** This post took me SEVERAL days to write. I started Tuesday, and finished Sunday. Sorry if it seems scattered :).**
I am a firm believer that the plague has returned......and returned to my classroom and home. It all began with a few kids
in mid January that came down with a nasty cold/flu/cough "thing". Well, it has spred like WILDFIRE, and also picked up the stomach flu bug to go along with it. No matter how many times we wash our hands, clean the tables, and remind the kids of how to NOT to spread germies.....in the past week I have had on average 5-8 kids gone per day, and send 2 or more kids home sick. Today was the icing on the cake though......I had 5 kids gone......again.......and had 2 kids throw up all in the same 10 minutes!!!! At least I didn't have to witness it, because I would have freaked out! Everyone know what a major phobia I have of throw up......so naturally I was a little on edge for the rest of the day. **This was Tuesday.**
Not only have all the kids in my class been sick, Cameron and I have both been "plagued" with the lovely germs. Lucky for us, we have AMAZING health insurance, and were able to go and get some antibiotics to help kick the bugs, and some fantastic cough medicine to help us sleep and control the awful coughing. We're finally starting to feel better, slowly but surely (it's only taken me2 weeks!!!). Now, if we can only stay healthy and germ free!
Believe it or not, we have had a few highlights in the past 2 weeks. I got together with my family on the 29th for my Grandma's birthday. Cameron was at school, so he didn't have the chance to enjoy the DELICIOUS carrot cake my mom made for the celebration. I have the best Grandma! I hope she had a fabulous birthday, because she deserves it!
Cameron's grandparents made it safely home from serving an 18 month mission in Germany.
They came home on Saturday January 31st. We weren't able to go to the airport for their arrival because we were still too sick, but we were able to see them at the Super Bowl/Birthday party for Poppi on Sunday. It is good to have them home safe and sound!
Cameron has been talking about wanting a nice digital camera for a long time. I kept trying to figure out why on earth he wanted one, since we don't really have a ton of stuff to take pictures of . I mean, we don't travel a lot, or have kids, ya know the typical things people take a lot of pictures of. Well, he finally talked me into letting him get it! I have to give him credit, he did do a lot of research on where he could buy the best one, at the best price. He has taken a lot of really great pictures! He makes me laugh because on his days off, he sometimes just goes and wanders around 9th and 9th and takes pictures. He also has took a lot of great pictures at the Auto Show a few weeks ago.
Our other exciting moment of note from the past few weeks, is that I am officially a Grad student! I've been talking a long time about going back to school and getting my master's degree, and have looked into several options. For some reason or another, things just weren't working out in my favor. I've had MANY discussion with my principal about what my future holds as far as career wise, and she really encouraged me to get my master's. I always thought I would just get my M.Ed, with a reading endorsement for my teaching license. I had never really thought about anything else. I am very happy working as a classroom teacher. Martha asked me if I had ever thought about a career as an administrator.........naturally I being 24 I said no, because that seemed like something that would happen a long way down the road, if ever. I mean, I never had a "young" principal. She told me to seriously think about it because I "have the qualities that good administrators need"(whatever that means), and that in the future, administrators were going to be hard to find, so there was no doubt in her mind that I would EASILY get a job using my new degree. Well, I got an email from the personnel and HR director at the district office with a link to an online University in Arizona, that they were encouraging teachers to use if they were looking into a graduate degree. I went to their website, and looked at what they had to offer, contacted one of their enrollment people to see what I needed to do, and well........a week later I took Martha's advice and am now a student at Grand Canyon University in Education Administration. It will take me 18 months to finish all the necessary classes, do an internship at my school with Martha, or another administrator in the district, pass another basic competency test, and I will have a license to be a principal! It has all happened so fast, I am still a little in shock. My financial aid is all taken care of, my books are ordered, and I start classes on March 9th! I am excited to get my master's and possibly start working in this new line of work. Who would have EVER thought I would become a Principal!!!
Cam and I also got new living room furniture last weekend. It is wonderfully comfortable! Sorry, I have no pictures of it this week.....but will include them in the next post. The next week is CRAZY for me, so I can't promise there will be an update. I am taking the kids on a field trip to Discovery Gateway, am celebrating the 100th day of Kindergarten and Valentines Day, have 2 kids with birthday's, and will be in a mentor teacher meeting for my student teacher. Oh, and the state board of education will be coming to observe in my classroom on Tuesday to see if they feel that extended day kindergarten is worth putting money into! All in the same week! It should be fun!!!
On a more serious note. I am normally not so passionate about political agendas, but when it directly impacts what I do for a living, I care, and care a lot. We all know about the hideous economic situation we are currently in, and how it is impacting EVERYONE. Well, it is going to hit education hard if the state legislature doesn't support Gov. Huntsman's budget plan. My district alone is losing 4.5 million dollars in funds next year, and possibly more (which is a TON for such a small district). There is talk about increasing class sizes (mind you, I already have 25 kids in my class which is about 7 children over the recommended class size for kindergarten), cutting days out of the school year, and doing away with a lot of important jobs (para-educators, reading coordinators, etc). If you know who your legislators are........write, email, or call them and ask them to please support the Governor's budget. It will have the least impact on education, and human services which are so important for us NOW, and will continue to be important in the future.
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