and to substantially change the way we do school in a HUGE way! The future seems to be arriving for us at LHS, and it's really exciting to be there to teach in it!
On the family front... big doings there too. Our family patriarch, Uncle Carl, is recovering from an ordeal with a sinus infection that had everyone believing he may have had a stroke! Honestly! It was a scary week or so til the doctors figured out what was going on. What a blessing Ed's sister and Kate's crew were to him through these days of recuperating! He's on the mend and we hope to see him playing in his vineyard again really soon. Ed turned 57 this past month... on Feb 21st... and Kate hit the big 32! That second event made me feel oddly old this year. Not sure why, but it did.
Perhaps that last thing is the "ourselves" part of this post. I am feeling as if I am approaching a personal crossroads in my life right now. Nothing certain about it yet, just that inner inkling that things are about to shift. A sense of a groundswell coming in life and it is making me vaguely uneasy. I am sure it will all come clear in the weeks ahead, but I know it's out there.
Then again, with spring trying to raise its head, perhaps that's the feeling entirely. The end of winter, or at least the wish for it, always makes me edgey with anticipation....there's no getting around it. I feel the need to slip away from the routine and do something different. What will that be? I haven't a clue and, perhaps, that's the adventure of it all.
Monday, September 06, 2010
September - Summer Sighs Away
Here it is.... September! Oh my!
While we've been at school for 3 weeks now, my grandson Gabe will be starting 3rd grade tomorrow! Does anyone out there remember 3rd grade? I don't, but since I can multiply, I am sure that somewhere along the way, I went to third grade! I don't even have any idea who my teacher was although I know my daughter cares VERY much about who Gabe's teachers are each year. Isn't that funny? The things we as parents deem SO major and life changing, may very well turn out to be something that our kids won't even remember when they get to be our age! (or maybe 3rd grade was so traumatic that I blocked it out!)
So what DO I remember from being 8? I do know that I got a piano in the third grade and I started taking lessons. It was a huge investment for my parents. The instrument was a Baldwin and cost $800 in 1963 - which probably represented a sizable portion of my father's annual salary in those days! The other big event of my 8th year was the arrival of my baby brother whom we adopted in November. He became ours on the same day that JFK was assassinated, a totally surreal conjunction of events that made me one of the few people my age who was NOT in school on the day that happened and hit the news.
Project Give-Away update: This week was spent getting ready for harvest. And the big thing we gave away was about 30 lbs of grapes to the Rhodes/Moody family who came out to the vineyard and shared some delightful time with us on Saturday night. I guess that counts for the project and it was totally fun. Then tonight, I gave BACK a dress that had been Gret's back when she was in high school... no, she's not going to wear it, but she has an interesting need for an old dress from her past.
Pool is still hovering around 78 degrees... and with the nights getting cooler, keeping it warm is becoming a true solar blanket challenge! I don't WANT that part of summer to end! I love the pool!!!
While we've been at school for 3 weeks now, my grandson Gabe will be starting 3rd grade tomorrow! Does anyone out there remember 3rd grade? I don't, but since I can multiply, I am sure that somewhere along the way, I went to third grade! I don't even have any idea who my teacher was although I know my daughter cares VERY much about who Gabe's teachers are each year. Isn't that funny? The things we as parents deem SO major and life changing, may very well turn out to be something that our kids won't even remember when they get to be our age! (or maybe 3rd grade was so traumatic that I blocked it out!)
So what DO I remember from being 8? I do know that I got a piano in the third grade and I started taking lessons. It was a huge investment for my parents. The instrument was a Baldwin and cost $800 in 1963 - which probably represented a sizable portion of my father's annual salary in those days! The other big event of my 8th year was the arrival of my baby brother whom we adopted in November. He became ours on the same day that JFK was assassinated, a totally surreal conjunction of events that made me one of the few people my age who was NOT in school on the day that happened and hit the news.
