Tomorrow is my first day of school with my students.
Pray for me.....granted you'll probably read this after the fact- but pray I sleep well tonight.
And, that I survive the day.
I'll let you know how it all goes!
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Friday, August 25, 2006
Yippeeeeeeeeeee!
I have my own classroom- my very own classroom. If I hadn't been surrounded by colleagues I would have done a very odd happy dance. But I contained myself.
Not only do I have my own room- it's a brand new room!!! 3 White boards, 3 bulletin Boards, an over abundance of shelves and a closet. Granted, it is a bit smaller than most classrooms- but it's all mine. I still can't get over it- and I'm afraid that someone will wake up and say "Hey- why does that girl have her own room....let's take it away!" I don't have a desk yet- and the shelves aren't actually usable yet- but when it's ready it will be great. I put up some welcome posters today and it felt good.
We finally were able to get into the high school today- the new rooms/changes are incredible. So modern and spacious. There is still so much that has to be done for Monday- but the students will be pretty impressed with the changes (well, many won't care!).
My brain is overwhelmed with all the Special Ed stuff I have to think about. This ain't no walk in the park. I got my case load today- 12 kids. Not bad. I have to read over their IEP's this weekend. And- I need to plan my Academic support class and reading skills class.
Thanks to so many who have been praying for me- keep doing so! It is going to be a wild ride for the next few weeks!
Not only do I have my own room- it's a brand new room!!! 3 White boards, 3 bulletin Boards, an over abundance of shelves and a closet. Granted, it is a bit smaller than most classrooms- but it's all mine. I still can't get over it- and I'm afraid that someone will wake up and say "Hey- why does that girl have her own room....let's take it away!" I don't have a desk yet- and the shelves aren't actually usable yet- but when it's ready it will be great. I put up some welcome posters today and it felt good.
We finally were able to get into the high school today- the new rooms/changes are incredible. So modern and spacious. There is still so much that has to be done for Monday- but the students will be pretty impressed with the changes (well, many won't care!).
My brain is overwhelmed with all the Special Ed stuff I have to think about. This ain't no walk in the park. I got my case load today- 12 kids. Not bad. I have to read over their IEP's this weekend. And- I need to plan my Academic support class and reading skills class.
Thanks to so many who have been praying for me- keep doing so! It is going to be a wild ride for the next few weeks!
Monday, August 21, 2006
Recapping the last 5 weeks
It's Monday afternoon and I am finally able to recap the last few weeks.
Women of Faith was amazing! The speakers spoke on having JOY! Luci talked about looking for those tiny pops of joy throughout your day. I was especially encouraged by two speakers- Carol Kent and Jennifer Rothschild (you have got to hear them!)- amazing stories of faith. Jennifer said, "Don't let your circumstances define you- let them refine you!" How true. I wish I could relay all that I learned and was challenged by- but we'd be here forever. If you can ever go to one of these conferences you should!!
The true blessing of the weekend was spending time with the ladies from my church. We are blessed wtih so many godly women. I was encouraged by the "down time" conversations. It was great to get to know a few women better too. Next year, the pre-conference speaker is Beth Moore...that will be great!
VBS week in many ways is a blur. By the time you get into a rhythm, it's over. Most of the week I felt out of control- forgetting little things all the time. Finally, I just began to pray "Lord, help me to do the things you want me to do- and let go of the things that aren't important to focus on". Our first day was a mess by my standards (I'm discovering my expectations of myself are often too high). Everyone else thought things went smoothly and organized. Thank God for a flexible and willing staff. Our week was smaller than years past, which is numbing in some ways. We had 58 children total. Amazing enough....our final days (Thurs/Fri) had the best attendance! 49 on Friday. That hardly ever happens during VBS. I had to keep reminding myself that God brought exactly the children He wanted us to have! They received such personal attention and heard the gospel continually!
