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School Journal: Week 2 and still going strong (and hectic)!
So, our 2nd week of school … but a short one thanks to the Labor Day holiday!
Tuesday: we had our first SLA/House Leader meeting … which worked out quite well. I am extremely proud of my SLA kids – 47 of some of the best, brightest and most willing to be “part of the solution” kids that I’ve ever met. We are going to have a fabulous year! We also had our first volleyball games – JV and Varsity games against O’Connell … it wasn’t pretty (they are GOOD) but such fun to go to our first away game and see our girls try their best. I love these kids!
Wednesday: school Mass and generally an easier day as we all get used to school … and schedules … and working for the good.
Thursday: our first Circle Activity. Circle is a sub-group of each of the eight houses. Each house has about 90-95 students with 6 teachers and some staff; each House also has five circles, each led by a house-faculty member and an SLA student to lead the students thru the activities. This week, being the first of the year, was an ice-breaker called “TrainWreck” … think musical chairs with shoes and getting to know each other. As House Leader of House of More, I don’t have a Circle (dh does, though!) so I could walk round and see our five circles and ensure that all were enjoying the activity. Thursday evening we had our “Back to School Night” … I even got parents in my Library since I’m the Work-Study Teacher so parents wanted to know what their students would be doing. Two hours of chatting and schmoozing parents after a 2.5 hour volleyball practice after a day of school … it was pretty exhilarating. The bonus was that since we all had to stay, dh drove home and I could knit and relax … a good thing, even if we didn’t get home till 10:00.
Friday: who thought it would be a good idea to have a full-day of regular schedule classes on a Friday???? Certainly the faculty weren’t included in the decision. Spent the day with many fellow bleary-eyed colleagues as we worked with the kids in classroom, library, and then gym as we finished up the week’s volleyball practices. Maggie didn’t have cross-country practice Thursday and Friday due to a forecast heat-index of over 100 … so dh took Maggie and JP home right after school and Thomas and I practiced (him, football; me, volleyball) and headed home at 6-ish for a well-earned rest.
Saturday: this is a day that will go down in infamy … Maggie had to be to school by 6a.m. for a bus-ride to her second cross-country meet (dh took her). Thomas had his ACT up at Forest Park (public school near JPtheGreat) since none of the schools down this-a-way had space. I took him and then spent a few hours at school, catching up on work; went back to get him at noon-ish … Maggie’s meet was cancelled since it was too hot for the JV to run … so she met us back at school and Thomas, Maggie and I hung out at school, relaxing/studying/etc until 4:15 when Father celebrated Mass for the football team/families before our second home game under the lights. Dh had gone back home (after dropping Maggie at 6a.m.) so he could run JP up to a birthday party (3-7) and then meet us for Mass. After Mass … and the boys heading down to dress and warmup for the game … dh, Maggie and I headed to one of the most-authentic Chinese restaurants in the area for a quick dinner. We got back to schoo, dh went to get JP from his party while Maggie and headed out to the Field to help set up for the game. Dh and I were on crowd-control (we love hanging in the student section) while Maggie and JP hung out with their friends and Thomas started as CornerBack. Unfortunately, the boys got crushed 30-8 and shouldn’t have (so it was a long, long drive home) but Thomas did well, running all the way across field to make or assist with the tackles. It was a long game but a wonderful, breezy, low-humidity night with amazing students and families all cheering even with the loss.
Sunday: we all got to sleep in since we’d been to Mass; well, all except JP. So dh and I dropped him off at Mass and then headed to grab fresh-made donuts from The Sugar Shack and then a quick breakfast-date of coffee and sandwiches before heading back to pickup JP and back home. It’s been a quiet, restful day, marred only by the memory of 15 years ago and 9-11! Prayers for all those who lost loved ones on that horrible day when, as George W. said tonight, “we were wounded but not weakened”. God Bless America … and all Americans here and abroad … and thank you God for a country where all are considered equal (even if we don’t always treat them that way)!
God’s many prayers for you and yours as we head into another week of School 2016-17!
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