A Simple Thank You Goes A Long Way

A simple thank you note to each of my students - it was a requirement for all advisory teachers, sure, but it was well worth the 3-4 minutes for each card to see the smiles and here the "aww's" as they opened them this morning on student appreciation day.

Not much (formal) learning happened today - we had the annual spelling bee (which lasted nearly 2 hours) in the morning and a school-wide viewing of "Wonder" in the afternoon. It worked out, as we weren't allowed to assign homework anyways. The students all wore their matching ICSJ 15 year celebration shirts - it was pretty neat to see the sea of navy blue in the gym.

I love my students so much. And while I'm positive that I show this love to them every day, I honestly don't know if they recognize it. So thank goodness for days like today. I guess I need to be better about this in the future, huh?

On an unrelated but positive grad school-related note, I have now turned in all of my assignments (except one) for the week - it's been rough, and I haven't really ventured out of my apartment in the evenings - Did I mention that I have no life this semester? - but the sense of being (nearly) done for the week is amazing. (I did get out of two events - Confirmation practice and an IL tax credit scholarship sign-up - which gave me extra time I wasn't counting on.)

This means I can enjoy the Confirmation dinner & Mass tomorrow and then just crank out the Church docs paper on Saturday after running (and ice cream!) and before trivia... Please keep our 8th graders in your prayers!

The weekend's nearly here - let's close out Catholic Schools Week in style!

The (truly) most wonderful time of the year

Depending on whom you ask, it's the best week to be in Catholic education...

Happy National Catholic Schools (CSW) Week! Let the crazy celebrations begin!

At my school, we kicked off CSW last Friday with a pep rally and the annual student-faculty basketball game.

Yes...I played. (I didn't score, but I played.) 

On Sunday the entire faculty and many families celebrated Mass. A couple of students and one colleague gave short testimonies about attending/working at our Catholic school. Then, in true Catholic fashion, many families enjoyed coffee, donuts, and fellowship.

This morning, parents and grandparents came to visit their children and their first classes. With first period off, I only had one class with parents today - 6th grade. We took a break from our regular curriculum to make and pray decade Rosaries. (It's usually a fan favorite, and today seemed to be no exception.)

quite a showing!

Remaining activities for the week include a school-wide service project, an all-school Mass with Cardinal Cupich, student appreciation activities, grade level sports games, a teacher appreciation luncheon, a school-wide spelling bee, the science fair, and Confirmation. Wow! We sure are packing it in. (And, as my mom reminded me, we have a full moon on our hands too...)

I am so blessed to have attended Catholic schools from K-12th grade (and then, later, Notre Dame) - and I continue marvel at the fact that my very job is centered around teaching and evangelizing the Catholic faith. It's really quite remarkable...


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On an unrelated note, downtown Chicago is still beautifully adorned with some holiday lights - breathtaking, isn't it?

Happy Monday y'all!

Take a Break...

Run away with us for the summer -
Let's go upstate!
We can all go stay with our father...

No, Hamilton is not just on the brain - it was truly an experience and welcomed break to go see it yesterday with some of my friends.

Most of us, myself included, had seen it before, but that didn't dampen or change our spirits. It actually gets better each time. (It helped to have seats on the orchestra level this time...)

Yep, we were that close. Facial expressions were extremely clear and the emotions were real.

And it truly was a break all day for me from the craziness of grad school and teaching - following the play, my sister, her fiancee, and a few other friends joined up with us, and we enjoyed drinks, dinner, and then some games at our friends' condo.

selfie almost worked - except I cut Kim out accidentally...

And this time Patrick wasn't looking...

Ah, finally the waiter helped us out - much better!

It's quite literally impossible to just work, work, work; though, sometimes I feel like I need to. My friends definitely keep me grounded and help me enjoy some time away to breathe, laugh, and enjoy the simple pleasures of this wonderful life.

Yesterday's adventures made today a little bit more bearable, even though I've literally been working on grad school stuff since I got home from the Catholic Schools Week kick-off Mass. This week is going to be crazy - so many events and deadlines both in and out of school - but it's going to all be okay...possibly even wonderful. (Please keep our 8th graders in your prayers this week - they receive the Sacrament of Confirmation on Friday!)

Happy Catholic Schools Week!

A letter to my students

My dear students,

Do you see me looking at you
as you sit in your seats, 
unsure of the directions...
or, perhaps, of yourselves?

