Classrooms, and trainings, and orientation, Oh my!

Just a quick note to fill in a little of what has been going on around here:

• Classroom Set-up: I've been working hard on getting my classroom all ready for the kiddos. It's looking really good!! I went to the teacher store with the other K teachers and got some fun things. My bulletin boards and borders are up, the new sink is in, and I just finished labeling all of the containers of manipulatives last night. I'm hoping to get my classroom completely done (haha) by Monday so I can work on first days of school and planning-type things. At this point though, I absolutely love my classroom!! I will post pictures soon :)

• Training and New Teacher Orientation: In the last few weeks I've been sent to different trainings to get me ready for the school year. I really appreciate Lakeshore's commitment to having highly trained staff - I can't tell you how many districts I know that throw new teachers right into their first day with nothing more than the subject manual. I'm grateful for the opportunity to get to know more about the math and phonics programs before having to teach them. New teacher orientation (day 1) was yesterday. It was a day full of contract information, learning about the teachers union, figuring out how new teachers are assessed, and last but not least making our video. Each year the new hires at Lakeshore make a video that is shown to the whole staff on the first day of teacher in service. We basically introduce ourselves and then come up with a silly (and very corny) skit at the end. It's a fun way to get to know the new employees...I'm sure it will be even more fun next year when I'm not in it!

Well that's about it...lot's of cutting, gluing, copying, and laminating going on now. The countdown to kiddos has officially begun! 10 days!!

Getting settled, getting stoked!

It's been a while, so lets see if I can catch-up and fill in missed days...

Kelsie came by to visit for my birthday. It was super fun! I showed her my apartment (it's a very quick tour, haha) and we headed out to lunch at Chili's. We had fun sharing pool stories and talking about what we're up to now. As we were about to leave Chili's Kelsie said something about it being my birthday...which prompted the server to bring out a birthday sundae: woo hoo! Next, we headed into St. Joe to explore a little bit. We went into this one little shop (some kind of general store) that had us both cracking up. You've got to love a store that sells St. Joe souvenirs on one aisle and dollar store underwear on the next. So weird! Then we did an awesome but seriously intense walk...down 70 stairs (yep, I actually counted), all the way out to the beach, along the water, and out to the lighthouse area. What a beautiful view! Then we made the trek allllll the way back - walking up a hill of sand in the summer is such a good workout! Haha. All in all, a very fun way to spend my birthday!!

Below you'll see the 70 steps...

the awesome lighthouse...

and a cool picture of the lake/beach :)

Friday, Saturday, & Sunday I had a pretty nice little routine worked out. I mimicked the beach walk (mentioned above) each morning for a nice little workout wake up. I really can't think of any better way to begin the day, it was amazing. Anyways, after the walk (and shower, etc.) I would run some errands and work in my classroom. I'm finding that keeping busy is my key to keeping sane around here! After working for most of the day, I'd find my way back to St. Joe. There is a little park-ish area overlooking the lake and it's my new favorite spot to read. I spent all three evenings reading out there.

Very peaceful and relaxing...until on one of those days a man asked to sit next to me. Now when I go to read, I go to read. I pull all the stops to not be bothered: sit alone, listen to my MP3, and read a book. Clear signals that I don't want to talk, right? Wrong. Apparently I was sending out the "if you're creepy please come talk to me" vibe by mistake. Happens all the time :P Anyways, this guy asks if he can sit down...enter Rick, 40-something and smelling like alcohol. He sits down and proceeds to tell me that he likes reading too. He shows me his book (some cop drama) and then says, out of the blue, "I can really dig your hair, very cool!" Well dang. Now I'm thinking I should probably never wear my hair like that again. Then he talks for a while about the new fountain they're putting in. I continue to pretend like I'm reading while making "hmmm" and "yeah" noises to our buddy Rick. Eventually, he looks up at me and asks, "You got two bucks?" Uhmmmm, I'm going to have to say no, sir. Then, just like nothing happened, he gets up and walks to the next bench. I was left wondering what my hair looked like and what he wanted $2 for. This story is really not relevant to anything, I just thought it was a funny encounter. :D

Lets see...yesterday was Monday. It was a rough day. I don't get homesick very often, but yesterday was bad. I woke up with a headache and wanted to do absolutely nothing. I didn't have any trainings or obligations so I laid around for a while indulging in the whiny part of me that could only think "I want to go home!" Don't get me wrong, I love it here! There are just times when I really, really miss being around the little munchkins and being able to talk to my mom without using a cell phone. I ended up staying in most of the day and working on some teaching prep stuff. Not the best day, but I got through it.

