{Thirty Days of Thanks~2012; Day 14}

Day 14 | Choir---best hour of the work week!

Today is Wednesday.....I'm sorry---just as I typed that, all I could hear in my head was that children's song, "Today is Monday, today is Monday. Monday, string beans, all you hungry children, come and eat it up. Today is Tuesday, today is Tuesday. Tuesday, spaghetti, Monday string beans, all you hungry children, come and eat it up. Today is Wedn......"--you get the picture!? Do you know that song?

But, I digress......or do I? As I was saying, before I interrupted myself (which happens all the time as those of you who really KNOW me, know!), today is Wednesday. On this day, I have my favorite hour of my entire work week......EVERY. WEEK. Wednesday afternoon I have choir until 4:00pm. My choir is an auditioned group of 3rd through 6th graders at Trinity Academy of Raleigh. I LOVE this group of students! It's not just these particular students I love, but getting to work with a group of motivated students and just SING GOOD MUSIC!! The number has varied throughout the years--with 14 in our first year, 54 students now and various numbers in between. 54 students crammed into my classroom! We work HARD!! I could write posts and posts about this group---about these individual children. You see all sorts of personalities in a group like this and I love watching them work together throughout the year toward common goals. I could write about the boys in my group---particularly the third grade boys who are just there to go to Busch Gardens (we go to a competition there every year) and when they realize they have to put up with this crazy, picky, pushy lady for all those weeks, they suddenly decide that MAYBE Busch Gardens isn't so great after all!! I could talk about how they sing and they let me push them and push them and they KEEP giving me more. I love to watch my students go from the front row in third grade and move back a row every year. They finally make it to the coveted back row and they look at each other and roll their eyes, but they still sing their hearts out! I could tell you how Carol Riley, a sweet friend and grandmother to one of my choir members sacrifices her time each week to come and play for us. We learn SO MUCH MORE with her as a partner and I am SO blessed to have her.

This sweet/crazy/ornery group of children make me smile. I laugh hysterically while I'm with them. I leave there totally wiped out and full of energy at the same time. They meet a need in me---I'm not even sure what it is exactly, but why else would I spend the HOURS I spend on top of my 7 classes a day to teach them? It's not required---I just love it. I love them. They remind me why I went into teaching in the first place. I love children. I love music---in THAT order. I want my students to have fun with music and learn to love it, too.

Today is Wednesday---I had choir today---and I am grateful for each little face and voice in that group. I am blessed~

{Thirty Days of Thanks~2012; Day 8}

Day 8 | My colleagues

I'm so thankful today for my sweet colleagues at work. I'm blessed to work with some lovely, hard working, kind, hard working, funny, hard working, gracious, did I mention hard working?  women! Joshua woke up sick today---nothing too serious, but I could tell as soon as I entered his room that he was sick and wouldn't be going to school today.

I always feel awful when I need to miss school because sometimes they don't get a substitute for me....which means these amazing---hard working----women will have not one minute to breathe during the day if they don't have music. This leaves me torn---my son is my priority, but these women are my friends and we DO work together toward a beautiful goal.  Joshua was going back to sleep, so I decided I'd try to rearrange my schedule/combine some classes and see if I could just come home early. Every person I asked had the attitude, "What can I do to serve you? It was so beautiful. What a gift to me. I was able to rearrange everything and leave by 11AM----WOW---that was almost miraculous! These ladies are amazing! They are flexible, kind, generous, professional educators and I'm so glad I get to walk beside them.

Thank you ladies for blessing me today~

{Spirit Week 2011}

Homecoming week at Trinity Academy of Raleigh is such a fun week! When you have to wear a uniform everyday, getting 4 days out of five where you can wear "something else" is quite a treat!! Pajama Day is always a fun one---Joshua wasn't much in the mood for pictures, so I took pictures of the wonderful teachers in Building B---almost all of us dressed in our pajamas! What a great way to celebrate a MONDAY!!! I love the coffee in the hands of the teachers----such a typical morning picture....er, without the pjs---I mean!

