Fall is in the Air - October 2021 W.I.S.H. Challenge

[Summer2018]

I had to research the origins of Indian Summer after you mentioned it and there wasn’t a good explanation for how it began or a good alternative. My favorite was Badger Summer used in England because badgers have one more litter before winter. But not really applicable here! Maybe we all can come up with one!

My favorite is Endless Summer.

 

[Summer2018]

I am struggling to find a Woo Hoo.

DD caught my cold even though I tried very hard to keep my cooties to myself.

This afternoon/evening, we had a zoom training that was borrrrrrring and developmentally inappropriate. My PreK brain was exploding. We had multiple breakout sessions with teachers in other schools. I had two new teachers in mine who were understandably upset by the training. They started asking me questions and before I knew it, I was providing my own training session for them every time we had a breakout session. They were so enthusiastic about every idea and technique I taught them.

I guess that is my Woo Hoo. A couple of new teachers learned something new from me today in the midst of one of the worst workshops I have ever attended.

 

[MickeyMom76]

Woohoo - I’m getting more steps in this week, thanks to my walks after school Monday & Tuesday. I stayed at school until 6 trying to catch up on some work, so no walk today. Hopefully back out again tomorrow.

Woohoo - I’m MOSTLY sticking to my eating plan.

Woohoo - I felt like a good mom this morning keeping one of our traditions going. Ever since my kids started taking state assessments (in PA, they take PSSAs) in third grade, I would make them a big breakfast with eggs, bacon, toast and fruit. Normally they have cereal or bagel or toaster waffles that they make themselves (even back then). Today they had the PSAT as juniors. So I got up early enough to finish my workout in time to make them breakfast. It just get good to still get my morning routine in, but also be mom

 

[Summer2018]

 

[MickeyMom76]

I’m thankful for that hug!

I’m thankful for my sister. She is 13 years younger than me and was the surprise that cancelled our first trip to Disney. My parents gave my brother and me certificates in our Christmas stockings announcing our trip in Aug. Then a week or so later, the trip was cancelled because my mom was pregnant with my sister. Both my brother and I surprised my mom with our excitement for a baby sister over the trip! And now my sister and I are super close! I called her yesterday after a hard day and just hearing her voice made me smile! And hearing my niece & nephew in the background helped too

 

[piglet1979]

I am thankful that the fall sports season is almost over. I need a break. I am also thankful that I was able to meet up with one of the kids former teachers (they had her in 3rd grade). She is also a friend as well. We met when DS had her and found out that her husband is good friends with my boss. They were in each others weddings. Then their son played soccer with my nephew and we went to the same church. Her middle son is the same age as DS and they have hung out some too though they are in different schools districts. DS played their school last night in soccer so we met up at the game. It was so nice to be able to see and talk to them. It was a fun night.

 

[Oneanne]

I'm thankful that things at work finally came to a head yesterday. For weeks there have been 'back hallway' 'secretive' conversations about the future of the building I just traveled to, putting us in this awkward limbo knowing the project we were trying to wrap up was probably going to die without ever going live. Yesterday there was finally a public declare, so halleluiah. Not talking or sharing openly is counter to our company culture so it was just very weird. And while it is sad that all our work (for the past 2 1/2 years, not just this recent work) is being set aside, the future vision for the building will be developed by my team and is really exciting. Heavy sigh of relief.

This week I am very certain that Ester can hear me, which I am thankful for, but I am starting to doubt that Ester is her real name. I was talking to a friend who had a cat who never responded to her voice until she experimented with calling him different names until she found one he liked. I was calling her different things last night and she seems most responsive to Dorian. Not 100% sure yet tho.

 

[ShannyMcB]

Thankful my boss (and her boss, and his boss) are so supportive of our lives outside of work. There have been issues with the bussing in our district including sick-outs and other disruptions.
And all the stuff I have been doing to get my parents ready to apply for medicaid.
It all happens during work hours and they have been so awesome about giving me flexibility to work at home extra days and working before/after typical hours so I'm not stressing about work related things...I can focus my stress on the stuff that matters.

 

[PollyannaMom]

Thankful for...

the beautiful fall weather (even though I'm only out in right now because cat #1 demanded a second walk and wouldn't let me get anything done inside )

family members who stopped by last night

wildlife in my yard right now - cute squirrel and several noisy birds

 

[sjrec]

Thankful for another beautiful fall day-mid October and 75 degrees is perfect. We’re going to pack lunch and sit on the beach tomorrow.

