PAVEing a Blog

Sunday – I love Sundays, I mean TRULY love Sundays!  I just sat down to take in the dog behavior class, then met someone from the UK that works at Greengates, he was awesome and had three stray dogs (ahem, I am not the only one!)  – then ran into Amy Gallie going to Yoga, and well overall, a great day!  I have begun to take advantage of the things that I often say I do not have time for, – seeing movies, reading whole books, enjoying the view of the air in a park – this is what weekends are all about…As usual, I’ll go backwards a bit…

Saturday, sleeping in, trying out the drink Chai Chiller at the nearby Origenes, then Saturday night  (a GORGEOUS and warm evening for February!) – seeing the movie Mama in Balderas, when was the last time I saw a scary film? Irony – in the middle of a climatic scary moment, the film breaks!  No kidding, all light go down, everything stops, and it was humorous for all that this occurred.  However, in 5 minutes (maybe 10) all was restored, and though I jumped many, many times, it was pushing yourself to go on a rollercoaster – you know it is going to scare you, maybe make you sick, yet you do it.  Hence, scary movie for me, plus that was the only thing that seemed the most interesting at the Balderas theatre.   The day before, Friday, what a beautiful evening again!  I love this weather!  Friday was full of just not hurrying anywhere, heading eventually to the best pizza joint in my area, sorry, this was is on the lowdown as a promise to someone that I’d keep this place a secret, and then headed to see Les Miserables.  Let me say one thing, I NEVER read the book, NEVER read anything about Les Mes, and going to this not knowing anything – was better to me than having studies it for ages, the experiences was amazing and I walked out truly enlightened – LOVED IT! In some instances, ignorance is bliss!

Looking back to Thursday, our February Open Mic, whoa.  It is amazing to see how in one year the volume of people has grown so much – I counted 55 people, FIFTY-FIVE PEOPLE – amazing.  Yes we were a bit rushed having it at 4:30 but, the amount of talent, diversity, and culled events since we started this a year ago is amazing and makes me so proud of the performers and Repentino. staff. Tired and exhausted the day after?  Absolutely – but so worth it!  J  Looking even back to January’s – many sick individuals at this point but we had a full night, and for once ONCE, we actually finished early – so another first in another format – as the deadline gets closer to the due submissions (MARCH 1^st – please submit your photos, writing, art, before March 1^st – we want tons! – and the time comes to when we present at Columbia University as an international magazine – I have to say – I LOVE IT.  I love the apprehension that comes with NOT knowing what this year will reveal as a magazine – that is the whole reward and strength of it each year – not knowing then working through to get to knowing – but if you have staff surround you that are uninterested in personal fame or something just to put on a resume, it doesn’t work so well, so that is why I have come to appreciate the staff so much, their true colors regarding art and their commitments to representing a wide audience come out and do need to be recognized.

I am seeing myself progress through my graduate school classes, my last semester of two courses, then one over the summer, and my portfolio being put together for the Fall, and my gosh!  Could it be? No school for once?  No kidding… Thinking of my friend Natalie that just had major surgery, and already again, I see March coming and going and in a blink, the year will be my second at ASF, new staff coming, a new year new individuals at ASF, and the one pervading theme that helps as a constant, relax, sit back, give time to take it all in, and simply enjoy the days we have been given to bask in the sunshine of the awesome people around us.  I am SLOWLY, slowly learning to slow down the list of things looming over my shoulder called to be done and remove them one by one… or is it I am being able to delegate things better and have awesome people around me?  I say it is a little of both, but maybe more of the second.

VERY excited for the Seaford run-a-thon series occurring starting with the Vince Morris and Dr. Betts 5k Walk and run MAY 11, – Dr betts and vince morris app– this is a personal favorite of mine and I look forward to this a meeting a longtime acquaintance I haven’t seen in ages.  So many things to look forward to so, it is vital and important to bask an take these memories and events in one by one.

Grab your best writing, photography, or at in general and submit to
Repentino. International, we’d LOVE to have your masterpiece

Two notes, Osseily and Daniela, two amazing individuals from opposite spectrums of the world, but yet, on one hand you have one person who has given up so much and sacrificed much to be able to simply write about music that is created around the world, representative of so many different cultures and beliefs, and the other a former ASF Mexico City student, yet maintaining contact with me, coming into the Middle school years herself, yet devoting so much time to her inner creativity.

