Wow! What a crazy, busy time it has been the last week! After enrollment we worked very hard to get students' schedules in the computer so they'd be ready for open house on Monday, Aug. 19th. There were so many issues with the computer program: students who didn't show up in our system, schedules that printed out wrong, students with blank schedules, students who had left had a schedule, middle school students showing up in the high school site and vice versa, students with empty hours in their schedule who needed to go to a specific class but, while trying to enter them in that specific class they were already listed on the roster! We worked and worked after open house to correct the problems. It was 12:30 a.m. before I went to bed last night (this morning). Today was the first day of classes for students. I got to school at about 7:25 and the first thing I did was print new schedules out for everyone. We told students if they had class changes they needed to make to put their name on a list and we'd get to them starting tomorrow (Thursday) with seniors and working our way down to seventh grade. There are three complete pages of student class changes! Of course, just because they put a request on the list doesn't mean they're automatically going to get it. However, we will do our best. Then as the day went along one of the English teachers came by and informed us she had seven students in one class and 28 in another (the same English course). There were probably about three classes like this. The problem is that there are no other classes for students to go to when they are behind on required courses and those take priority, so there are larger classes, bummer. We did manage to correct a middle school class problem because a previous teacher happened to come to school today. We were needing to look at last year's seventh grade test scores to determine who could go in to eighth grade honors mathematics. Our state had major issues with testing last year and we still don't have final scores! High school and middle school classes sometimes depend on these test results (remediation classes), graduating students sometimes depend on these results if they have failed tests, so it has been a mess. Since that teacher happened to visit someone was able to get information pertaining to those students from her because she taught them. Based on what she told us, we switched the students. Another two classes share seventh grade for a semester only. At semester's end, they switch teachers. I was brought a list of students wanting to take one of the specific semester classes first and the other in the spring. This helped a great deal. Without that list it would just be a guessing game. Another teacher who teaches business classes is willing to take come kids and change her class so that it is a dual class (course I and II at the same time). That way she can include more students in her class, reducing the large number of students in the English class. My days are going to be like this for a while. Tomorrow I will be looking at class numbers and switching students. After that I will start calling in students one at a time to make schedule changes. I'm not sure when I'll get to the elementary. I still plan on doing my welcome back bulletin board (a little late). Hopefully by the end of the week.

Monday, again! Today was a very busy day. The principal took the schedules pre-enrollment forms for grades seven through ten home with him when he left last Thursday. I was only able to work on juniors and seniors last Friday. This was perfect because that took all day! The principal worked on the seventh-tenth grade student forms and master schedule until about 3 a.m. this morning. Today I completed the seventh grade student forms and about half of the eighth grade. Wow! What a busy day. Those eighth grade forms will have to be completed tomorrow. I have met many people over the last week and reaquainted myself with others. It has been nothing but joy. I met the cafeteria ladies today. The cafeteria staff are always people to get to know and stay in contact with. I never know when I might need something for Career Cafe that I forgot at home. I've been debating the way I run Career Cafe. In the past I would host one a week, maybe every other week. Since we have an early and a late lunch, I've been debating, if it works out with the students, hosting two in one day. One for the early lunchers, one for the late lunchers. The difference in the lunches is that most middle/junior high students are on early lunch and most high school students are on late lunch. Hosting two in one day might be a bit of a challenge, but, I could then skip a week. I'll just have to see how that plays out with what the kids want to do regarding a career.

Time to make the donuts

Do any of you remember the Dunkin Donuts commercial from many years ago that showed a worker rising very early, middle of the night actually, to go to work and make donut? He'd then get finished and crawl into bed only to be awakened by the alarm again, much too early (for his liking) to make them again. It showed him doing this over and over, eventually meeting himself coming and going. While I'm not at the point of meeting myself coming and going I love that commercial and heading back to work always reminds me of that phrase from it, "Time to make the donuts." Today was very interesting! I learned so much about my new school already! My official report date isn't until Wednesday, August 7th, but today and tomorrow are enrollment days. I got here just before 8 a.m. thinking I would have time to make a cup of coffee and load things in to my office that I'd put together over the weekend. Senior enrollment started at 8 and I know how seniors are, not in any hurry! When I got to school I went straight to my office with a load, dropped it inside the door and went to my car for the rest. After I put my second load down I stepped back into the main office and students had followed me in to the building! There were so many early birds I was impressed (really)! The secretary, who has only been with the district one year, and I hadn't met before this morning, To my surprise she is someone from high school! I hadn't seen her in over 25 years and had long ago forgotten her married name. I was thrilled to see her and know that I would be working so close with her! There are also several parents I went to school with whose kids or grandkids attend this school. It was like a small family reunion! If you've read previous posts you know I've been working on my office a lot! I took a picture. I forgot to take a before shot, so it's an "in progress" picture.

