Minilesson: Time & Space

I've been contemplating the "active engagement" questions in this week's minilesson regarding how ideas come naturally. Frankly, I'm not sure. They seem to come at random moments. Sometimes I am good about remembering those ideas to record later, and other times, I've forgotten the ideas before I get to a place where I can write them down. I definitely hate the latter -- especially when I had a great idea and just couldn't remember it. Often I play through my mind what I am going to say, and sometimes I get it perfect, but then, when it comes to writing it, it gets lost in the connect between my thoughts and on paper. That transferal from brain to paper is something I have struggled with in the past. I'm still not sure how to improve it. Perhaps with more practice and more time spent writing, that process will become easier.

Senior Class Trip

On Monday and Tuesday, I took the senior class trip on a camping trip to Hammonassett State Park and Beach in Madison, Ct. Along with 7 other colleagues, we took the class of 51 students on this overnight trip. What a task! The inception for the trip began back in the fall. After months of planning, the trip finally camp. Certainly I was nervous as I wasn't quite sure what the kids would do (especially so close to graduation), but the kids turned out to be fantastic.

We cooked all meals over fire pits, canoed out in the ocean, swam in the freezing water, and slept in tents. The kids gained a real sense of what it means to contribute help to a community and spent sometime bonding before the year is all over. Overall it was a pretty neat trip, and the kids had a great time.

Here are some pictures:

A favorite poem

One of my most favorite poems is William's Shakespeare's Sonnet 18.

SONNET 18

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.

Source: http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/18.html

I thought of this poem as summer is quickly approaching. I love how descriptive the poem is (i.e. rough winds do shake the darling buds) and how sensual it is as well. To me, it definitely a poem about love.
Furthermore, this poem has stuck with me for a long time. I have it memorized. I had to perform it in a drama class in 5th grade and then had to recite it again for an English class in high school. Overall, it's one of those feel good poems that can brighten anyone's day.

What a crazy week!

As of today, there are only 14 days left until graduation! Yes, I guess this means I am excited for summer. However, this past week has been crazzzy! I'm exhausted.

Last Sunday night was prom, and I chaperoned it. The kids looked great and had a fun time. I, too, had a great time, except for getting to bed well after 1am.













In this picture, you can see me with some of the seniors before we departed for prom.


Last Monday was Strawberry Fest. Strawberry Fest is an all-campus carnival on the green. It's always held the day after prom and is a day of fun and relaxation for the students. It is sponsored by the senior class, so as the Dean of the Senior Class, I was in charge of the event. I was up very early (still very tired from prom) to put on the event. Overall, we had a beautiful day, and the kids had lots of fun. This year's theme was "Wild Wild West Strawberry Fest!"


This week, I spent a lot of time finalizing exams and preparing for the end of the school year. Tomorrow, I am taking the entire senior class on their overnight senior trip. We are going camping at Hammonassett State Park in Madison, CT. Should be interesting to see what happens. Hopefully, they will all behave so that we don't have to dismiss anyone this close to graduation. I am confident that I won't have any problems. Let's hope for good weather and some sleep as well! I'll be sure to update you on the success of the trip.

See you all soon!