Today, on the other hand, was awesome! I had a training in the district math program today. The only program I'm familiar with is Everyday Math. I like it, but it is very structured and "paper and pencil" type learning. The program Lakeshore uses is called Bridges and I loveeee it! It is very hands-on, concrete, and fun for children. The training was really insightful and got me totally geared up to teach!

After the training, I headed over to Roosevelt to work in my classroom. It's really starting to take shape! I'm now pretty confident about the layout of all of my furniture. I worked on hanging up some posters, organizing and labeling materials, and opening some new boxes that just arrived. My only worry at this point is money. I haven't been working since I moved but I have tons of things I still would like to get for my classroom. It seems like every time I turn around I see or think of something else I need to get! I spent a few hours at the school with Amy and Stacy. Everyday I work with them I feel more and more grateful that I got this position: they are so supportive and helpful! I honestly couldn't ask for a better Kindergarten team! Between Bridges and things coming together in my room, I am oh so stoked about school starting soon!!

The last reason that today was such a good day...it is almost tomorrow! I'm going home for a visit tomorrow and I'm so excited!! I really miss everyone and I need to see how our puppy is doing :)

<3

The Move & Beyond...

Monday was the big day. We had packed up the moving van the night before, so we were ready to go. Since we were taking the moving van and the whole family we drove in 3 cars. Maddy and I got to the apartment and found out that the rest of the family was an hour behind us! What?!? Haha...I guess Wally was being really careful with the moving van! We waited around in the apartment for a while and unpacked the one random box that I had taken in my car.

When everyone else arrived, we got to work. Now, I have to tell you, for security reasons a third-floor apartment is a great choice. For any other reason? Not such a good plan! We carried my love seat, chair, table, mattresses, dressers, and boxes up three flights of stairs! The kiddos were pretty helpful during the whole ordeal - although Nasser is convinced he's the Hulk and can lift things that are much too heavy for him! The parents helped me to move my furniture around and assemble my bed.

The kiddos had been sitting in the car for three hours and watching us unload the moving van immediately after that. To say that they were getting antsy would be an understatement! To give everyone a little break, we all put on bathing suits and headed to the beach. They love Silver Beach! I think they'd move here in a heartbeat, given the chance.

We then headed back to the apartment to change and go out for dinner. We took two cars to go out to dinner...that's where they would leave me :( The kiddos most definitely did not understand that I was leaving for good; they kept asking when they'd get to go home and see the puppy! haha. We'll skip the goodbye part, but it was definitely tear-filled.

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I spent the rest of Monday and all day Tuesday unpacking boxes, hanging up pictures, organizing things, and grocery shopping. It was nice to have lots of time to get all those things done. By Tuesday evening my last box had been unpacked! I really like my apartment...It's much quieter than home (which will take some getting used to) but I love having my own space.

Here are some pictures of the new place!

My kitchen and already-decorated fridge...couldn't go too long without pics of the kiddos! :)

Computer/office area...I set up the computer, printer, camera dock, etc. all by myself! Woo hoo!!

Living room: Check out those sweet couches. As my cousins have already pointed out, those are indeed the 40-year-old couches from our basement!

Bedroom

Dresser (and sun mirror that I bravely hung and really hope doesn't fall down!)

Bathroom - I LOVE the shower curtain! We've never had one before (we have shower doors) so I definitely called my mom for some expert advice on what the heck you do with the lining of it!

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Today (Wednesday) was a little tough. I had an online training to do for Lakeshore, so I worked on that in the morning. I also organized a bit. I was feeling pretty blah and definitely missing my mom. Amy texted me to tell me she was up at the school and lots of my boxes were being unpacked. I decided that would be a good break from being in the apartment and headed up to school.

My classroom was full of awesome things that needed to be unpacked! I got to work opening boxes and moving things around a bit. While I was working in the room, I got a call from Amanda!! I thought that hearing from my best friend would make the slightly homesick mood go away, but it kinda made it worse. It was so good to hear from her - she's one of those people you can tell anything to! It was nice to talk through some of the missing home feelings I was having, even if it did make me miss her more.

