Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day! I'll be spending the day with friends from school, down at the park in Strathmore. I'm looking forward to the fireworks! (And maybe some food!)

School is over. I'm officially unemployed, but I'm looking. There are jobs that need to be applied for, and now that there is no marking left to do, I have the time to apply. I'm still not in a panic, but it would be nice to be able to give EVERYONE who asks some good news. I think other people are more worried than I am, which is flattering, but unnerving at the same time.

My question for the day: Why do I mark things that students don't come to pick up?

Fashion and Fish

Here's Dad's fishing trip from this winter with "the boys". I think he had a lot of fun...gotta love those ski pants!

Picasa is a wonderful thing...
This is the truck Alexis picked out at the Toyota dealership...We all have dreams!

The End is Near

I apologize for how long it has been since I wrote on here. I am swamped with marking (I think that's permanent) and I had my computer in the shop for just over a week. The tech guy at our school is a miracle worker. My computer that once liked to shut itself down whenever it felt like is now a machine with four times the RAM amd Windows XP. Bye-Bye Millenium!

The school year is almost over. I will be sad to leave this school, and I am a bit anxious about the coming school year and the lack of a position as of yet. I know that God will provide, so I'm not allowing the anxiety to become full-blown fear. I'm trying to get my marking done!

On a bright side, I'm excited about coming home to work at kamp for a week in July. Mom and I are cooking for a junior camp. I'm also excited that Mom leaves for BC on Sunday for the first of her module classes in ...I'm not sure. I read the booklet and info, and it sounds really good. She could tell you the proper name for the course. The information has been replaced by final exams in my brain.

For those so inclined: I can be found on Facebook. I enjoy adding people. It's a great timesucker! Me and my procrastinating. I wish I could be paid for doing that!

MAY the Spring Begin!

Rugby. A sport for all seasons, all players. I'm really enjoying the assistant coach position I have going on. These guys and gals are hilarious, and it's really nice to have a mix of student ages. Things I have learned from rugby so far: you can (read: will) play in the snow, rain, sun and sleet. There's also a lot of wind! It's such a good game for teaching respect...if that ref gives you a penalty, you can be forgotten about down at those try posts! Be nice, or else! It's really neat to see these kids work together.

I think the snow might be gone for good. I hope I haven't jinxed it, but I have put away my car's plug-in cord. I'm excited to see my mom's new car...she's getting it from the same dealership that I did, so that should be good for some brownie points with this dealership! She and Alexis fly in tomorrow night, and we'll pick the car up Saturday. I guess I should do some marking tonight, as it definitely won't happen this weekend. I do want to show them my classroom. Steph helped me put up fabric on some of the bulletin boards last night, so things are a bit more brighter. It was strange and hilarious all at once...every different class that came in today had to touch the one very patterned fabric. It seemed like the wall pulled them into it. I guess I have some tactile learners!

I have joined the addictive, interesting, and time-sucking thing they call Facebook. So far there have been few surprises, but it has been interesting to see how many people are on there. It has added to the number of emails I get, which is nice. I like mail, and emails are rarely bills.

I'll be home for convocation in June. I had to book my first substitute. I'll see whoever shows up then!

Report Cards and Weather Reports

April showers bring May flowers...but what does two feet of snow in April bring? I had to pretty much shovel two feet of snow off of my poor little car on Saturday. Heavy and wet, it's perfect snowball snow. Here's hoping it melts by tomorrow. I'm glad I'm not on supervision until Wednesday!

Report cards went out on Friday, and I don't think there were any major surprizes for anyone. Now I just have to get and stay organized so I don't have that week of stress in June...It's amazing how few days there are left...it's really flying by. I do feel like I'm still treading water most of the time, but there are days where I sit down at the end of the day and say, "You know? That actually worked!"

On a completely bizarre note: I've started to help coach the co-ed rugby. It is a lot of fun, though I know very little about the sport. Wayne tells them what to do and I cheer them on. We practice every Tuesday and Thursday outside on the football field. We even went out this past Thursday, though you couldn't see across to the end of the field for the snow falling. For those of you in Foam Lake, please note: I know more about basketball than rugby! This ought to be good.

Now I can Get Home Safely

I have a car. Actually, I have two cars, one of which I'm not able to trust to get me home to Moose Jaw. Never fear, however: I will be able to get home for the Easter egg hunt and Easter Sunday service. I picked up my brand-new Toyota Matrix today. It's "Cosmic Metallic Blue", so in other words, shiny light blue. I'm really looking forward to the drive home, even if it is one of the dullest drives in the country.

On another note, any one who can teach me how to post pictures up on this site, let me know. I'm sure it tells me how somewhere, but I haven't found it yet.

Four days of school until Spring break...Of course we're working this week! New units plus marking. Report cards are far more work than I imagined! I am looking forward to being home for a few days.

If Dad offers any one of you his new Grapefruit wine...take it and run. It's almost as good as the Blackberry. I may need more in order to solidify my opinion!

Spring, Sprang, Sprung

Alberta in March...I've seen geese flying overhead, walked to school without a coat, heard gophers "frolicking", and heard a meadowlark singing it's lungs out. I'm so glad it's almost spring. I say almost, as yesterday was +16 degrees, and today it's trying to snow. It's a little bit schizophrenic right now, but it will straighten out.

