AUGUST

FOR ABOUT MY FIRST 25 YEARS OR SO OF TEACHING,

I LOVED AUGUST!

I WAS EXCITED TO GET BACK TO SCHOOL!

I WAS ALSO SOOOO HAPPY TO SEE ALL OF

MY TEACHER FRIENDS AND STAFF

AT ALPINE ELEMENTARY!

WE HADN'T SEEN EACH OTHER ALL SUMMER!!!

I  LOVED SEEING THE 6TH GRADERS

THAT I HAD TAUGHT THE YEAR BEFORE.

I ALSO HAD A FEW TRIPS IN AUGUST.

HAWAII WITH NANCY.

TWO TRIPS TO DISNEY WORLD WITH CONRAD.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA 

WITH REID, LAUREL, CHRIS, CAMILLE, ASHLEY, AND McKAY.

I SPENT MANY SUMMERS TAKING A FEW WORKSHOPS

FOR LANE CHANGE CREDIT . . . WHEN I DECIDED TO TAKE THEM.

HELPING CONRAD WITH SUMMER ORCHESTRA

AND MERRILL OSMOND WITH THE 

"DRAPER PIONEER PAGEANT."

BUT, THAT CHANGED ABOUT 2005.

WE ALWAYS HAD TEACHER TRAINING WORKSHOPS.

TEAM COLLABORATION.

SUMMER WAS NEVER MINE.

(WELL, I DID HAVE A FEW HISTORY TRIPS!)

WHEN AUGUST CAME, I WOULD GET A KNOT IN MY STOMACH.

SUMMER (WHAT I HAD OF IT) WAS OVER.

IT JUST GOT HARDER AND HARDER.

OUR "CAREER LADDER DAYS" WERE DROPPED FROM

8 TO 2...AND THE 2 WERE PRINCIPAL DIRECTED.

NO MORE GETTING PAID FOR GETTING YOUR ROOM READY,

ORGANIZING DESK, FILE CABINETS, CREATING NEW UNITS.

OH, NOT TO MENTION COMMON CORE!

IF I HAD NOT RETIRED, THIS WOULD HAVE 

BEEN MY SCHEDULE:

DAY AFTER SCHOOL WAS OUT:

SCIENCE WORKSHOP

THE NEXT WEEK:

MATH COMMON CORE TRAINING

THE NEXT MONDAY:

ROPES COURSE TRAINING AT CLEAR CREEK

5 DAYS OF COLLABORATION

(EXCEPT 1 TEAM MEMBER WANTED 10 HALF DAYS.)

GETTING CLASSROOM, WORK, ETC. READY

AT NO PAY.

THIS IS HOW I USED TO BE FROM ABOUT

THE YEAR 2005-2013.

AND NOW . . . 

BEGINNING YEAR #4 OF RETIREMENT!!!

AND, IT'S STILL THE BEST!!!