Project Give-Away update: This week was spent getting ready for harvest. And the big thing we gave away was about 30 lbs of grapes to the Rhodes/Moody family who came out to the vineyard and shared some delightful time with us on Saturday night. I guess that counts for the project and it was totally fun. Then tonight, I gave BACK a dress that had been Gret's back when she was in high school... no, she's not going to wear it, but she has an interesting need for an old dress from her past.
Pool is still hovering around 78 degrees... and with the nights getting cooler, keeping it warm is becoming a true solar blanket challenge! I don't WANT that part of summer to end! I love the pool!!!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Handbag Holdouts
The Big Pitch or week 2 of Staude Stuff Gone:
Had a lot of fun in the cellar this week. A year and a little more ago, when our kids were temporarily living with us while their house was being finished, we hurriedly stuffed a LOT of things into the classic see-through Rubbermaid containers and stacked them in the basement. Well, a lot of time has passed and I hadn't felt the need to go into those big tubs and resurrect ANY of the items in them. It occurred to me this week that they might be ripe for the pitching as part of my new project. So down into the cellar I went with an eye toward tossing.
One container was chock full of old handbags! What is it about an old purse that makes it almost impossible to pitch? These were some really beat up looking purses but for some bizarre reason I felt compelled to save them! This time, however, my momentum from last week's tossing-out carried me through. Before I knew it, I had 3 bags worth of handbags and other assorted clothing items ready for donation to Goodwill and a 4th bag full of trash! Best result? I now have TWO empty 35 gallon Rubbermaid storage tubs waiting for me to find something ELSE to stash inside them. But for now, I am just going to enjoy having two empty tubs sitting off to one side.
On a separate note, school began this week. I have some really great classes of kids... ranging from 10th to 12th grade. I get to teach ALL the seniors and a nice assortment of some underclassmen as well. The kids seemed as shocked as we teachers were that summer is over already, and they were good as gold today. I always have to laugh at how quiet they are on the first day... it's not a situation that lasts indefinitely. We will get to know one another and they will discover how much noise this old lady can tolerate before she shushes them. But today we were all new, sort of a couple on a first date, checking the other person out to see if they have anything in common. Merry New Year to all my students! (and does anybody need an old purse?)
Had a lot of fun in the cellar this week. A year and a little more ago, when our kids were temporarily living with us while their house was being finished, we hurriedly stuffed a LOT of things into the classic see-through Rubbermaid containers and stacked them in the basement. Well, a lot of time has passed and I hadn't felt the need to go into those big tubs and resurrect ANY of the items in them. It occurred to me this week that they might be ripe for the pitching as part of my new project. So down into the cellar I went with an eye toward tossing.
One container was chock full of old handbags! What is it about an old purse that makes it almost impossible to pitch? These were some really beat up looking purses but for some bizarre reason I felt compelled to save them! This time, however, my momentum from last week's tossing-out carried me through. Before I knew it, I had 3 bags worth of handbags and other assorted clothing items ready for donation to Goodwill and a 4th bag full of trash! Best result? I now have TWO empty 35 gallon Rubbermaid storage tubs waiting for me to find something ELSE to stash inside them. But for now, I am just going to enjoy having two empty tubs sitting off to one side.
On a separate note, school began this week. I have some really great classes of kids... ranging from 10th to 12th grade. I get to teach ALL the seniors and a nice assortment of some underclassmen as well. The kids seemed as shocked as we teachers were that summer is over already, and they were good as gold today. I always have to laugh at how quiet they are on the first day... it's not a situation that lasts indefinitely. We will get to know one another and they will discover how much noise this old lady can tolerate before she shushes them. But today we were all new, sort of a couple on a first date, checking the other person out to see if they have anything in common. Merry New Year to all my students! (and does anybody need an old purse?)
Thursday, May 13, 2010
The Things I Wish for Them
So what would I wish for them if I could control the future? There are several things - sounds like a list coming!
1. I would wish that they would hold on to their faith both in God and in their ability to make a difference in the world as Christians.
2. I would wish that they would be able to see beyond the surface of people and problems so that they can look deeply, think deeply, and really be able to love others and solve big issues in our world.