If I were to turn around from were I took the picture I would be in the main office of the building. The black metal cart with the bar handle is now out, that is a cart full of ipads. Also the table is gone. I moved two six foot tables and the square one in the picture out. The elementary office won't be available for quite some time, into September. School starts Aug. 21st which is a little late for this area. I thought I'd wait until the 2nd full week of classes to start working in the elementary. I have a lot of curriculum I've acquired and am very anxious to meet with those students. The superintendent just told me my priority was the high school building and it might be late September before I'd be getting to the elementary building. I also met a teacher that is working on her master's in counseling and I think the superintendent may have her in mind eventually for a 1/2 time counseling position over there. Based on that information I think my time (due to the workload in the high school) in the elementary will be limited to just a couple of years until she is finished. I will probably not be purchasing any more elementary materials. I don't want to purchase something tha will only be used a year or two. At this point I'm not sure if I'd rather serve the elementary or the high school. I also got to meet one teacher I'll be working with. She is the FACS teacher and has a senior student. I was glad to meet her, the FACS classroom is decorated so cute (already) and I'll probably have to be going in and out of her room some for career cafe supplies. I got several things hung on my walls but, still have other things to put up and I think in addition to the hutch I'll be purchasing soon, I'm also in the market for a bookshelf.

Surprise bargains

Today, while waiting for my car to have some work done on it I ran some errands. I'm an avid couponer and I was in a different city with stores not in the town in which I live. The work on my car was supposed to take about 3-4 hours so I had my list, coupons and was very excited. One of my first stops was Target. I love their Dollar Spot. I can always find something I can't live without such as Pacman or Strawberry Shortcake band-aids. :) Today I scored huge for my counseling office.

Everything I found will go great in my elementary office or on a bulletin board or even as an addition to a classroom lesson. I got two packages of posters. There are three posters in each pack and each one is different. I found packs of 24 count bookmarks that match one of the posters. I bought several packs and I may go back to get more so I'll have enough for the entire school. They were just $1 and it's a small school. I also found some foam shapes that will work great on a bulletin board. One of the posters says something about lending a hand. I found a pack of multi-colored foam hands! I got a package of over the door hooks so I can hang my purse/sweater/coat when the weather turns cooler and a magnetized locker mirror. I had one of these in my other office, tucked into a cubby and used it all the time. Everything was just $1 each which was wonderful since I have been purchasing so much! The American Girl DVD I purchased for our girls' night out came in. Now I just have to find time to preview it. I've found a sock monkey poster, "Gossip, Put A Sock In It" and matching bulletin board border. I found paw print bulletin board border, (we're panthers) and some window clings that are the same, all in our school colors! I was able to purchase some positive posters last week, too. They weren't quite as cheap as the $1 for three Target deal, but they were a great price. My car didn't take three to four hours. It took over six hours! I didn't make it to work but, I found every deal on my list that I'd matched up with coupons. My car is loaded with office goodies and I will be going to work bright and early tomorrow to get some more work done! We have open house Thursday evening and there is a lot to do!