Amy and Stacy (two of the three other Kindergarten teachers) invited me out for drinks at 7pm. It was such a nice break from being alone in my apartment! I'm too much of a chatty people-person to sit quietly at home!! They knew my birthday was coming up, so the girls got me a Gerber daisy and a birthday balloon :) So nice of them! We went to a place in St. Joe and sat around talking for a few hours. They are seriously awesome! I'm excited to know that these are the people I'll get to work with daily! Hanging out with the girls definitely improved my mood and made me excited for the school year to begin.

Tomorrow I'm heading in to school (with Amy & Stacy) to work in my classroom for a while. Around noon my friend Kelsie will be coming for a visit!! Tomorrow is my birthday and her half-birthday, so we're planning to head to the beach and maybe get a bite to eat! Keeping busy and trying not to miss home too much.

<3

Last Day Love

My moving countdown went from two weeks to two days to TOMORROW before I knew it! Leading up to the move I've been cleaning, organizing, and packing everything under the sun. I really never realized how much junk I had until now! I've still been working at the pool so packing has occurred on my few days off and sometimes on breaks from work.

Packing and "buying" things for my apartment has gone smoothly. My family, friends, and neighbors have really outdone themselves. One day I think, "I need to buy a microwave" and the next day there is a brand new microwave in my garage...thank you Mrs. Donna! Another day I'm telling my mom about how I'd like to get a DVD player but don't see it as a necessary expense. Later that day I get a like-new Sony DVD player from my neighbors...thank you Larry and Terri! You get the idea - everything has been like that. Moving costs have been so much more manageable for this very grateful graduate who worked and payed her way through 4 years of college.


Today was, by far, the craziest day of the summer:

• This morning we picked up and packed the moving van. We were able to do it quickly and painlessly; always a plus!


• While we were sitting around the house after packing, my mom mentioned that she saw a puppy she really liked on petfinder.com. We've recently (like yesterday) been given the green light to get a puppy! Well my dad was fine with us going to look, so we headed to Brighton. The dog we initially went to see had already been adopted :( We looked at the other dogs and fell in love with a 12-week-old, black and white, terrier mix puppy. She's ADORABLE! Long story short, we went just to look and we came home with "Tinker" the cutest puppy everrr!!


• Next, I RUSHED to work...I ended up being late because of all the puppy business. I worked 3:40-9pm at my very last shift as a lifeguard. I'm sad to see it go...it's the best summer job I could ever have! I worked with Olivia, Megan Burke, & Amanda...can you say amazing shift!?! Actually everyone I work with this summer is amazing, so that's a plus for sure. I'm pretty bummed about not seeing my Gainsborough guards everyday now :(


• When I got home we celebrated my birthday with cake and ice cream! My birthday is actually the 13th, but I'll be settling into St. Joe then. My gift was a gift card to buy teacher clothes! Yes!! My mom knows me well enough to know I need them, but I'd rather spend money on my classroom :) Awesome gift!

I'm sad to see this crazy day come to an end...what a good way to go out!

I'm still thinking about all of the people who have been there for me - especially these past few weeks. I can't really put into words how much this outpouring of support means to me. Patrons at the pool where I lifeguard make it a point to ask me about my new job all the time. High school and college students that I work with are SO excited for me...sometimes I think they're more excited than I am!! My parents have been amazingly helpful and supportive - I can't even think about how much my mom has done for me...it's already been an emotional day! The last few weeks (leading up to the move) seemed to make my relationships here grow so much stronger. I feel so absolutely loved and supported. I can't thank all of you enough for that.

Absolutely loved and supported. I wonder if there is any better way to feel the night before the biggest event in your life thus far. I honestly don't think so. I'm full of nerves and anticipation. I'm excited and oh so ready to make this move. I can't WAIT to set up my own classroom. But, at the same time, I can't help thinking about all I'm leaving behind. The support, excitement, and love of the past few weeks has made me feel more ready that ever. I can do this. This is going to be such a great adventure and I'm so ready for it!

Thank you, thank you, thank you...from the bottom of my heart. I love all of you more than you know!!