March in a Jr. High School...Everyone at school is looking forward to the Easter break. Two short weeks, and a week off. It will be good for the students to have a break, and get some of the spring wiggling out of their systems. I'm looking forward likely coming home for a bit to see the grandparents and such. It all depends on the car/insurance situation. I've never had to fill out quite so many forms! I'm hoping I can get it all figured out in the next few weeks.

Report cards come out just after Easter, so I'm marking my butt off this next week. My question: why is it so hard to hand assignments in? I know some of these kids are finished, but they can't seem to hand them in to me! The easiest way to pass grade seven is to show up, and the 2nd way is to hand in the assignments. Maybe by June they'll have figured that out. After all, this is the first year they've been asked to be responsible for anything. It's big switch from grade 6 to grade 7, but it is March...not much time left!

I'm really enjoying Strathmore. I've gone into Calgary a number of times. Yesterday I went in ALL BY MYSELF for the first time, and I didn't even get lost. Thank heavens for Google Maps...those are instructions I can follow. If only IKEA wasn't so easy to find...

Well, let the marking begin. Feel free to distract me with an email or phone call...You know my attention span!

Alberta and Snow

Hello everyone who might be checking this site. I have finally had the internet installed in my apartment, and so I am able to access this site. The school had it blocked.

I am now teaching at Crowther Memorial Jr. High School in Strathmore, Alberta. I've been teaching for a week and a half, and I think I'm able to name about 60% of my students, as long as you only want their first names! I've learned that Valentine's Day + Jr. High Students = insanity. Sugar and hormones. Hormones and sugar. The dance is tomorrow, so we'll see how this goes!

That said, I'm already attached to some of these kids. I have some excellent students. I'm looking forward to St. Patrick's Day. I think it will be a blast.

I'm off to plan for the rest of the week. I have to have two days planned ahead for my one class that refuses to work in class. I'm planning on being in MJ this weekend. I'm very excited about CATS. I can't wait to see all the costumes, and how they pull together. Thank goodness for this Family Day holiday! I need to get my bookshelves and another kitchen chair -- that way I can have one at the table AND one at the computer! I'm just holing Little Car makes it home and back one more time. Until next time!

And Ye Shall Find...

I have a job. Last Thursday I mailed an application package to the Golden Hills School Division in Strathmore Alberta, Friday I got mad at Canada Post, Monday I forgave Canada Post. I got a call Monday evening, about 5 minutes after 5 pm, asking if I could be in Strathmore, Alberta for an interview the next day. You bet I could! Dad drove me to Strathmore (he didn't trust Little Car, but I didn't tell her that), I interviewed at 3 pm, and I had the job by 4:30 pm SK time. Thank goodness for that extra hour in there!

I'll be teaching grade seven English Language Arts, Social Studies, and one block of Health at Crowther Memorial Jr. High School. It's a 7-9 school, with over 650 students. My average class size is about 26-27 students, and I start on Monday! I'm in a bit of a panic about planning and packing and moving and such, but I'm so excited.

I know some people who were wondering about where I would end up would be checking this blog, so I've updated it. I think the plan is to move on Saturday, so if I don't see everyone who has been thinking and praying, I thank you now! I hope to be back to catch closing night of the musical, but that's planning too far in advance right now! So, thank you, and we'll talk again.

Still Seeking

I'm back at the library. I'm really hoping there will be a message on the answering machine when we get home, but I can wait. I can be patient. That might be what this is all about. I'm not a patient person. It's good practice, right?

Blair and I went up to Foam Lake this past weekend to say good bye to people I didn't get a chance to before Christmas. It was a good thing we went when we did, since the weather has turned downright nasty since we got home. I'm kind of glad that I don't have to leave the house more often than I have. Our roads here in the south aren't bad at all, but that wind is brutal.

Dad finally has a new truck. It's a basic GM Value leader. V6 motor, manual shift, came in from Winnipeg. The most important thing, of course, colour: it's a silvery grey. I think I'll call it the Grey Ghost, or maybe the Silver Streak 2. Blair hasn't even seen it yet, so I'm making sure he knows I've sat in it. Because it's just that important. With Dad buying this brand new truck, he's a little vehicle crazy. I'd better find a job soon, since the next thing he wants to do is see me buy a new vehicle. Here's hoping.

Ok, I only have 15 minutes left of my one hour allotment, so I had better get everything else done. God Bless!

Seek...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! I'm here in Foam Lake, making sure I've said goodbye to everyone at church, and playing with Abigail. I cannot believe how fast she's growing or how much I miss her and Nathaniel. I would be sad, if I wasn't so excited about the future.

I have finished school. It's official. I have handed in my application to graduate, my application for my teacher certification license, and my application for a teaching job...I'm noticing a trend. I am seeking, and I'm praying, and I'm trusting.

I'm looking forward to the next week or so. Mom and Blair are back at school tomorrow, and that leaves Dad and I at the farm. I'll be sleeping, reading, cross stitching, scrapbooking and organizing what seems like a million pieces of paper I brought home with me. My room is finally liveable...kind of. You don't have to jump over many things, and nobody needs into the other closet anyway. I think the resident mouse even moved out.

I hope everyone has a blessed New Year, with many joys, and a few "growing opportunities". They make the good so much better. I will do my best to keep in touch, and to let everyone know when the sought is found. (If only we had internet on the farm...(sigh) Dad will never read this...)