3. I wish that they will be committed to caring about the planet and ALL the people on it.
4. I wish that they will never EVER stop learning and loving to learn.
5. I wish that they will become caring, considerate adults who love their parents and become good parents themselves.
6. I wish that they will always value people and principles more than money and the "stuff" it buys.
7. I wish that they leave America in better shape than their parents' generation did.
8. I wish that they will be leaders in their churches, whatever the denomination may be or become.
9. I wish them joyful homes with loving and committed spouses.
10. I wish them many reasons to smile and fewer reasons to cry.
There... wishes made... and prayers promised to continue for the Class of 2010!
Friday, January 08, 2010
The Day I Flew Down the Hall
In all the hoopla over getting snow, I forgot to mention my strange adventure of this past Wednesday. Every year, our Physics students study aerodynamics and pneumatic principals. Part of this involves sailing down the hallway in the "air powered flying saucer" a.k.a. the "flying car" or hovercraft. Usually, I manage to get out there to watch and snap photos for yearbook. This year, however, the teacher Mr. Linn turned to me and said, "So do you want to try it?" If you know me at all you know what my answer was.
I am proud to say I went nearly 60 ft before I settled softly onto the floor.
The "car" rides on a its own little pillow of air provided by a repurposed vaccuum cleaner running in reverse. It is SO much fun as well as being a rather silly way to learn science. SO I have seen the future and ridden in the air car, which may not be up to the standard of The Jetsons yet... but one can dream!
I am proud to say I went nearly 60 ft before I settled softly onto the floor.
The "car" rides on a its own little pillow of air provided by a repurposed vaccuum cleaner running in reverse. It is SO much fun as well as being a rather silly way to learn science. SO I have seen the future and ridden in the air car, which may not be up to the standard of The Jetsons yet... but one can dream!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Counting, crating, and closing...
This is the week after graduation at LHS. That means the faculty is busy with "end of the year stuff" to accomplish before summer can officially get underway. Today was busy with an interesting variety of things... first the exhilarating activity of the annual inventory. This is when I get to count my chairs, desks, and (believe it or not) the clock on my classroom wall... all for insurance purposes. I am sure you will all be relieved to know that I still have the same trashcans (yes, we count those too!) and clock with which I began the year. It's an all too familiar drill... and now I can report it is finished.
Next, I had to box up (oh, and COUNT them too) my books in my classroom and figure out what needs to be ordered for fall. I was pleased to be able to save my department a bit of cash as my books were in really good shape and even with shifting numbers, I will have plenty for fall. Next year all LHS students must complete 4 years (instead of 3) of English in order to graduate. Most do this already, but the state has made it mandatory and, thus, so have we. This means full classes for next year and I will teacher only senior level courses next year. So the crating was completed and the room was starting to look pretty "ship shape".
Finally, the exciting event... I put the wrap on the yearbook and shipped the final pages to the publisher at 6:06 pm tonight! I did my annual "dance of joy" in the hallway... and, as usual, no one was there to see it except Ed who is not as impressed with my hilarious gyrations as he once was. I did a repeat performance of it for Sydney when I arrived at home. She was much more appreciative of my efforts as she was sitting in her bathtub when I did it and decided to accompany my joyful whoops and crazy boogie with some serious splashing of her own. Gret was between us at the time and got nicely drenched as a result! MORE fun! So the yearbook is "put to bed" - adviser speak for "I am done editing this puppy, AT LAST!" One fact to note, we had a 93% hit rate... the highest ever! To those of you who are yearbook speak newbies, this means that 93% of our students have MORE than just their school portrait in the book tagged with their name in the caption. I am certain the format the staff chose is the reason for this because we did sort of a "journaling" approach to the YB this year. It's very cool and I am excited about what the reaction of the student body will be to it.
So a good day of "counting, crating, and closing" out the past school year... bring on some summer! (Now, if only this crazy rain we've been having would stop...)