I love these women! I'm so blessed to work with such great women~

Favorite team day was fun---no pictures. Crazy sock day was a great one, too. Everyone wore their uniform with crazy socks---there were some cRaaaAAzy socks! My favorite day was Thursday---Dress like your favorite movie or TV character. Joshua has been thinking about this for weeks! We are currently reading thru the Harry Potter series---he's on book 5 right now, so it was a no-brainer what he would be. He wanted to be Harry, but has lost the glasses. I told him he could be Harry without the glasses---NOPE! So he's a Griffindor---"probably Neville". He definitely has the hair right now to be Harry, but he's a perfectionist about things like this and couldn't make it happen without the glasses!

Here he is with a great friend---Harry Potter....a.k.a. Justin Hofer~

Mrs. Walker---the Latin teacher went into Building A and found Hermione---yes, this is her real name (and she has a twin brother named Harrison--yes, really!) She had dressed up as Hedwig--Harry's owl.

The week culminated with a pep rally (complete with our Headmaster in a  kilt! Pictures coming, I hope!) and a great Homecoming game---Our boys won---what fun! It has been so long since we've won at Homecoming---what a great end to a fun week! I'm so grateful for this community---a sweet place to work and learn!

I've been busy varnishing the woodwork in my den----my 17x28' den---LOTS of sanding, cleaning, taping...oh, and varnishing, too---I can't believe I forgot to take a picture the other day of everything moved to the middle of the room with tarps and tape all over the place---ugh! Oh, yes, and the other night at 12:30 when I set off the alarm moving the ladder and banging it to the floor---setting off the glass break alarm....at least we know it works.....right? Oh well, the varnishing is done even though I didn't take a picture---BUT, this is one reason I haven't blogged this past week---So good to take a few minutes to post today! REALLY, Project Life pics are coming soon----I've been keeping up with it---I can't believe it's about to be FEBRUARY---crazy! My grandbaby will likely be born this month!!! I have a feeling I'll have many great posts to come!! Enjoy your weekend~

{30 Days of Thanks~Day 16}

I'm so thankful for good teachers!!

It sounds a bit arrogant to say this since I AM a teacher, but I think anyone who reads this blog knows this is about my family---my hobbies, my personal life......NOT my professional one. SO, this is written from the perspective of a mama. This is not a treatise on education!

My children have had some amazing teachers....and some not so amazing. One of Caitlin's teachers (in a school OTHER than my current institution), would say to her when she finished her work, "You go and help the stupid kids." SERIOUSLY---this was one of the "not so amazing teachers". Hannah had a teacher who required her to read Pride and Prejudice in the sixth grade. Hannah was telling me about it one day after school. She LOVED the book and was so animated as she described it. She then began to compare Austen to Dickens  as I drove her home from school one day....I nearly wrecked the car from the tears streaming down my face. "AMAZING"---I still believe this is one of the reasons she loves British literature today....because she was inspired by a passionate teacher. Joshua has had his share of inspiring teachers as well. None more amazing than his Kindergarten teacher. She has taught several grades in the Lower School, but Joshua had her for Kindergarten---he LOVED HER. He loved school---he loved learning.

This week, some of Trinity's Lower School students have had a "guest lecturer".  Ian Finley of Burning Coal Theatre, here in Raleigh, has been there to teach the students about Shakespeare. I have not had the privilege of seeing him in action, but EVERY child who has had him this week has entered my classroom talking non-stop about him. BUT NOT JUST about Ian Finley---they have been inspired and fascinated with SHAKESPEARE! I LOVE IT!!! Isn't this what a great teacher does? Helps the student find their passion to learn? Helps the student have a GREAT TIME learning---even if the material is hard, so it's worth the effort because learning new things is so FUN!! Joshua---who is hard to please.....has come home the last two days talking incessantly about "Mr. Finley" and all that he's learning. What a wonderful blessing this is to THIS mama--to have her child come home and chatter on about school that day.

Hannah put it well in an email to me the other day. (She was "rambling on"----I'm not sure where she gets that?) She hopes to be a teacher eventually---maybe even a professor. She is teaching English right now in China. Here's a bit of what she said---I've edited it liberally!

So obviously, China  is really important to me--meaning what we're doing here is important. Because I want to teach someday. And I'm teaching--it's a great experience! But WOW. It's hard! And the teacher inside of me (because I think there is one) is just wanting to spend time with and inspire these kids--but I have NO idea how! Because I have no clue what I'm doing, and then there's the fact that, HELLO I can barely communicate with them! I personally felt like our lesson today was a total disaster and it was just PAINFUL. Ugh. I mean they thought we were awesome 'cuz we're American, and I think they basically got the lesson, but did it inspire them? Are they excited for actually LEARNING next time? I don't think so. They're excited to see the Americans again! And maybe that's a barrier that I can't breach, but I dunno.