New Information

Yesterday and today I spent at the ALCA workshop. I don't know if any of you reading this have every been to, through or heard about ALCA but, it is reall good information. With all the Common Core changes and, here in our state, School Report Card changes, it has been great information of which I was in great need! Yesterday I rode with the new principal. That was a great time for us to visit and get insight into one another's personalities. Today I was on my own. Over the weekend I got a second desk moved into my high school office. I will eventually put a hutch on top of it. This set up sits against the wall, as would I when sitting there. The plan is for my computer to go here. My other desk sits in front of that facing the door. My desk chair sits between the two so I can just rotate to face one or the other. The desk facing the door will be my working desk that I use when others are in the office or I'm not working on the computer. Though I did get everything shredded that needed to be and the extra cabinets and tables out, I still have a lot to do there. I haven't even started on my elementary office. I contacted the elementary principal today to see how her moving out of it was going. She said she had hoped to start moving out last Thursday. We're all in limbo waiting on a new addition to be completed. It's not yet finished so she hasn't started moving yet! Open house is next week! I have things to do in the high school that need to be completed by August 1st. I can work around that office being incomplete, but need time to work in the elementary and really wanted that office to be set to go by open house. It may not make it. After the Thursday, August 1st open house in the elementary, I have high school and middle school enrollment the following Monday and Tuesday. Wow, putting it all down here makes me realize how little time there truly is!

Making Room

After hanging out at home for the last two weeks, I finally made it to school again! I worked in my high school office and with the help of a friend yesterday and made a lot of progress! I got the desk moved over to make room for another (2nd desk) to be placed behind it. I cleaned, a lot, and feel really good about that, now. I got nearly everything loaded in to the office, out of boxes and off the floor. Most things are put away, though I know that will change again. Today I spent a lot of time shredding. There was testing information all the way back to the early 90s! We only have to keep five years! Why oh why do counselors not get rid of old information? I had to do this at my previous school, too. Only there it was testing and student records both, dating back to the 80s! The head maintenance person was in and out several times today and offered to give me the grand tour of the entire campus, so I took time to do that. I'm glad I did because I learned some things about the upcoming year that I wouldn't have known ordinarily and had a great time getting to know a coworker! In the high school I won't have a bulletin board in the hallway that is just mine. There is one that I will share with newspaper clippings and other notifications. However, there is a television mounted in the hallway where every student enters and exits each day. It's right by the main office. I will be able to put informational power points on it for all to see. This will be great during testing season to put out reminders for students. Since it's a high school building I thought I'd use it to introduce myself. Nearly all the teachers are new this year, I might be able to have some join me and put slides in to introduce themselves as well. In the elementary I have two ways to introduce myself in the classrooms (a poster for older grades, Mrs. Potato Head for younger grades). I also thought the power points on the television would be great to promote silly holidays (sponge day, national bubble wrap day) and things like Red Ribbon Week, etc. I've been book shopping again. The Big Test came in for my elementary office. It is such a cute book! I also received The Organizational Skills Bootcamp and The Bully Free Classroom. I'm getting thoroughly excited about the upcoming year and I hope you are, too. Tomorrow I'll being going back to do a few more things in my high school office: cover the bulletin board with fabric, hang some things on the wall and shred, shred, shred!

New Materials (Again)

This weekend was so much fun! While out and about we went to Barnes and Noble. I LOVE Barnes and Noble! I forget how much I love it until I walk in and start browsing. I don't get to go very often, which is probably a good thing. By the way, if you haven't signed up for an educator's card, you need to do that. You can save a lot! You don't have to purchase educational material to get the savings either. I made a list ahead of time in hopes we would be going there while out. Most of my books (for me personally) are on my iPad these days. I have no more room on any bookshelf in my house. So, I was thrilled to go shopping for actual physical books. We have a pool and throughout the summer I relax by floating and reading. It's my favorite summertime thing to do. I can't take my iPad to the pool so I've sort of been at a loss this summer. I still have three books on it I haven't read yet. I found three of the five books on my list. Now, I can kill two birds with one stone, reading in the pool and reading for school. The first one I found was Wonder. I didn't realize it was a NY Times Best Seller! I'd been hearing bits and pieces about it and saw someone on the Today show list it in a summer reading list for kids. So I put it on my list of new books to purchase. As a former special education teacher once I read information about it I was very intrigued. I've just started it and so far it is really a wonderful story! Another book I purchased is Gifted Hands. It is about someone who overcame adversity and circumstance, used a God given gift to do amazing work and be successful in the medical field. The last book I purchased is The Drama Years. The last two I haven't started yet and probably won't until I finish Wonder. Tomorrow is a busy day. I'll be going to the high school building (after doing somethings around home) then to the dentist. If I have time I'll drive over to the elementary, too. Hopefully I'll get to pick up keys tomorrow. I'll definitely be measuring windows for curtains.