Next, I had to box up (oh, and COUNT them too) my books in my classroom and figure out what needs to be ordered for fall. I was pleased to be able to save my department a bit of cash as my books were in really good shape and even with shifting numbers, I will have plenty for fall. Next year all LHS students must complete 4 years (instead of 3) of English in order to graduate. Most do this already, but the state has made it mandatory and, thus, so have we. This means full classes for next year and I will teacher only senior level courses next year. So the crating was completed and the room was starting to look pretty "ship shape".
Finally, the exciting event... I put the wrap on the yearbook and shipped the final pages to the publisher at 6:06 pm tonight! I did my annual "dance of joy" in the hallway... and, as usual, no one was there to see it except Ed who is not as impressed with my hilarious gyrations as he once was. I did a repeat performance of it for Sydney when I arrived at home. She was much more appreciative of my efforts as she was sitting in her bathtub when I did it and decided to accompany my joyful whoops and crazy boogie with some serious splashing of her own. Gret was between us at the time and got nicely drenched as a result! MORE fun! So the yearbook is "put to bed" - adviser speak for "I am done editing this puppy, AT LAST!" One fact to note, we had a 93% hit rate... the highest ever! To those of you who are yearbook speak newbies, this means that 93% of our students have MORE than just their school portrait in the book tagged with their name in the caption. I am certain the format the staff chose is the reason for this because we did sort of a "journaling" approach to the YB this year. It's very cool and I am excited about what the reaction of the student body will be to it.
So a good day of "counting, crating, and closing" out the past school year... bring on some summer! (Now, if only this crazy rain we've been having would stop...)
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Testing, Testing, 1,2,3.....
It's that jolly time of year again... FINAL EXAMS!
At present, I am sitting in a room filled with students all hunkered over the tool of torture I have devised for them. Today's topic: Mythology! Then they hand them in and they get their revenge... I sit here for 4 hours grading all the papers. There HAS to be a better way, right? Wrong! But by Friday, I will be ready to celebrate Summer! Come back for updates!
Now, see if YOU know:
1. Which Greek goddess was the twin of Apollo?
2. Who was the ugliest Greek god? ... He was lame and deformed when his mother threw him to the earth in disgust (goddesses aren't generally good moms!)
3. Which goddess is known as the protector of marriage and married women? (hint: she's the same goddess who did the damage in #2 above!)
4. Which goddess arose from her father's head fully grown and wearing her battle armor?
If you respond in the comments section I will grade your work too and give you a score. :-)
Answers coming tomorrow! Tune in!
At present, I am sitting in a room filled with students all hunkered over the tool of torture I have devised for them. Today's topic: Mythology! Then they hand them in and they get their revenge... I sit here for 4 hours grading all the papers. There HAS to be a better way, right? Wrong! But by Friday, I will be ready to celebrate Summer! Come back for updates!
Now, see if YOU know:
1. Which Greek goddess was the twin of Apollo?
2. Who was the ugliest Greek god? ... He was lame and deformed when his mother threw him to the earth in disgust (goddesses aren't generally good moms!)
3. Which goddess is known as the protector of marriage and married women? (hint: she's the same goddess who did the damage in #2 above!)
4. Which goddess arose from her father's head fully grown and wearing her battle armor?
If you respond in the comments section I will grade your work too and give you a score. :-)
Answers coming tomorrow! Tune in!
Friday, March 06, 2009
Can We Go Outside for Class???!?!
Spring has sprung in St. Chuck! Today it hit nearly 80 degrees, the convertible tops came down, and the hearts and minds of my students went out the window! "Can we go outside for class?" was the question heard throughout the halls as kids begged like 3rd graders for time out in the soft breezy air. And I almost.... just almost... gave in. I must admit, in my heart of hearts, I felt for them. What is it about education the necessitates "trapping" adolescents in a building for 7+ hours a day. Part of me KNOWS there has to be a better way to greet spring than just reading Wordsworth's "Daffodils" - it's high time to go ROMP with them!Daffodils (1804)
I wander'd lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside a lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch'd in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance,
The waves beside them danced but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee;
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund comapny:
I gazed.. and gazed.. but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.
by William Wordsworth
Friday, February 06, 2009
Huzzah! It's Friday!