Great teachers are hard to find. Good teachers----lots of them, but GREAT teachers---amazing! The hours that a great teacher puts into the job---you wouldn't believe it--unless you ARE one or are MARRIED to one! Who was your favorite teacher growing up? I'll bet you had one---you should write them and tell them thank you---

Be grateful~

{30 Days of Thanks~Day 11}

Today there is so much to be thankful for. I certainly can't forget those who have served our country in the military since this country was founded. Men and women who fought courageously for the freedom that I so quickly forget I even have. My father and father-in-law served; my brother in law served---he was on a nuclear sub---we still believe it's effected him to this day......hee!

But, today I was so thankful for some time with my son. We went on a field trip---ok, this was no sissy field trip---this was a "get to the train station in Cary at 6:30 in the morning, stand there for thirty minutes, ride the train to Charlotte, go to the Discovery Place children's museum, do lunch, buy dinner to go, board the train at 5:00pm, leave for Raleigh and get back home around 8:15" sort of trip. We had 74 people in the group....Josh wanted to hang out with his friends (I wanted to hang out with mine----he won!---and, of course, I did, too!) He is studying North Carolina history this year so this trip is part of that unit. It was a really fun day. All of Joshua's friends who went, had their dads along----SOOOOO, it was the boys, the dads and Kathleen. I'm sure they were ready to get rid of me---but, they were all really sweet! I did spend some time with some amazing women on the train---three actually. We were able to have long conversations and I really enjoyed that. I love meeting and spending time with women who love Christ and want to know him better. I'm blessed to have an abundance of these kind of women around me to share life with.

Joshua and I went to a 3-D movie about sharks and then we went to this IMAX movie called Legends of Flight. It was really interesting. It was about the Boeing 787---We saw an explanation of light---specifially UV light. This picture was what happened whens she was showing what happens to helium when a flame is near---WOW!!! Well, I do have some other great pictures, but I'm falling asleep----so I'll share them this weekend, I hope.

Thanks for visiting~I am grateful for you, too!!

{MacArthur Lives!}

Yes, it's true---General Douglas MacArthur was alive and well and speaking to the children in Mrs. Lyon's third grade class today at Trinity Academy of Raleigh.

Joshua read a biography on Douglas MacArthur  for this project, wrote a paper and then had to do an oral report---

---now, I would have been so sick to do this when I was a third grader, but Joshua was so excited! He was up and dressed before 6:30 this morning.  After school today, I walked to my classroom and he and a friend, Justin, had gotten their costumes out and put them on! How great is that!!??

Here are a few pictures of MacArthur, and JFK with one of the third grade teachers, Mrs.Poole.

Joshua's costume was so easy to put together. The pants are just a pair of his khaki pants. The shirt is an older white shirt that I tea dyed---thanks to my good friend and fellow blogger, Kris Stoner. She had recently written this post about dying a dress for someone and I decided that I was going to have to dye a shirt for Joshua to wear---I couldn't find a khaki one. Anyway, when I called her to ask about it, she suggested I try tea dying the shirt first---YEA! It was so easy----no need to do the whole dying process!

I couldn't find any gold stars, so I bought these at Wal-Mart the other night.

Then, I spray painted them with gold paint and glued them on to his shirt and hat with glue dots.

 

The corn cob pipe was a find that David ran down and we were done! I'll tell you, Joshua just lit up when he put that costume on---he's not a big fan of school---and who is this time of year, but he LOVED this!

Thanks so much for looking today! Only two more "wake ups" for Joshua---and he is so happy---and NO MORE LUNCHES for mom, we have two half days left---and she is extremely happy about that---

How about you? Do you hate to make lunches, too? Let me know---is it just me?

Kathleen~

{m&m clock}

ETA: It's Talk Like a Pirate Day today! I'm looking forward to surprising all of my students with this.....I don't think I have 45 minutes of it in me, but I can keep it up for part of the time! Lucky them~
Go here to find out more about it!