"Years from now you won't remember the things people said. You'll remember how they made you feel."

Ready for the move :)

<3

Mapquest Move

Here's a mapquest view of the drive from my house (in Canton) to the new apartment (St. Joseph). I'm moving across the whole state!

Catch up time...

LOTS of things have happened since my last blog entry. I'm going to try and cram it all into one so I can finally be caught up...updates in real time? Crazy! :)

Apartment Hunting was actually pretty fun and stress free. We saw 3 apartments before the one that I ended up choosing. The bathroom and kitchen in my one-bedroom apartment were newly refinished. Thank God, since the older apartments had gross green tile! My mom was a huge help during apartment hunting and was able to get me a really great deal. My move-in date is Aug. 10th!

Silver Beach is right up the street from my apartment. We took the kiddos for a trip to the beach since they were so good during the apartment search. They loved it! White sand beaches and Lake Michigan, what more could you want?

Board Meeting: The next trip out to Stevensville was to attend a board meeting. At the meeting, the superintendent suggests the new candidates for hire and the board votes to hire them. It was great to see such a positive school board. I was able to meet and chat with all of the school board members and school principals. This meeting made me even more excited to work at Lakeshore!

Zoophonics Training: Monday I drove to Kentwood, MI (near Grand Rapids) for a Zoophonics training. Zoophonics teaches children the sounds of alphabet letters by using animals, symbols, and movements. It was a really interesting training and I'm excited to try it out in the classroom! I was also able to meet Suzie, who will be the special ed and reading interventionist for K-3. It was a great trip!

Meeting & Classroom Setup: Yesterday (Wednesday), I woke up at 4am and was on the road by 5am. I had a meeting in Stevensville at 8am. I've decided that maybe I'm not a morning person after all...that was hard! At the meeting I was given tons of paperwork to fill out. I was explained my benefits package and given information on that also. After the meeting I went for fingerprinting and a physical. Waiting at the walk-in clinic for more than 2 hours wasn't the most fun I had all day, but it was one more thing to check off my "To Do" list. My last stop in Stevensville was to drop off some boxes to my classroom. Amy (the awesome teacher next door) met me there. It was great to talk with her about Kindergarten and things that I should expect. She was super helpful and I'm sure that my first year will be much easier with her next door! On the drive home I was able to catch-up with two of the coolest people I know (D & Amanda) which just topped off the awesome trip!

I'm stressing a bit about moving, packing, and teaching very soon...but I'm excited more than anything! Well, you're all caught-up now...more to come as it happens :)

<3

Classroom Visit

I recently had the chance to visit the school where I will be teaching. The principal of Roosevelt Elementary called me and asked if I'd like to come and see my classroom. I still love the sound of it...MY classroom! Anyways, we packed up the whole family (minus Dad, who was working) and headed to Stevensville.

Mrs. Bowman took us for a tour of the school and talked to me about some of the specials my students would participate in. Get this -- they have a weekly special where they meet with the guidance counselor and learn about making friends, being a good friend, and dealing with their feelings/emotions. How cool is that?! Other specials include: art, gym (they have a rock climbing wall!), music, and computers.

While we walked through the school we ran into one of the other Lakeshore teachers. I found out that Amy is the teacher who will be teaching Kindergarten right next door to me. She's young - going into her 4th teaching year - and was very welcoming. She even gave me her cell phone number and told me to call her with any questions or if I wanted a tour of the area.

Our next stop was my classroom. It is absolutely amazing! Mrs. Bowman kept apologizing for it being "the smallest" Kindergarten room. I couldn't help but laugh at this. Not only is the room huge, but it's mine so it's perfect to me! The room was pretty empty, but as she walked me back into the hallway she showed me what she called my "Christmas pile". The pile of boxes outside my classroom contain all new classroom furniture and toys that were ordered for me...chairs, tables, bookshelves, blocks, a sand and water table, etc. This is the first time the school will have 4 Kindergarten classrooms so everything is brand new!

After the tour, I met with Mrs. Bowman for a bit. She gave me a few books to read over the summer and a set of keys to the school! My classroom should be ready to be set-up by August 1st and I absolutely can't wait! She proceeded to give me her Stevensville area phone book and write out directions to some apartments and the BEACH! ...but that's another story.

<3