I think both have a message that is worth carrying to everyone – be true to yourself, but do not forget that allows you to be yourself.  I think it is worth walking away from your job if you can’t seem to find yourself amid your dreams, desires, and what you are good at.  it is often too true of a “dream” to go where the safe haven is, to find a safe way of life, but I have found out, after so many years, too late I feel sometimes, I found out money, advancement, etc, often is not worth the missed and quality experiences that can be obtained by being the person you can be, and well as be in deep involvement of what it means to be true to yourself.  Is a pay cut, a raise in your own personal ladder rung worth walking away from and having those experiences?  YES .  I never regret the decisions I made when I began to see actions/employment compromise my values,  yet, my deepest regret is that I did not act sooner.  I have come to love all things involved in the risks that I was once afraid of, yet blindly walked into.  I realized that it is not worth second guessing or turning back…;)

Amazing things that have been going on in the world of Technology!

President Obama in Hang out in Google to talk to people, Learning Without Frontiers Conference (Noam Chomsky!), Digital Day, ALA live about the topic of REMOTE in the 21st Century, it has been amazing what ideas been generated!

Listening to Sir Robinson Wilson was AMAZING in talking about the revolution in education occurring now.

Correct me if I am wrong – but the real trick to having technology being effective, is how you take technology, and go back and make it personal – that is a trick but yet the art of technology, implementing technology to make it personal – these above links are AWESOME….:)

In retrospect, it has been an AMAZING, amazing two weeks – truly!

Let me  explain – remember that crazy week I went into last week, in a past blog, of the constant humming of events one after another, when you look closely, I realized the things that I didn’t mention that made these events, (aside from the fact that I survived last week) that the details that most might not see at first…

How amazing was it to see 3rd graders from ECC and my Advisory/Homeroom working side by side on a popcorn bracelet project – I mean – AMAZING – the fun those younger student had and yes, the FUN my Advisory had – I was MORE than impressed with my Advisory/Homeroom student, I mean, they were unbelievable and I was EXTREMELY, extremely proud  – What a GREAT way to start off Tuesday….

I love seeing the MUN occur at ASF, Model United Nations has been hands down one of the best events I have ever seen, I mean ever seen 😉  – and seeing the ambassadors, country representatives, and more, it was an honor to be able to be a part of all this and what an education about other countries and their connections to other countries, and so on…

Well I have to admit Thursday night last week was stressful for planning flights for my Magazine staff, I have to say, what a big pay off to have everyone finally booked and a relief, and I couldn’t help but think of the experiences we will have while there – very excited despite the hardships we’ve had to get there…

Personal Project – I have to say, the projects I heard, I was so proud of Alia, Alice, Miranda, Nicole, those I was able to hear – the determination, self confidence, and belief in what they did showed so strongly in their descriptions.  I means so much to me that they made these projects personal, and it seemed like I had seen them grow before my eyes just listening to them explaining their individual projects.  I was just so excited and I silently predicted how successful they would be as they get out of school, and I was so —  PROUD – of them   –  🙂

I have to say, looking back and in this week, for the first time I can remember, this was hands down the BEST Valentine’s Day I ever had, I mean E V E R.  Why?  Thing is, I think about my students from DE nonstop, and I am so lucky to have had the time and experiences with them, that keeps me moving forward, and wow, I am even as lucky to know I have the students surrounding me now, they are 100% amazing and just – well the best Valentine’s I think I might have ever stumbled on, so yes, they make the day the most amazing without a blink, and every time I look back on how lucky I could be more, I can’t because I am completely surrounded by creativity, talent, excellence and most of all, all around amazingness.  I want to hug them and do with a smile every time I see them and to put it plainly, they make the Best Valentine’s, New Year, and every holiday – they have become my best day when I need it most  😉

Okay, so here is the second QR code for Black History Month trivia!

I put the picture and have not put the QR code up yet! – Sorry! I did it backwards, when you hit the QR code (it will be coming!) and then her picture will come up, asking, What did she win of significance, Why is it significant, What did she win it for, and When did she win it? We saved you a step with the QR code!  🙂 Good luck!

And the THIRD QR code for Black History Month!  🙂

(I have been buying alot of donuts for students based on this contest!)