I've been busy preparing my new classroom and haven't had a lot of stamping time. I did do a quick altering of a clock for my classroom.

At the end of every music class I hand out the marvelous musician award. I give the student a pack of m&m's for his prize (or he can choose from some other options if he's not an m&m fan)---I use m&m's for the name of the award.....Marvelous Musician...two m's....get it?

Anyway, last year before school started, I found a bunch of m&m paper in the clearance bin at Archivers, so I bought all. I used it last year to package the m&m's----it takes me too long to do that this year, so I just give them a sticker and they choose their prize out of a basket. Anyway, I had several pieces left, so I used one of them to alter the clock---
And here's the finished clock. It's not fancy, but it looks better than it did...a teacher suggested I put m&m's all over the outside----I'm still considering it. If I thought I could really get them to stick and STAY, I'd do it for sure---do you have any ideas about making m&m's stick to this plastic clock?
I couldn't really get a great picture of it without a glare on it, so please pardon the glare---I think you get the picture---so to speak!

Have a great day~
Kathleen

{Trinity Field Day '08}

Do you remember Field Day growing up? I do----I remember it because it was the one day of the year that I could "compete in sports" and not feel like a total loser! Now before you start really feeling sorry for me, I had a great childhood---sports just wasn't my thing! My oldest sister was a great athlete---I ended up going to a different high school than she did because of all the "bussing" that was going on at the time. (Do you remember "bussing"?) I remember when the Volleyball Coach at McCallum High (my high school in Austin, TX) heard that an "O'Chester" was coming to her High school she was thrilled...I'm sure she just assumed that the athleticism was in the genes! So, I thought, hey, I'll try out for Volleyball. I had watched my sister play it for all those years---I couldn't be THAT bad, could I? Yep---I was. That poor coach kept me in the try outs far longer than she should have---she hated telling me that I didn't make the team, but hey, I stunk---seriously. I look back now and giggle at that whole thing!

Anyway, our PE teacher at Trinity is so wonderful. She picks the best games to play. There are winners and losers, but somehow it just doesn't hurt very much---there are lots of "class competitions"---and even a teacher water balloon toss---which the kids seem to like! There are a field of volunteers and we all have a great time! Everyone gets a ribbon at the end of the day---it's a memorable day in the Lower School at Trinity Academy of Raleigh!! Here are some pictures---now, I was manning a station with another faculty member, so I didn't get around to any other stations, but here are some highlights of MY day!

The "winner" of our game going through the "winner's tunnel".













Joshua and his good friend, Jacob at the "Opening Ceremonies".











Joshua and his good friend Justin at lunch.








The sack race. The older girl on the left is one of our 6th graders. They helped out with every class. Here she is cheering Hannah on to victory as she hops down the race path.









Finally after a long day~POPSICLES!!! What a great day~

{Defend}

Today the Trinity Academy Girls Soccer Team begins the journey down the road to defend their State Soccer Title---the road they have been given is a hard one. I guess that happens when you are ranked # 1. Today they play the team they beat in the Conference Championship. That game was not a pretty one---we do have the advantage of playing at home. Trinity has the better team, but everyone has to show up---I'm sure they see what's in front of them and they will be ready to play today.

Between this week's games (we hope that's plural) and my Spring Concert on Thursday, I'm not sure there will be a lot of time for stamping----the summer is for stamping.....the summer is for stamping!

So, I hope to be back by the weekend with something beautiful besides my daughter (in the glasses---no, not during the game) and her friends!

Go Tigers!

{Edenton Tea Party}

Well, tomorrow is the Edenton Tea Party for the first graders at Trinity Academy of Raleigh. It has become something to look forward to in the first grade year. When my girls were in the Lower School we had at least two days every year where all the students in the school dressed up and had a "festival" of sorts---some of the more memorable for me were the Renaissance Festival, All-American Day, but my favorite was probably Egyptian Day. Hannah---my 16 year old and her classmates STILL talk about this day---and Zach's olives---one of the boys had an "Olive stand"...they all had to be vendors of some sort---Hannah was a shoe maker and we had made all sizes of "shoes" that consisted of cardboard cutouts in the shape of a foot with holes punched and strings attached for them to lace up their leg----if I were an organized blogger, I'd show you pictures, but certainly you can tell by now that I'm not! I'd have to go upstairs and find the 1999 box of pictures and dig through them to find the right ones, then I'd have to scan it in and remember, technology isn't my thing.....this is where the "ramblings" part of the "Nelsonramblings" comes in. I never intended to bring up these other days, the thoughts sort of poured out of me in a "streams of consciousness" sort of way----this is how I talk, too---just ask my friends!