Those of you who have been reading this blog for awhile know that there are not many times when I actually "celebrate" Friday. That sort of thing was something I did frequently when I used to teach junior high. In fact, I even had special outfits, usually terribly loud and somewhat outrageous, that I wore on Fridays. But this week, I feel really compelled to say "YAY, it's Friday!"
Some of my reasons are typical, I mean, who DOESN'T enjoy a good Friday?? However, it's been a rather strange week in certain ways. The weather has been all over the place... from lows in the teens to highs in the 60's. It has made my students a bit "loopy", to say the least. They are saying and doing things that make us scratch our heads and wonder, "What are they thinking!?" Our underclassmen have been particularly squirrely lately, even for underclassmen. Some of the shenanigans they have pulled would shock you, and for the sake of discretion, I won't go there, but all in all, I find it pretty unsettling. To top it off, we've had a "winter spirit" week going on with a big dance at school tonight following the basketball games. So we've had some themed dress days happening.... "hippie day" anyone? (actually pretty funny since the kids have no concept of what hippies truly were!) Today we are all in black as it is "Black out our competition" at the basketball game tonight. (Strangely ironic in light of the fact that the high school coming here to play tonight is a predominantly black school from the city..... hmmm... that will look friendly when our kids are all in the stands! See what I mean? It's been an odd week... think I'll go home tonight and knit!
Some of my reasons are typical, I mean, who DOESN'T enjoy a good Friday?? However, it's been a rather strange week in certain ways. The weather has been all over the place... from lows in the teens to highs in the 60's. It has made my students a bit "loopy", to say the least. They are saying and doing things that make us scratch our heads and wonder, "What are they thinking!?" Our underclassmen have been particularly squirrely lately, even for underclassmen. Some of the shenanigans they have pulled would shock you, and for the sake of discretion, I won't go there, but all in all, I find it pretty unsettling. To top it off, we've had a "winter spirit" week going on with a big dance at school tonight following the basketball games. So we've had some themed dress days happening.... "hippie day" anyone? (actually pretty funny since the kids have no concept of what hippies truly were!) Today we are all in black as it is "Black out our competition" at the basketball game tonight. (Strangely ironic in light of the fact that the high school coming here to play tonight is a predominantly black school from the city..... hmmm... that will look friendly when our kids are all in the stands! See what I mean? It's been an odd week... think I'll go home tonight and knit!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Soup, Snow, & Slimmer
It's been an interesting past 3 days. St. Charles was hit by a reasonably good-sized snowstorm on Monday night that continued into Tuesday and made roads nasty until Wednesday. This resulted in 2 snowdays for Ed & I. Well, only for Ed, actually. I have been attending the Midwest Educational Technology Conference on Monday through Wednesday of this week. It was an awesome educational experience that would have (could have?) cost me three days of teaching time. Thanks to the snow, it only cost me one.
Meanwhile, we've been hunkering down and enjoying how pretty everything looks covered in the white stuff. Time to make soup! I made veggie soup on Sunday night. And since I haven't posted a photo of myself lately, I made Ed take a shot of me while I cooked it. So you can see the newer, down-sized version of me while I am doing something I rarely do... cooking! Wish you could smell the soup... it was delicious!
Monday, December 08, 2008
Zap those Jedi Clones or whatever they are!
I have a fun story to tell... but I can't reveal too much since it could give away Christmas secrets! Today I used a "personal shopper" for the first time in my life. And the hilarious thing is my shopper turned out to be an 18 yr. old boy. Now before you blanch and wonder if I've lost my mind, hear the whole tale.