Thankful we were able to get our booster shots so easily.

Thankful my husband is setting up an office space here so we can spend more time in Ocean City.

 

[sjrec]

Thankful my boss (and her boss, and his boss) are so supportive of our lives outside of work. There have been issues with the bussing in our district including sick-outs and other disruptions.
And all the stuff I have been doing to get my parents ready to apply for medicaid.
It all happens during work hours and they have been so awesome about giving me flexibility to work at home extra days and working before/after typical hours so I'm not stressing about work related things...I can focus my stress on the stuff that matters.

I’m so glad your work situation is so accommodating. I had several situations with my parents where I had to leave suddenly and the administration at my school were wonderful. It makes a difficult time just a little less painful.

 

[Summer2018]

I an thankful that I survived today’s challenges.

I am thankful for any help and support I get at school now even though it can be hit or miss.

I am thankful that even though I got a new student today who only speaks Portuguese, and was uncooperative with mask wearing among other things, at least he didn’t cry or try to make a run for it.

I am thankful

 

[sjrec]

I’m guessing you don’t have an ESL support teacher? My goodness, what a challenge.

 

[Summer2018]

I’m guessing you don’t have an ESL support teacher? My goodness, what a challenge.

We have two ESL teachers, one who speaks Spanish and one who speaks Russian. He will get pulled for support, but nobody in the school speaks Portuguese. There’s other schools with higher concentrations of Portuguese speakers, but so far this year, 3 of my students declined bilingual Portuguese kindergarten classes in those schools. Our school is very popular and everyone wants to attend, so parents are choosing not to place their children in bilingual programs. We do have Spanish bilingual all the way up to 3rd grade, and ESL pullout services for all.
Google translate is my best friend.

 

[Summer2018]

Free for all Friday!

 

[PollyannaMom]

...Google translate is my best friend.

You are resourceful and just plain amazing!

 

[sjrec]

You are resourceful and just plain amazing!

Yes to this 1000x!

 

[Oneanne]

Halleluiah it is Friday. This has been a week.

I've got a nice gap of no meetings in the middle of the day today, so I'm going start doing a few household chores, then tonight it'll just be a couple things to wrap up and throwing some over-night stuff in to a bag. I'm planning on catching the 8:30am ferry in the morning, so not crazy early. My route to my Sister's takes me thru the town where my Dad and Grandparents are buried and this time I'm going to swing by and leave some flowers on my Grandma's grave... and have a quick chat with her. There is also a Bird Nature Preserve along the way that I've been wanting to stop at, so I'll do that as well. It is supposed to be rainy all weekend, so a nice wintery beach break.

 

[Summer2018]

TGIF!!!!!

WOW! What a day...I think my job title should be changed from teacher to problem solver. The morning started okay even though my 1/2 day para was absent. I think that I got so used to zero support that when it reverts back to that, I figure it out. Would I call this high-quality educating? No, but we made it through to 10am with only a handful of tantrums (just once I want to be the one having a tantrum, lol). Then we had a fire drill. Luckily one of the paras in charge of transporting my little guy who is wheel-chair bound is my old Pre-K para (the other half of the now defunct Dream Team). So, I was able to lead my 23 kindergartners and she was the caboose pushing the wheelchair, and that way we didn't have to worry about losing anybody. Thanks to President Biden's funding, we now have reading interventionists, and they were enlisted to walk with the four K classes and catch the various runners. Once again, we made it. All was well until lunch. I returned to mayhem. The special needs para who came to replace my para was hardcore. All she did was escalate the behaviors. (How this woman has a job working with children with severe special needs is beyond me). After that, it was too much.

After dismissal, two kids were not picked up. While we were walking to the office one asked me, "Could you move my seat away from Connor? He's a baaaaaad boy and I don't like sitting near him." I said, "Of course. Thank you for telling me." The other boy said, "Yeah Miss. Connor is out of his mind." And then those two almost 5 year olds and I had the best laugh.

 

[sjrec]

Another beautiful evening-today was one of those days I will remember this winter when it’s gray, dreary and cold.
We took our chairs to the beach this afternoon and just soaked up the sun.
Tomorrow is supposed to rain all day so enjoyed every minute.

Hope everyone has a restful and relaxing weekend!