ANYWAY, back to the Edenton Tea Party---Joshua is dressing up in colonial style tomorrow, May 6 and here are some pictures of him---I hope you enjoy! The costume was thrown together with the help of Ms. Denman at the last minute. It's nice to be on the Fine Arts Faculty at times like this---I'm not quite finished with it, but I knew I may not get pictures tomorrow, so here they are!

















I was excited about the "shoe buckle"----it's made from cardstock and aluminium foil. It took me about 2 minutes because I had the right tools! I have the old Creative Memories square punches---the one with 2 on each punch. I was able to just punch out the middle hole and then the "outer" hole in seconds. Then I added the large square of foil over it and cut it out from the back----simple, simple. A little sticky and I was done! The knickers were just a pair of uniform pants with a hole in the knee---I cut them off and tacked it on the inside. Then I sewed on a button and put stick on velcro to "close" the knicker---much faster for me than sewing in elastic--since I didn't get the sewing gene either. [My mom made all our dresses growing up---three little girls (again a picture in matching Easter or Christmas dresses can be imagined here--think late 60's--short poofy dresses with itchy slips). Someday, I'll be a better blogger and I'll do all that--it's too much right now!] The shirt is one that Caitlin wore when she was 6---so it's a little small. I had to take off the Christmas buttons---this shirt has been in the back of her closet(s) for 13 years, mind you--because I had made the jumper that went with it---with the help of a VERY dear friend, so I couldn't get rid of it---see, it paid off!!) He also informed me that the buttons were on "the wrong side of the shirt"---the things we learn when we play dress up---these are life lessons, no?

I'm sorry I don't have a card--I'm REALLY sorry, because I haven't had time to do much crafty stuff lately. Well, I haven't broken any of my nestabilities (these are embossing and die cutting squares of wonder---in case you don't know what they are, cough, cough KRIS)---I still haven't unpackaged them---I think the circles will be here before I can even open the squares.......the summer is for stamping! That's what I keep telling myself.........the summer is for stamping! I do have a really great idea for girls that are graduating from High School---stay tuned and I'll fill you in. Caitlin, my oldest, said this gift is a MUST HAVE for every girl going to college----and she should know, I think she's on her fourth one---but that post is for another day!

HUGS~
Kathleen

{The Spitfire Grill}

This is a Marajen Denman, my daughter's theater arts teacher, with part of the cast of The Spitfire Grill---read on for more info.
(First let me say---this is totally a family post, so if you are looking for a card, I'm sorry! you won't hurt my feelings if you move on!! I hope to stamp this weekend, but it's not looking too promising. My friends and I have decided that if you have school-aged children, May is just as bad as December. It's just crazy! There's just no break at all. I won't bore you with the details---oh, yeah, I think I will--it's my blog!

Caitlin is moving home---daily---so there's more and more stuff coming into my house, but nowhere to put it. Caitlin leaves in 3 weeks for a 5 week trip to Turkey to help some overseas workers there.
Hannah has a paper to finish, 2 AP exams, a paper to write for a Summer Study excursion to England (bless her heart), two soccer tournaments and The Capital Awards--which is actually what this post is about--oh, and she still has school and final exams. Oh, and Hannah leaves for a 3 week trip to turkey in just over 3 weeks as well.
Joshua---well, he's just along for the ride
David and I are both teachers---two very different institutions, but it's MAY---and that means "wrap it up"---so, LIFE IS CRAZY---but very fun!)

OK---I digress, so on to the post---Trinity Academy is where I work and my two younger children attend school. The High School has 60 students---yep, it's not a typo---60. The arts are important at Trinity and the performing arts is one area where our students can compete with "the big boys"---just last weekend our choir attended a competition at Music in the Parks in Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, VA. They have Music competitions at all of the Busch Gardens Parks, I'm sure. Here's a note from the Choral Director about the competition.