It began on Sunday with a call from Kate, asking me to be on the lookout for a particular toy for a particular grandson. Apparently, this toy has been unavailable in Michigan and Kate asked me to look for it here. I agreed to keep my eye out for it... no problem. Well, a small problem, I haven't done too much shopping myself yet, and I was not sure how soon I'd get to looking for the much sought item. From the title of the blog entry you can guess what movie it's associated with... and I'll only need to add one more word... Legos
8am today - So today as I greeted my students, it suddenly dawned on my that I had daily access to 105 kids who LIVE to shop! They love it and do it constantly. So I put out an "all points bulletin" - I said there was a $10 "finders fee" for the person who found this toy, called me to confirm I still needed it, and grabbed it before it got away. Several kids wrote down the item, and I went on with my day thinking I had a slightly better shot at locating the item than before.
3 pm: the day ended and in walked my personal shopper...an 18 yr. old guy from one of my early a.m. classes. And he HAD THE GOODS! Turns out, this guy has "early dismissal" so he gets out of school before I do each day. He hopped in his car, scooted over to Toys R. Us near our local mall, and was back with the much sought toy before my day ended! I happily wrote him a check for the purchase plus his fee and felt pretty proud of myself! Mission accomplished!
So here's the idea... teenagers out there, tune in! You could become "personal shoppers" too! Find out what people need and go get it for a fee! What a gig! Combine your love of shopping with my lack of time to do it - it's a win-win situation all the way around!
Hmmmmm.... now I wonder if I could find a "personal Wrapper"?
It began on Sunday with a call from Kate, asking me to be on the lookout for a particular toy for a particular grandson. Apparently, this toy has been unavailable in Michigan and Kate asked me to look for it here. I agreed to keep my eye out for it... no problem. Well, a small problem, I haven't done too much shopping myself yet, and I was not sure how soon I'd get to looking for the much sought item. From the title of the blog entry you can guess what movie it's associated with... and I'll only need to add one more word... Legos
8am today - So today as I greeted my students, it suddenly dawned on my that I had daily access to 105 kids who LIVE to shop! They love it and do it constantly. So I put out an "all points bulletin" - I said there was a $10 "finders fee" for the person who found this toy, called me to confirm I still needed it, and grabbed it before it got away. Several kids wrote down the item, and I went on with my day thinking I had a slightly better shot at locating the item than before.
3 pm: the day ended and in walked my personal shopper...an 18 yr. old guy from one of my early a.m. classes. And he HAD THE GOODS! Turns out, this guy has "early dismissal" so he gets out of school before I do each day. He hopped in his car, scooted over to Toys R. Us near our local mall, and was back with the much sought toy before my day ended! I happily wrote him a check for the purchase plus his fee and felt pretty proud of myself! Mission accomplished!
So here's the idea... teenagers out there, tune in! You could become "personal shoppers" too! Find out what people need and go get it for a fee! What a gig! Combine your love of shopping with my lack of time to do it - it's a win-win situation all the way around!
Hmmmmm.... now I wonder if I could find a "personal Wrapper"?
Monday, May 26, 2008
A Big Day at LHS
For some of my readers this will seem a bit like a trip down nostalgia lane. Yesterday was graduation day at Lutheran High School. All morning the weather looked dismal and it looked like the kids' festivities would be swampy and miserable. However, about 2pm the skies magically cleared and the sun (and thus the humidity) came out. So by 3 pm it was gorgeous and until about 7:30pm it remained that way! All 95 kids had a grand day to celebrate. Parents were proud, teachers were proud, students were FREE! All in all, a good day! Below is a shot of them on their senior retreat last September. They are off to 39 different colleges and garnered over 1.7 million dollars in accepted scholarships. Not a bad way to end a school year! Hats off to you, class of 2008!
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Thoughts on the End of a School Year
Tomorrow I will finish my 26th year of teaching school. Sobering thought for late on a Thursday night. It's been a good year and it's taught me things about myself and as well as (hopefully) teaching things to my students. I've worked really hard this year to be as positive as I can be and to not let the "little nagging things" of life get to me. And for the most part, that's helped me a lot! I've done more reading than I have in years past and somewhat more writing (albeit a good deal of it in an online/electronic form). My students were fun and I will miss most of them. (also a good thing to be able to say at the end of a year.) Funny, I have been connected with school and teaching so long that my year always feels like it ends in May and begins again in August regardless of what the calendar says about Jan.1st. And those 2.5 months of bliss in between? Ah.. my friends, those are the Elysium Fields of education; SUMMER! The pool is open, the ice tea is made, and I say, "Bring it on!"