Let me show you the rundown even though we had Monday off for Mexican Constitution Day…

Tuesday Morn is the popcorn event with my Advisory/and Homeroom meaning my Homeroom will work with ECC 2n grade students making popcorn bracelets…so homeroom, attendance, then reminding everyone to show up at 9:00 to work with the younger students, I was worried I had not given everyone enough notice…

9:00 Brunch instead of 9:10, homeroom students arrive early, yeah!   and here comes ECC, and no kidding, it might have been the most fun for half an hour we ever had, the kids from ECC LOVED it and we had all the homeroom students helping and working with them…amid the daily library needs of copying, laptops, borrowings, etc…

ADVISORY!  I almost forgot!  It was Advisory Day!  I pull all the materials together for Advisory, but remember!  We have classes coming to the library from Ms Mercedes’ class on referencing using databases – so we managed to get materials ready for the incoming class, then before you know it Advisory!

Using this chance to prep students for the Wednesday session of MUN, it seemed we were able to get everyone ready and aware of tomorrow’s MUN.

Making it through the rest of the day readying items for the Book Sale, putting the Chinese New Year ensemble up, we realized this was ONE BUSY Tuesday!

Coming in early was a must, setting up the Fiction room for the MUN ambassadors/representatives.  Projector, chairs, screens, samples of photos to advertise the school history of 125 years, just enough before students start coming in the morning.  Wednesday happens and we realize the setup for the library has not been done, so students in MUN come in at 8:00 to welcome ambassadors to the MUN sessions that will occur today.  Representatives here, and  Brunch comes without a blink, and we realize that the MUN Workshop will occur in a mere 30 minutes!  Making sure all presenters have a laptop, we realize that this could get complicated.  Chinese New Year decorations until 5:00, and we now see elements of internationalism as the hall and library turn red.

Thursday allows us to realize that this day, is the one respite from such a roller coaster of events occurring all week! Two TOK lessons, many requests for printing amid printing problems, setting up laptops, getting ready for the big Day of Personal Project, then realizing we need to get students on a plane for New York and not delay anymore.

2:30 PM becomes 11:00 PM before I even realize it, as all students except three are now booked for a NY flight, and I walk out at 11:00 PM knowing Friday, Friday we start all over with the crowds and throngs preparing for an Awesome Personal Project.  I don’t remember  falling asleep Thursday night but do remember how early Friday seemed to come, and out the door at 5:00 to get to the school and ready the day for one instructional class if TOK, bit before that (4th period) I prepare tables, signs for the library booksale before anyone hits the campus ground.  Then I move onto helping get students’ laptops for the Personal Project, do not forget to mention the Homeroom, as they are 10th grade, needing assessment forms, places to store their project for Personal Project, the morning was like Grand Central Station until the first period bell rang and my 10th grade Homeroom set out to conquer the world with their projects –

Booksale!  after judging 4 students’ Personal Projects during lunch, we help relieve shifts at the book sale for the Upper School Library, lasting until 2″40 where we pack up what remains, as well as tables, and get all back into the library.  Again TOK was involved as most were shocked that they had to create their Investigation paper in 1700 words, 2/3 of the what the Investigations part of their paper calls for for February 20th.   However, I manage to get out of the class, and finish up the day – tables put away, books packed, make it home at 4:00 on a Friday and literally collapse….

Short week?  technically, the days were shortened  by one day, yet it truly seemed like a full week without even thinking about it.

Before next post, processing the things not thought of or seen from these events, I need a Nap, reliving this week’s schedule has wiped me OUT! 🙂

I love the fact that my awesome and crazy tall colleague, (I mean TALL!) Aaron Mines grabbed me for the volleyball and soccer games at ASF!  I need to be there more!  You need to be there more!   COME TO THE game!

The volleyball parents were awesome and had yummy pizza,

the soccer game was just during a perfect night and we won!  Yeah!   

However, we definitely need more people to come out, finding out that the record of staff coming has and was three, ugh, this is so opposite of sports in the states from what I recall, so I would like to figure out a way to get more people to support the teams and students!  I was super majorly proud of them!

This is another former post, but in decorating the library to the hilt for Black History Month (thanks Janet and library cadets!)

We have our first winner, someone who found the first QR code clue in the library and answered it promptly!  

The QR code was created by Moct our clerk, expertly I might say, placed in a strategic position, then discovered by none other then TREY!

Here was the music and famous Louisiana artist that was attached via a hidden QR code.  He can JAM the piano!

Get ready for a new QR code to be hidden and placed for competition Monday!  (February 11, 2013!)