Do you know the hours I spend
after school and on weekends 
poring over lesson plans
and assessments,
as I try to meet each of you where you are at,
as I struggle to strike the perfect balance
between being kind and being demanding?

Do you sense the frustration in my eyes
when the chatter continues
long after I've requested the class's attention,
or when your work shows little effort,
when I know you could have done better?

Do you see me smile at you,
just at you,
when you share an insightful thought
or ask a challenging question,
when you persevere in a tough situation,
or when you just need someone to let you know it will be all right?

Do you know how much you matter to me,
how much I think about you?
I can't seem to get you out of my mind.
You have each found a home in my heart,
and nothing you do will ever change that.

And, 
more importantly, 
do you realize how much God loves you?
You are His beloved sons and daughters;
And He gazes at you,
protects you,
wraps His arms around you.

How I long to help you realize this love.
How I long to spend each day
teaching you meaningful content, yes,
but also helping you learn to be kind,
generous, loving, and courageous -
to help you be faith-filled saints in the making.

Each year it's so hard to watch you go -
to move on to high school
and to have no sure way of knowing 
what the future holds for you:
what contributions you'll make to your community and families,
what role your faith will play,
what kind of people you'll become...

But for now,
for today,
I want you to know I am here for you;
I am praying for you;
I would do anything for you;
and, above all, I love you.

Your teacher,
Miss Foyle

I Saw God Today

From my own retreat with my Remick classmates in (mostly) sunny Florida this weekend to my students' Confirmation retreat back home today, I feel incredibly blessed to have spent so much time being purposefully and constantly reminded of God's presence and love for each of us.

I saw God in nature - in the sunshine, the wildlife, the sunrises and sunsets...

I saw God in people...
especially my amazing PLC:

And, well, everyone (including my parents who are not pictured here but whom I saw in FL)...

Friday night fun

more Friday night fun

ACE Phoenix forever!

RLP 15 - minus myself and a few others who couldn't come/stay till Sunday

I saw God in the students and faculty of the school we visited and in the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Reconciliation that I was able to receive...

the good old ACE pocket schedule

And, when I got back home, I even saw God in the dreary Midwest weather. I saw Him in the Confirmation students and in those who helped prepare and execute the retreat.

I can see Him because He constantly is seeking us and surprising us...and because I'm on the lookout too.

Now, I'm not going to pretend that this semester is not giving me less than a great deal of anxiety right now - the workload and the fact that I can't quite wrap my head around all of the assignments yet is scary. I know I (and my classmates) can handle it, but I do ask that you keep us in prayer as we embark on this final semester. (I also would appreciate anyone who is willing to check from time to time to make sure I am still coming up for "air"/breaks. Thanks.)

Let's get ready to gear up for Catholic Schools Week!

Play On

All humans are musical; why else would the Lord have given you a beating heart? 

- The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

Growing up, I can hardly recall a day in our house that I didn't hear the tinkling of piano keys or the strumming of guitar strings. Music in all of its glorious forms is something that has been a part of me, deep within me, for as long as I can remember. My parents put me and my sister through lessons, piano first (starting in kindergarten and going through college) followed by flute lessons (starting in third grade and going through high school) as well as different choir and voice opportunities. It was such a gift, and now, as an adult, I realize how special those opportunities were.

But recently, I realized I was missing being able to play the piano. Only after I purchased a keyboard (88 weighted keys + a sustain pedal!) did I realize just how good it would be to practice again. I have found that my fingers can find their way (mostly) to the right keys when I take out my music. Yet, scales hurt my left hand (because it's so weak), and I have a lot of work to do to be able to play some of the songs I once did. Still, I have also found such peace seated on my small bench (which also came with the keyboard). Between playing the keyboard and going to the gym/running, I know I can reduce the stress of the upcoming final semester of grad school.

Beautiful, isn't it?

And so, I play on...

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

I probably speak for a lot of people when I say that it was a LONG week back after Christmas break. That kind of week calls for a celebration, so what better way to do that than to gather some of your best friends together for sushi and wine.

It was lovely to catch up with these smiling faces - for some it had been much too long, while others I had seen multiple times this past week. Either way, the conversation and company were terrific.

Cheers to the start of 2018!

(And extra cheers because I found my bridesmaid dress for my sister's wedding today!)