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Grandparents Day
Yesterday (Oct.10) we got to go to our first Grandparents Day! Gabe attends Kindergarten at Trinity Lutheran School in Sheboygan. We spent the morning visiting class and even got to eat lunch at school. It was a weird sort of feeling being on the opposite side of the "teacher fence" as it were.
After the morning festivities, we stopped up to the hospital to visit Kate and Rhylah. Asher got to "hold" the baby with a little help from mom and grandma. It was a special time for him and he's totally infatuated with his "baby Ree-lah", as he calls her.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Too long... too long... and TOO HOT!
I am remiss... I am lazy.... I am a bad bloggin' grammy! I look at my kids' blogs daily and sigh when nothing is there.. but here I am letting nearly a month pass without a word of my own! Is my life so uninteresting? (in a word... yes...)
I am tired of school already... and September is not even over yet! My kids are okay... my classes are okay... but I am not really all here! It is the autumn of my discontent. The weird thing is that Ed is in a bit of the same mood as well. We need a pick-me-up.. or a good swift kick in the pants! I am not sure which.
Today was a day spent entirely in faculty meetings. Planning curriculum... now THERE's a project that will make you start babbling and crying! But this too shall pass.
It would help a great deal if the 90 degree temps would GO AWAY. It is time for sweaters, crunchy leaves, and cool nights. I need it to come SOON! This endless summer is creepy.... global warming is real and I hate it! COME ON FALL... get with it!
I am tired of school already... and September is not even over yet! My kids are okay... my classes are okay... but I am not really all here! It is the autumn of my discontent. The weird thing is that Ed is in a bit of the same mood as well. We need a pick-me-up.. or a good swift kick in the pants! I am not sure which.
Today was a day spent entirely in faculty meetings. Planning curriculum... now THERE's a project that will make you start babbling and crying! But this too shall pass.
It would help a great deal if the 90 degree temps would GO AWAY. It is time for sweaters, crunchy leaves, and cool nights. I need it to come SOON! This endless summer is creepy.... global warming is real and I hate it! COME ON FALL... get with it!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
School Daze - year 26
Today marked the beginning of classes for my 26th year of teaching. When I look at that number, I think about when I was just starting to teach and we would celebrate anniversaries of that nature for the older teachers who always seemed VASTLY older than I feel today! Funny how time changes your perspective.
My students today all seemed rather excited to be back in school. That is no small thing when one considers that I teach seniors all day and by Christmas they will all be wanting to move on to college as fast as they can! I overheard one of them yell to another in the hall... "I've got AP Lit and it's SO COOL!" - I hope she feels that way in another month or two.
We are still in the throes of a heatwave here in St. Louis. Today the temps hit 105! Breaking a 34 yr. old record for hot days. It's rather scary to consider how much longer this heat may continue. We are all praying the cooler weather comes soon.
The photo was taken of Ed and I this past July. Hope our "school photos" come out half as well! To all of you who have to go back to the books this month... God bless!
My students today all seemed rather excited to be back in school. That is no small thing when one considers that I teach seniors all day and by Christmas they will all be wanting to move on to college as fast as they can! I overheard one of them yell to another in the hall... "I've got AP Lit and it's SO COOL!" - I hope she feels that way in another month or two.
We are still in the throes of a heatwave here in St. Louis. Today the temps hit 105! Breaking a 34 yr. old record for hot days. It's rather scary to consider how much longer this heat may continue. We are all praying the cooler weather comes soon.
The photo was taken of Ed and I this past July. Hope our "school photos" come out half as well! To all of you who have to go back to the books this month... God bless!
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