The week was full of JOY! One boy said- "I learn more in 1 week of VBS than I do in a whole year of CCD!". We were able to minister to his family especially thoughout the week. The kids were so enthusiastic and loved every part of the week. The little ones gave out hugs galore! I enjoyed working with our teen helpers and getting to know them all a bit better. Our Teen VBS went well too- 20 teens. We were able to really set the pace for the fall program. The ladies Workshops went well- everyone enjoyed them and saw the value in them. We had 7 ladies attend that were not from our church. They were all encouraged and blessed by the fellowship. All in all it was a good week. The closing program was well-attended. Some of our VBS guests attended church on Sunday- which is always a nice surprise and blessing. In the end- it was a successful week and I'm thankful to have been a part of it.
Now that the week is over- you always take a nose-dive. You go and go and go- and then it's done. I still have some followup to do over the next few weeks. Pray that I balance everything and that seeds are watered and fruit is harvested.
I start New Teacher Orientation tomorrow- a lot will be review....but it will be good to get back into the swing of things. Thurs/Fri are district days so everyone will be back. I still have no idea what I am doing specifically- so hopefully I will find out this week.
In other news- I will be joining the Teen Club leadership this fall. Basically, I'll be adminstering the club- though I view it entirely as a team effort. Working at the Teen VBS was good for me to get to know the kids and get a feel for the group. We were able to establish some clear boundaries that will help us transition in Sept. We have a variety of leaders all with different strengths. I'm excited about this but also cautious about how much I can handle and how thick my skin is. So- keep me in prayer. We start 9/20
Well- the time has come that I must create some sort of order to the chaos I've been living in for 5 weeks now. When I do VBS, I am consumed and life falls by the wayside. Praise God my bills were all paid this time around (though I have a video long overdue at Blockbuster.....)
I'll keep you posted on my first week back to school- the students return the 28th.
Oh- and many thanks to Bek who let me crash at her place last week. It was a blessing to stay close to the church rather than drive the 1/2 hr every day multiple times.
~Peace to you~
Women of Faith was amazing! The speakers spoke on having JOY! Luci talked about looking for those tiny pops of joy throughout your day. I was especially encouraged by two speakers- Carol Kent and Jennifer Rothschild (you have got to hear them!)- amazing stories of faith. Jennifer said, "Don't let your circumstances define you- let them refine you!" How true. I wish I could relay all that I learned and was challenged by- but we'd be here forever. If you can ever go to one of these conferences you should!!
The true blessing of the weekend was spending time with the ladies from my church. We are blessed wtih so many godly women. I was encouraged by the "down time" conversations. It was great to get to know a few women better too. Next year, the pre-conference speaker is Beth Moore...that will be great!
VBS week in many ways is a blur. By the time you get into a rhythm, it's over. Most of the week I felt out of control- forgetting little things all the time. Finally, I just began to pray "Lord, help me to do the things you want me to do- and let go of the things that aren't important to focus on". Our first day was a mess by my standards (I'm discovering my expectations of myself are often too high). Everyone else thought things went smoothly and organized. Thank God for a flexible and willing staff. Our week was smaller than years past, which is numbing in some ways. We had 58 children total. Amazing enough....our final days (Thurs/Fri) had the best attendance! 49 on Friday. That hardly ever happens during VBS. I had to keep reminding myself that God brought exactly the children He wanted us to have! They received such personal attention and heard the gospel continually!
The week was full of JOY! One boy said- "I learn more in 1 week of VBS than I do in a whole year of CCD!". We were able to minister to his family especially thoughout the week. The kids were so enthusiastic and loved every part of the week. The little ones gave out hugs galore! I enjoyed working with our teen helpers and getting to know them all a bit better. Our Teen VBS went well too- 20 teens. We were able to really set the pace for the fall program. The ladies Workshops went well- everyone enjoyed them and saw the value in them. We had 7 ladies attend that were not from our church. They were all encouraged and blessed by the fellowship. All in all it was a good week. The closing program was well-attended. Some of our VBS guests attended church on Sunday- which is always a nice surprise and blessing. In the end- it was a successful week and I'm thankful to have been a part of it.
Now that the week is over- you always take a nose-dive. You go and go and go- and then it's done. I still have some followup to do over the next few weeks. Pray that I balance everything and that seeds are watered and fruit is harvested.
