8th Grade GT Theories

What do you think really happened to the lost colony of Roanoke?

"In original history, the colonists were brutally slaughtered. But Dr. Who fixed that."

"The settlers were really good and God desided to translate the whole colonie. He lifted them and the houses but not the fence. Then he sent a tornado to stop others from finding out. CRO was another word for god." [sic]

"I think that the lost colony is still being tested on by aliens to this day. Their houses and the odd belongings are vital for testing."

Phooey!

I can't bemoan the fact that other people aren't updating their blogs (*cough* Lisa), when I haven't written anything in September, and it's halfway through the month. Beginning of the school year is always crazy busy. Next week will be the worst - BUT - thanks to Jimmer, yes Jimmer, for having an NBA event at BYU next week, NHS inductions got moved a week. Yay! Orginally, it was scheduled the day after PT conferences, which is a really long 12 hour day - it's exhausting physically and emotionally to interact with that many people at once. I still remember one year when parents were complaining because the line to talk to me was 30 minutes long. Yikes. It hasn't been that bad since I took over ESL, because I have fewer students than before. However, teaching the GT 8th graders means a lot more parent questions and concerns, and they want things like a list of all the due dates for the whole year. Aack! I am still refining the curriculum of that course! It's not like we have a textbook or anything for them. One parent was really upset about the lack of a textbook on Back to School Night. I even had one 8th grade parent questioning my credentials to teach History if I teach ESL. Hello! History was my MAJOR! Did you know I teach the IB History class - the awesomest IB class in the school?!? Okay, I didn't really say that to them. I said something more professional and patient-like.

Meanwhile I was recommended to attend the CITES conference training this year - which is a big honor, and if I turned it down, I would probably never be invited again. Some teachers wait their whole careers without getting to go to these conferences. That does mean that I will miss 10 days of class this year for these conferences. I hate having substitutes, and I hate the state my room is in when I get back. BUT, I do get stay in a hotel in Park City...and I have reading homework for the conferences, 7 books in all. Oh, and this Saturday is an IB conference in SLC. Next month is a 4 day IB conference...somewhere, they haven't decided where yet. Poor Werty, while I am off having work related trips, he is stuck at home. And when I am home, I am often working or sleeping. I am supposed to be taking classes starting in November for the GT endorsement cohort, which means more time away from home and more homework to do. I don't know if I can really swing all of that. The GT classes might have to give way. Phooey.

Trip to the Zoo

Random pic when BooBear wanted to play with the camera.


The last day of summer for me, that is, the day before my contract began, BooBear went to the zoo with his cousins. He liked the elephants, the small primates, the birds and the small animal house. He didn't care much for the life size dinosaurs - they roared, but didn't move as much as that exhibit in Seattle from when I was a kid. He was also scared of things that squirted water, like the dilophosaurus and the elephant statue in the picture above. "Hey that's the kind of dinosaur that spits in Jurassic Park," I said seconds before it got me straight in the face.

BooBear watching the elephant show.

Then we went to check out mom and baby elephant. We made up a song in our house called 'Baby Elephant' that we sing whenever we go up the stairs, so he thought the baby elephant was cooler this year than last year.


The little guy staring intently at the monkey next to BooBear is his youngest cousin.

Look mommy, a bird!

School Start

With two days of regular school under my belt, I have met all of my students. My largest class is the 8th graders at 36 students. Somehow, my US Govt class (usually at least 40 students) had a conflict with something. So for now, my class is just under 20. It's so weird. We get through material faster. We will probably have time to do the mock congress activity, something I haven't had time for since my first year teaching the class. One of the Gov't students would have liked MY Amer Gov't teacher, she's really into conspiracies and is willing to share them often. I have my largest group of IB students, but not as many as the admin would like, but they seem to be a bright group.

