It’s back to school season: our house smells like Sharpies and new gym shoes, our lunchboxes don’t have jelly stains yet, and the kids are actually excited to go shopping. Apparently buying pencils and binders is fun, but trying on pants is torture. Go figure. This year the excitement was elevated, because Sam started middle school and Maggie moved up to a new 5/6 combo class. If … Continue reading First Days
Another chapter in the book of Time Flies is now complete: Sam has officially “graduated” from elementary school. His school honored the occasion with two separate ceremonies. First, there was a program for the Open Optional families, where each 6th grader gave a speech in front of the parents and younger classes. This was followed by a fun slideshow of students from kindergarten through 6th grade. Two days later we … Continue reading Movin’ On Up
Sam could hardly sleep the night before this year’s school spelling bee. He finished in third place last year, but in his mind that just wasn’t good enough. He vowed he wouldn’t let a silly mistake knock him out again. The competition was fierce, but eventually there were only two spellers left: Sam, and a 6th grade girl from another class. The two of them … Continue reading Bee Resilient!
I’m posting a series articles that I wrote for the Alaska Association of School Librarian’s newsletter about a conference I attended in Minneapolis the week before Thanksgiving. This the last in a three part series about my experience as a first-time attendee at the ALAN Workshop. So now what? Attending the ALAN workshop was a highlight of my professional career, but how could I ride that … Continue reading The Aftermath
I’m posting a series articles that I wrote for the Alaska Association of School Librarian’s newsletter about conference I attended in Minneapolis the week before Thanksgiving. ALAN Day 2: It’s Like Christmas for Librarians This is the second in a three part series about my experience as a first time attendee at the ALAN conference. We woke bright and early on Monday morning. When we entered the convention … Continue reading ALAN Workshop: Day 2
I’m posting a series articles that I wrote for the Alaska Association of School Librarian’s newsletter about a conference I attended in Minneapolis the week before Thanksgiving. ALAN Part 1: It’s Like the Oscars for Librarians! This is the first in a three part series about my experience as a first time attendee at the ALAN Workshop. The ALAN (Assembly on Literature for Adolescents of the … Continue reading It’s Like the Oscars for Librarians!
We hardly e-v-e-r get snow days in Alaska. Today was an exception. The pattern of ice instead of snow in recent years really wreaks havoc on the roads, and today was one of those mornings. The kids were sooooooo excited! They love school, but clearly they love snow days more. The neighborhood was alive with impromptu snowball fights and Capture the Flag matches all day long. … Continue reading Bonus Day
Election season came early to our household, but fortunately student council candidates aren’t allowed to make robo calls. Instead, they spend copious hours designing posters, writing speeches, and begging for button making machines. Sam ran for President, and Maggie for Sergeant at Arms. We are so proud of them both! Maggie didn’t make it to the final round this time, but her disappointment didn’t dampen the … Continue reading Mr. President
Today Sam won his school’s Geography Bee. For real! Photo evidence: Some of you will remember when Sam was in second grade, how he so desperately wanted to enter a geography bee that he decided to invent one. If you care to hear the tale of our little boy and his enormous lie, you can read it here. But in a nutshell: he created geography bee … Continue reading Gratitude 12: Watching Your Child’s Dream Come True
I have a new job at an old school. When I say old, I mean really old. Here’s a photo of my not-so-new library: Yup, that would be a roof leak, which is apparently a regular occurrence. There are other signs of age as well: my desk is so old that the drawers sit cockeyed in their tracks, but with 2600 students to serve I … Continue reading Back to School: Mom
Profoundly Ordinary 