I start New Teacher Orientation tomorrow- a lot will be review....but it will be good to get back into the swing of things. Thurs/Fri are district days so everyone will be back. I still have no idea what I am doing specifically- so hopefully I will find out this week.
In other news- I will be joining the Teen Club leadership this fall. Basically, I'll be adminstering the club- though I view it entirely as a team effort. Working at the Teen VBS was good for me to get to know the kids and get a feel for the group. We were able to establish some clear boundaries that will help us transition in Sept. We have a variety of leaders all with different strengths. I'm excited about this but also cautious about how much I can handle and how thick my skin is. So- keep me in prayer. We start 9/20
Well- the time has come that I must create some sort of order to the chaos I've been living in for 5 weeks now. When I do VBS, I am consumed and life falls by the wayside. Praise God my bills were all paid this time around (though I have a video long overdue at Blockbuster.....)
I'll keep you posted on my first week back to school- the students return the 28th.
Oh- and many thanks to Bek who let me crash at her place last week. It was a blessing to stay close to the church rather than drive the 1/2 hr every day multiple times.
~Peace to you~
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
The middle of the week....
Well- today is day three of VBS. We are having an amazing week. So many awesome things are happening- opportunities and interactions. I don't have time to share it all (I have to put together a powerpoint right now..) I'll share some of those pictures with you later.
The faces have been full of smiles- the hearts so open to the Lord and the hugs never stop coming!
God is at work!
Thanks for praying and encouraging!
Love to you all!
The faces have been full of smiles- the hearts so open to the Lord and the hugs never stop coming!
God is at work!
Thanks for praying and encouraging!
Love to you all!
Saturday, August 12, 2006
Barely Awake
Oh what a weekend! Women of Faith was wonderful- challenging- convicting...
Such a great time with friends and time of refreshment.
I want to share more...but I am so tired.
I am kitty sitting for Bek- they are so lovable! I've finished a bunch of paperwork for VBS (had to take my computer with me to the conference....very sad).
But- Bridget Jones was on this evening and helped the work fly by.
Be in prayer as I wrap up final prep for VBS tomorrow- prepare my Bible Stories and conduct the week.
More news when I have time and my eye lids are not so heavy....there is much news!
~Peace and REST to you~
Such a great time with friends and time of refreshment.
I want to share more...but I am so tired.
I am kitty sitting for Bek- they are so lovable! I've finished a bunch of paperwork for VBS (had to take my computer with me to the conference....very sad).
But- Bridget Jones was on this evening and helped the work fly by.
Be in prayer as I wrap up final prep for VBS tomorrow- prepare my Bible Stories and conduct the week.
More news when I have time and my eye lids are not so heavy....there is much news!
~Peace and REST to you~
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
I have to say goodbye...
I didn't think it would be so hard
to say goodbye to you
Through the good and bad days
you saw me through
Never changing, always constant
I could depend on you
Daily, you gave me a sense of security
I never had to fret
An old friend brought us together,
a friend I will never forget
But the time has come to say goodbye
Change is good they say
So I bid farewell to my favorite password
and know I will forget my new one today!
Yes folks....the day has come. I had to change my password- the one I've had since I first got email. Basically it was time and I had an issue with tampering so to be safe I changed it. Believe it or not- it really tore me up. Everytime I typed it, it reminded me of an old friend. Changing my password has been on my mind so much I even dreamt about it the other night. Very sad I know.
Maybe someday, I'll be able to use it again. But for now, it must be retired.
to say goodbye to you
Through the good and bad days
you saw me through
Never changing, always constant
I could depend on you
Daily, you gave me a sense of security
I never had to fret
An old friend brought us together,
a friend I will never forget
But the time has come to say goodbye
Change is good they say
So I bid farewell to my favorite password
and know I will forget my new one today!
Yes folks....the day has come. I had to change my password- the one I've had since I first got email. Basically it was time and I had an issue with tampering so to be safe I changed it. Believe it or not- it really tore me up. Everytime I typed it, it reminded me of an old friend. Changing my password has been on my mind so much I even dreamt about it the other night. Very sad I know.
Maybe someday, I'll be able to use it again. But for now, it must be retired.
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