Summer Checklist

As my summer break comes to an end, I have been in a frenzy to get things done on my checklist, from construction to baking. The laundry room is mudded, sanded and ready for texture...for a week now. Werty bought a hopper/texture gun, borrowed an air compressor, and is researching technique. Now he is talking about needing another tool for the ceiling and more mix before starting. Argh!

Meanwhile this week, we mudded the first layer to fill in the texture in the living room. Yes, I realize that we are trying to put texture up in one room while smoothing out the texture in another room. Yesterday I sanded down the room all by myself. Today, my hand keeps going numb. But it looks good. One more layer and sanding should do it for that room, and then we are ready to paint. I am really hoping to have both rooms painted before school actually starts in a week. The next step I have planned out will be getting the art framed and on the walls - but that might be next summer's project, because we will probably need furniture in that room first.

I used my favorite baking cookbook to make two new recipes this year - the pumpkin spice roll is something I have wanted to try for a while. I liked the cream cheese filling, much less sugar than your normal frosting. The clafouti (I have no idea how to pronounce it) was good with the apricots. Both were a hit when we shared them with Werty's family.

This week we moved BooBear into a big bed. He was so excited, he didn't want to fall asleep that night! We have a rail up, since he tended to roll all over the room instead of staying on his toddler mattress before.

I also typed out the topics and activities for each day of my IB class for the last three years out of my lesson plan books. I am hoping this will aid in my planning and make the course more succinct and creative this year. I have also been perusing the 3 new IB textbooks put out by C@mbridge Press in preparation since they arrived last month hot off the press.

Some things still left on my list:
- We still need to take BooBear to the zoo. We are hoping to go with Rena and her family.
- I didn't get all the unpacking done I wanted to, still have most of the same boxes since the beginning of summer because my file cabinet is still locked with no key since the move.
- The tv and media appliances are still not plugged in, since Werty hasn't had time to put in a new outlet yet. Thank goodness for hulu.
- Still haven't bought a sewing machine or put up curtains, since we haven't painted yet.

Here are some pics from our summer:



BooBear watering the trees.

Flopping around on his new big bed. He can get himself in and out of the bed.


BooBear loves to help us mud and sand. He was really excited when we started working on the living room because he had full access to being involved.

BooBear picked out these tiny bananas at the store. The tomato is for size reference.

Sunset view from our house.

Sue's family came over for FHE and s'mores. Her kids had fun picking raspberries, catching grasshoppers and watching humming birds.

Congrats to Rena!

Rena will be starting her Master's program this Fall. She originally abandoned the idea when she was wait listed, but with two weeks until the semester starts, they want her in their program. I know she will be awesome!

Meanwhile, after 2 days I have undone what summer school did to my classroom, and even managed to throw out a bunch of junk. Most importantly, I found the file that has all the names and numbers for this year's NHS council, so I can send out invites for our BBQ retreat next Thursday.

Afraid of melting?

BooBear tends to wake up and immediately point outside because he wants to play at the park across the street. Sometimes he brings us our shoes while we are still in bed or in pajamas. We are having a wetter summer than normal this year. So, I find it entertaining when it's nice and overcast how PACKED the park will be until it starts to precipitate. A little sprinkle and the park clears out. That's what happened today. Lots of kids running around, and then 'poof' we're alone in the drizzling rain. I also discovered a new gauge of how much I love my son. Love is being willing to go down a wet slide after the rain, thereby drying the slide for my child to enjoy. At one point a family joined us in the park, but I think the father took a look at my son with his wet bum from sliding in the rain and a slightly runny nose, and thought I was some kind of neglectful parent, because it wasn't long before he hurriedly ushered his wife and kids out of the big toy area away from us. Or maybe it was the big wet spot on MY bum from drying the slides, not really sure. I vacillate being concerned about BooBear getting enough socialization with other kids and being relieved when we have the big toy to ourselves because BooBear can play on whatever he wants without being run over by big kids or having rude children snatch things away from him when he can't speak enough to defend himself.

Ddonn if you do make it to Utah, try to schedule enough time for the girls to enjoy the park - including the water park and water slides.