The Upper School Concert Choir competed against 5A schools from Pennsylvannia to Florida this past weekend in the Music in the Parks Festival at Busch Gardens. We were the only choir to compete in our division: AAA. (Schools are put into divisions by enrollment. The winning school was an by audition only ensemble and had over 5,000 students in the high school!) In other words, we were a David among many Goliath's!
Our little choir, comprised of only two seniors and the rest underclassman, scored the second highest score given by the judges for all seventeen of the high school choirs who competed on Saturday!
I was so proud of the sound the students made and for the heart they put into their sound.
Please congratulate our students on their well deserved recognition!

Anyway, I know I'm a fine arts teacher, so I will show a little (OK, a lot) of Arts favoritism, but here's the deal on "The Spitfire Grill".

Our Theater Arts department is made up of half of the high school. Kids choose 2 Fine Arts electives. One of the fun things about this class is two productions a year. A great thing about Trinity is that even students who aren't in drama will help to paint sets, or work backstage the week of the show. There's a real tradition at Trinity for great drama. (and I mean the stage kind of drama---not the "drama" in any high school!)

The NCT Capital Awards is a program designed to recognize outstanding
high school musical productions and performances in Wake County. Trinity was entered in this competition along with 19 other High Schools--public & private--in Wake County.
This year Trinity students did a production of The Spitfire Grill-winner of the Richard Rogers Production Award in 2000. This was an off-Broadway musical based on the movie of the same name which won the audience award at the Sundance Film Festival in 1996.

Well---here's the cool news---we have been nominated for 3 NCT Capital Awards including:

Best Scenic Design. Holly Gillon, our Upper School Visual Arts teacher worked with our Theater Arts teacher and students to come up with the set design for this year. We were nominated in this category last year as well.










We were also nominated for Best Featured Performer--
Victoria Oliver. She played a sassy postal worker and gossip and she did a terrific job.


















Well---I did say three awards, right? We were nominated for Outstanding Musical
---what? our little school---competing against major arts magnets and schools with $50,000 budgets has been nominated with "the big boys"--again! (We received 3 nominations last year as well) YES, it's TRUE.

I'm so proud of everyone involved---here are a few more pictures from the show. Many thanks to Denise Myers, one of our parents at Trinity who took amazing pictures and shared them with all of us.


The girl on the 60's crocheted shawl is my Hannah. She was actually the student director and called the show from off stage, but she stepped into this one scene. I know it's not a great shot of her---but, hey, she's my kid!!
Back to Ms. Denman---this woman is a visionary--truly. I think of myself as artistic--but she sees things that I would NEVER dream of! She drives the kids crazy(she knows it!)---as most Theater Arts teachers do---especially close to productions---but she produces AMAZING shows---and the kids ALWAYS say, "it was worth it"! Kudos to Marajen Denman---it's been a hard year this year---but I think we would all say "it's been worth it---to God be the Glory!"

{One Sweet Baby}

Isn't he beautiful? Nope, he's not mine----he belongs to Hannah's Soccer coach and his wife---baby Ian. He's precious. My oldest daughter babysits him every Thursday and sometimes other days---He is such a pleasant child. Since Caitlin is in College and the dorm room isn't always the safest place for a baby, she keeps him at our house sometimes. Last week he was over and I snapped some pictures of him---I have SOOOO many, but I thought it might be a bit much to put 10 pictures up of someone else's baby!!!

Ian's daddy, Coach Woody---as everyone calls him---is a great man. Hannah actually decided to play soccer again this year just to be on HIS team---Last school year, he led both the Trinity Academy of Raleigh's boys and the girls soccer teams to win the State Championship---that's pretty amazing! More than being an excellent coach, Woody is a godly man who teaches his players to be good sports to the Glory of the Lord~THESE are lessons they will carry with them forever.

Here's Coach Woody with Hannah during a game last week. He loves what he does and is really excellent with the kids. The team is ranked #1 in the state again this year---which means everyone is trying to beat them! I don't know if they'll make it again, but we'll be there cheering them on as far as they go!






Hannah plays defense---I don't know much about soccer---sadly, so I can't tell you specifically what position she plays, but I know it's defense!!! I've begun to love the game (but don't tell anyone!)

Just had to share what keeps me busy this Spring---maybe some pictures of Joshua's soccer next week sometime---7 year olds playing soccer----now there's something to cheer about!

Have a blessed day~
Kathleen