New Blog

The adventure will continue on www.year-4.blogspot.com.

Enjoy.

Year 3 Comes to an End

Year 3 is officially over. It's been quite a year. A long and stressful year. I've made a few mistakes, which I definitely have learned from. There is plenty to celebrate as well. We have a great computer lab. We have started to replace the old teacher computers. We have two beautiful gardens that we can truly be proud of. We are not in program improvement (and based on the focus of the kids during testing I don't think we will be). Our parent involvement continues to steadily improve. Our school run after school program has a new life with new money. All of our kids were able to go on field trips.

Next year is going to be even better. I'm so excited that we'll be revisiting writing. I definitely want to see kids carrying around and writing in their writers' notebooks. I'm excited about continuing our work with Tribes and community building. I'm excited we won't have to use meal cards! Woo hoo! Most of all, I'm excited that we may be able to apply to become a distinguished school. We are a distinguished school with distinguished teachers, distinguished support staff, and distinguished kids. I have to keep reminding myself that 99% of the kids make good choices. They want to learn. They want to be challenged. They want to be successful.

This year we say good bye and good luck to a few of our friends. We will miss you. Don't forget us.

I'm not ready for year four yet. I think I will be in a couple more weeks. I hope everyone enjoys their summer break. You sure deserve it!

1.5 Days

Giant Chicken

Every weekend I drive to San Pedro to get coffee from my favorite It's a Grind. I know...crazy. Why drive all the way to San Pedro for coffee?? There's perfectly good coffee in Long Beach. Well, I happen to like San Pedro and I really like the San Pedro It's a Grind. Driving back home I noticed that there was a HUGE, I mean GIANT (10 feet tall) chicken in the back of an old beat up truck. It was the funniest thing I've seen in a while. I wonder what they were doing with the giant chicken? Was it for a party? Were they stealing it? Was it for a play? I was tempted to follow them to find out where they were taking the chicken. I guess I'll never know. What do you think they were going to do with the giant chicken?

Stranger Without Candy

Something really bizarre happened to me the other day. Really really bizarre. I was walking toward the bank ATM, when this stranger said "hi." A total stranger. Said "hi." And then kept walking. I did not know this person. Stranger. Total stranger. At first I was confused. Why is a stranger saying "hi?" Normally, I walk with my head down so not to make eye contact with anyone. I guess I do this subconsciously to avoid situations like this. What to do? Run away? Pretend to not understand English? (I often get confused for a non English speaker - I'm not really sure why - In fact today at the laundry, a lady asked for the time in a very loud and slow voice while pointing to her wrist - I pretended to not understand her.) Give up my wallet? I didn't do any of those things. I said "hi" back and continued to walk toward the ATM. I think it's sad that a stranger saying "hi" to me was such a shocking and unnerving thing. I'm going to try to say "hi" to at least one stranger a day. Cross your fingers that I don't get sprayed with mace or the pepper juice.

Big Brother

Yup...love it. This season is not going to be as good as last season, after all it was the All Stars. But there is some tension brewing especially between the dad/daughter and the two ex boyfriends. And I think the lady who was HOH this week hates the two boyfriends...that should make for some interesting tv. Fun times ahead with the two girls who used to be BFF but now hate each other. How great is that!

So you're wondering what this has to do with "school" and "year 3"...absolutely nothing! Since school is almost over, I think I will only post about Big Brother. I find watching people to be very interesting, don't you? Especially people who are borderline crazy. After all, who in their right mind would spend three months in a house with total strangers and have cameras watching them 24 hours a day?

Random ramblings...

As I type this entry I'm listening to the Dodger game. It's the top of the fifth, Marlins are leading the Dodgers 3 to 0. So sad. When I was a kid I used to love listening to the Dodgers on the radio. Vin Scully, Ross Porter, and Jerry Doggett...baseball's broadcasting dream team.
Vin Scully is celebrating his 50th year broadcasting Dodger games. Unbelievable. 50 years!

What a week! Thirteen (13) more days to go, but who's counting? ME! I can honestly say that it is with great enthusiasm that I wish this year to be OVER! It's been a long year. I'm ready to start a new one. I'm excited about fully implementing MAP2D. I'm excited about us getting back to Columbia writing. I'm excited about not having to use the meal cards. I'm excited about not being evaluated (five years in row - next year is finally an off year!!!! Yeah!!!!!).

The next two weeks are going to be crazy! Book It! celebrations. Summer music concert. Ballroom dancing recital. Academic Awards Assemblies. Retention conferences. Promotion assemblies. My plan tomorrow is to finish the Book It! certificates and start working on the Academic Awards stuff. Hopefully, I'll get most of it finished. I really don't want to work on Sunday, but I have a feeling I will.

Today at lunch a third grader said I looked like Shrek. She qualified her remarks by saying I didn't look like Shrek's "fatness" but rather his walk. OK. I have never seen any of the Shrek movies, so I'm wondering how Shrek's walk is. Maybe you Shrek fans can fill me in so I can try not walking that way.

**Dodgers just scored a run. Marlins 3, Dodgers 1**

I always thought I walked like John Wayne. Guess not. Kids pay attention to the most interesting things. Teachers would NEVER have a booger hanging from their nose, because the kids

**Russell Martin hits a two run home run. Dodgers tie up the score**

would immediately point it out. They're good for things like that. Yet they walk around with chocolate milk stains all over their white shirts with no care in the world. Go figure.

Tomorrow's going to be a busy day. Guess I'd better go to bed. Nite. Happy weekend! Go Dodgers!