Life has been very busy lately - in my current job, I teach Music as well as Kindergarten, and we are preparing for our annual School Musical in about 2 weeks. My heart hasn't been in it the same way this year, especially now that I know I am moving on...but I still must do my best, right? (I keep telling myself that...)
So, what has been exciting? I got to meet my new colleagues on Saturday! The three of us met at the new school with our principal-to-be and had a short meeting and a long look-around. Oh my. My current school building is over 60 years old and shows its age. Case in point: in my Music Room I have ONE electrical outlet. In my new Grade 1 classroom there are outlets on all four walls, plus places for internet connections (although I think I heard that we're going to have wireless) and even a PHONE. The principal laughed when I was so excited about that one thing, but when you have to go downstairs to the staffroom or office any time you get (or want to make) a phone call, that's a pretty big improvement!
I LOVE my new colleagues. The three of us (Kindergarten, Grade 1 and a combined Grade 2/3) hit it off immediately. It was a lovefest. We were all so giddy and excited, but I learned enough about them in those few hours together to feel really optimistic about next year. The cherry on top was an e-mail from one of them later that evening, affirming everything that I felt.
More excitement: the church we are attached to had a Scholastic book fair on the weekend when they held an open house to see the new school, and raised about $6000. The principal said that she plans to give us each $2000 of that for our classroom libraries. Yippee! I love books! I still have most of the books that I acquired when I first taught Gr. 1, but most are looking VERY used, as my own kids read them. In my years of teaching Music and French I did get some books to support both of those subjects (and I will take the Music ones with me, although I'll leave the French) but little else. I spent some time on the Scholastic website creating a theoretical order, and I am amazed at how many books I will be able to get! Fun times ahead!
We are meeting again at the end of April - it's nice to actually have some ideas about how next year will go. More fun ahead, I'm sure!
