1st Day with All the Teachers

Today was our official start date.  We started with an all staff meeting and then we made a schedule for the high school... It didn't seem to make sense to me how they did it before...so I asked why we didn't do it in a traditional way.  Now we are. :)  They had 7 hours.  4 core academics, a Directed Studies (study hall kind of), Advisory (behavior class), and then a double up class.  The kids would go to 2 math or 2 science classes...why?  I asked this, and they said it was layered so they were always working... I didn't understand.  If I had science 1st hour and 4th hour, I would wait to come to school until 2nd hour.  So, they said they had electives and that's why they needed an extra hour... It didn't make sense to us as new teachers.  Thats the part that i like most about my new principal. He likes to listen to everyone's ideas and collaborate. We, as new teachers, had a new idea because we hadn't been exposed to the old idea. They liked it.  So here's how we have it set up now:

1st hour: 45 minutes - electives
2nd hour: 45 minutes - directed studies
3rd hour: 60 minutes - core class
4th hour: 60 minutes - core class
5th hour: 60 minutes - core class
6th hour: 60 minutes - core class

I feel like this is a much more productive way to spend the students' time at school.

Phoebe got her boxes yesterday!  Phoebe of course had to take a picture of it... Why am I pushing HER stuff?

Pushing our stuff on the boardwalk.

I was able to cut down my caseload from 18 to 14 students.  Phoebe and I are tied now.  I can't be upset about her being lower than me...:)  I put an Excel spreadsheet together with their information... Yes I did this 3 days ago...yes it was lost...yes I had to re-do it...yes I'm upset about it:).

[I just got my first eyeroll from Phoebe!  Yay!  I couldn't find my pens...they were under my computer...wow.]

I got my PO Box today too!  I'm #234:)  So, you can send to the 100 School Road, or PO Box 234.  Send presents:)  Mio drink sounds good, and BBQ Pork sandwich ingredients (::cough:: Alicia ::cough::).  I wish I could type that I was just kidding, but I'm totally not.

Oh, and I have the pictures of my house here!  I took Mom and Dad on a FaceTime tour of my school, too.  They were impressed.  As they should be.

Our Living Room

The view of school (and Sara and Nate's house) from our Living Room window.

Our bathroom... Notice the lovely step up to the toilet.  We say that it "really is a thrown room here."  Freshly cleaned bathroom...

Our kitchen.  How pretty-freshly cleaned.

My room

Had to take 2 pics to get the whole room because it's too small for me to get inside and take a pic...

Maverick's new perch...:)