Thanksgiving

Eucharist...the source and summit of our Catholic faith...literally translated as "thanksgiving"...

What a beautiful word...what an incredible experience...

I agree with my school parish's pastor - Thanksgiving should be a holy day of obligation on the Church calendar. It's so important to stop in the midst of all the craziness (especially during the holidays) to give thanks for all we have.

And, as our pastor back at home in St. Pete pointed out, it's time to turn our thanksgiving into "thanks-doing" and show by our actions just how grateful we are and how much we have to share.

And maybe, when this happens, we might be able to bring the holiday season back to what it ought to be - a season of true joy and giving...

Shirt of Flame

There is really only one reason I actually like plane rides, and that is to catch up on reading. I just finished this book --> http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12068862-shirt-of-flame

and I cannot say enough good things about it.

Read St. Therese's autobiography first, but then make sure you follow it up with this one.

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

A First Time for Everything...

Breathless and skidding to a stop in front of me on Monday morning was one of my 6th grade girls. Rolling up her pant leg, she exclaimed, "Guess what I did this weekend, Miss Foyle!"

I couldn't imagine.

"I shaved my legs for the first time! Well, we tried "waxing" with masking tape first, but that didn't work."

"Does your mom know?" I asked, smiling.

"Oh yeah, she helped me do it."

I couldn't help but chuckle.

And then, I thought about it. Yep, 6th grade at about this time in November was the first time I shaved too. It's funny how those memories stick out in your head. But I remember distinctly going to cotillion for a November square/country dance and having a classmate ask, "Did you shave your legs or are you wearing stockings?" to which I replied, "Both."

So many changes happen in middle school - these kiddos are only just beginning - but I see evidence of it every day, whether they realize it or not. They look (but don't usually act) so mature at times that you forget that deep down they are only 11 or 12...

And then, it makes perfect sense that they still love when their teacher shows them Bible cartoons... :)

Grateful

On my way home from the grocery store last night, I saw a man all bundled up and pulling a shopping cart with what looked like everything he owned in it.

And there I was, worried about getting home because I was tired from the day of conferences. (My goodness, did I feel like an a**hole.)

Lord, when I think of complaining, help me to remember how blessed I am to have a roof over my head, food to enjoy, and family/friends surrounding me. You are so good to me, and I have so much more than I ever realize. Help me to be mindful of your presence in my life, and help me to share my abundance with others in need. Amen.

Full & Pleasant Conference Day

Yesterday was quite a full day. While I didn't have all of my time slots booked back-to-back (except for lunch) like my co-worker who teaches math next door, my times were pretty full. (Most students got As and Bs in my class - I don't think many parents are worried, especially since my grades don't "count" to get into high school.)

I saw A LOT of parents.

And I was pleasantly surprised how receptive and positive they all were.

(Maybe it helped that I put mints out or had soft music playing...or maybe, at least, that helped me shift into a good mood. I think it also helped that I had plans of action to help bring any struggling students up to speed.)

There was even one conference I was especially dreading because I had heard the parents are usually on the attack. This time, however, they weren't. And the whole conversation was quite pleasant for 15 (instead of the scheduled 10) minutes.

At the end of the day, the middle school team met to debrief and start brainstorming for the future - we need some kind of stream-line process. Next year, due to an increase in student population in middle school, there is a potential for 100 conferences (and this year there was only going to be up to 75), so even the added mornings/afternoons on Thurs & Mon probably won't be enough. So, one co-worker suggested setting up in one space...kinda like speed dating. 5 minute rotations - hit each teacher and you're out in 25 (or so) minutes. I think that's a good idea to keep it moving... We'll see what the administration thinks...

Fall Conferences 2013 in the books! (Well, I have 2 more on Monday morning...)

For now, I've got that lesson planning (see previous post) to get to and some packing for Thanksgiving to do. The weather here took a turn towards extremely chilly (though it looks deceptively warm outside with that sun shining so bright!), so I'm not relishing the fact that I have to step out my door in a few minutes to head to MOC. (Later, my sister and I are going to brave the elements and go for a run...but that's just because we're crazy.)

Camel's Back...

The last thing any teacher wants at the end of a long day and on the eve of parent-teacher conferences is an email saying all lesson plans for the week after Thanksgiving break need to be turned into the office by Tuesday afternoon.

Talk about adding to the stress. Conferences (whether easy or with tension) are tough enough - and so time-consuming to prepare and execute. Ah!

Let's just say that the email/request was almost the straw that broke this camel's back. (As my sister and I concluded yesterday - Does the work ever end? Is it worth it to put up with all the parents and misbehaved students?...)

Well, once I let off some steam, I did find some consolation - since I teach Religion, at least we'll be learning about Advent. So, while I had to do a lot of background research on the topic of Church history (Apostolic Age to present) because I didn't have much of an idea of what happened during that time, I don't have to do quite so much to prepare myself to plan the lessons for this topic. And (thank goodness) I can use some of the same activities across grade levels.

We'll definitely be doing a Jesse Tree...

In the long run, I guess b****ing and moaning doesn't help that much. If anything, I need to remember to stay calm, buckle down, and get it done. After all, it will be better to have those lesson plans finished so I can enjoy Thanksgiving break.

Oh, and plan those 4 mini retreats for our campus too...

Hope...

So much devastation in Illinois and Indiana in the wake of the weekend tornadoes...

It might make you think the survivors have nothing left, since their homes and most of what they own is destroyed...

But then, you turn on the news...and you hear some of their stories...

A man who found his Confirmation Bible, which he said he will keep as a reminder that he's blessed to be alive...

Many families saying how blessed they are because they are all together and still alive...

People who are grateful for the many volunteers who have come from neighboring cities and towns to lend a hand cleaning up the debris and sorting through the rubble...

And you think, wow. There's still so much hope in the world, even in the face of tragedy. There's still a place for God in all of the distress and loss.

We will rebuild, many said. They are the ones who know what's most important. They are the ones who are an example of faith and courage. They are our sign of hope.