It's GREAT to be a Chapel Hill Panther!

Last Friday I really felt GREAT to be a Chapel Hill Panther.  I mean I have been teaching for over 8 years and this was the first time I saw an entire school come together like I did that day.  It was homecoming week and the spirit was in the air.  We had dress up days every day with all the different themes and the students had a great time dressing up then on Friday we had a BIG day planned.  The day started off with the filming if a video.  Ms. Baggett, one of our Administrators, had this great idea for us to make a video that highlighted what Chapel Hill is.  She saw something similar on YouTube and we have a counselor who was at a school where they did this before so we got to work on creating our own.  Ms. Baggett has been talking about this video since preplanning and I wasn't ever really sure that it would come to be but it did and I am SO glad.  We filmed the video with the help of the CCI.  The morning of the video I had car rider duty so I got to see many of the students as they arrived to school all dressed up and pumped about what the day was going to bring.  I also saw some students get out of their cars dressed in normal school clothes and I would ask them about where is their purple and black and they would just kind of shrugged their shoulders but something happened after everyone got to school that Friday.  By the time the video was to begin being filmed everyone and I mean everyone was in spirit gear in one way or another.  I mean the kids who would NEVER care about school spirit or purple hair or face paint or whatever were dressed up and showing their spirit.  It was crazy and such a great feeling.  I mean we have a very diverse group of students at Chapel Hill and that day it was like we were one big family.  You could just feel it in the air.  It took a little over an hour to film the video from beginning to end and the kids were great.  No behavior problems at all!  They were all into it and listening and paying attention.  After the filming we had a pep rally where the teachers had planned a flash mob.  I knew this was going to be great.  We had practiced before school and NO students knew about it.  Of course high schoolers think their teachers can't dance but they were proved wrong that day.  At the pep rally when it was time for the flash mob we started and then before we knew it the entire school and when I say entire I mean EVERYONE was on the basketball court.  I just knew when I saw that starting that that meant trouble - over 1,000 kids on one floor that normally would equal TROUBLE but not today instead after the song was over the kids returned to the stands as asked and the teachers did their dance.  It was probably one of the best pep rallies I have ever been involved in.  I can honestly say I love working at Chapel Hill and that day really proved why.  Thanks CHAPEL HILL!

Link to the teachers dancing - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEQcLtPfSCQ
I will put the video link up as soon as it is ready!
 

I now have KINDERGARTENERS - What!?!

Today was the first day of school and it is so hard to believe that I have two kiddos that are actually going into KINDERGARTEN!  I can't believe it.  Where has the time gone?  I remember having a hard time deciding whether they needed to go to two day two year old preschool let alone kindergarten.  Time sure does fly!!!  How does those 3 and 4 lbs babies that were born 5 short years ago grow up sooooo fast?  It truly is hard to believe but I am so proud of them and so excited for them.  Blakely and Drew are going to be attending Brighten Academy Charter School.  In order to get in the school you have to take part in a lottery drawing.  When  they did the actually drawing back last March or April we didn't get in but since then they decided to do away with a pre-k class and add a kindergarten class so we got the call a couple of weeks ago and we had to decide.  It was a HARD decision!  I guess since I knew we didn't get in I had just kindof quit thinking about it and just assumed they would go to South Douglas, where my nephew Will goes.  But once we got the call I had to make a decision and I had to make a decision quick so immediately I called Brighten and asked if we could go on a tour and of course they were more than willing to allow us to do that.  Of course it was summer and the classes weren't all put together but at least I was able to see it and ask questions and hopefully understand "charter" schools a little bit more.  So I am glad that we were able to do that but that still didn't make the decision for me.  I had to keep doing my research.  I called everyone I knew that has or has had a child go to school there to get their opinion.  I also researched everything I could find on the Internet - the good, the bad, and the ugly so that we could make our own educated decision about what we wanted for our kiddos.  After all that research and analyzing - we finally decided that BRIGHTEN it was!  So we had to start preparing the kids because prior to this we had said "there is your school!" every time we would pass South Douglas so we had to let them know that they would not be going there and that they would be going to the school that we toured.  I thought this would be a big problem especially since they knew many other kids going to South Douglas and especially because their big cousin Will went there but actually it wasn't too bad and it really didn't take that much convincing.  I am sure they would have loved South Douglas.  I have heard nothing but good things about it but really the decision came down to the fact that we got in so we felt like we needed to give Brighten a try.  We can always go back to South Douglas but we can't go back to Brighten - so here we are on the first day of school headed to Brighten.  They are really excited.  We went to open house last week and got to meet their teachers.  They are Mrs. Folsom and Mrs. Cathy.  They are both lovely ladies and I think the kids are going to love them.  I actually taught Mrs. Cathy's daughter at Chapel Hill.  The class has an Owl theme and of course Blakely loves that.  The open house was wonderful.  Everything was decorated so cute and we got lots of information and got to meet lots of people.  It was also nice to see that we actually knew a lot more people that went their than we really knew about.  So that made us feel a little better about our decision.  You can also see from the pictures that they wear uniforms - which I LOVE!  If you know me you know I love dressing the kids more than anything but this uniform thing is great.  I love not really having to think about it.  It makes the nightly routine so much easier.  Also we don't have to lose all our style (ha ha) because Friday's are what is called "Fashionable Fridays" where the kids can wear whatever they want.  Of course Blakely is really look forward to that!  So today we got up really early so we wouldn't be rushed and we would be ready to go in order to walk in and take pictures - so that came really early this morning but the kids didn't have any problem getting up.  They were actually excited and ready to go.  We got ready and took the yearly front door pictures and then we headed to school.  Once we got to school we walked the kiddos to their class room and took some pictures along the way.  They were really excited!  Drew got a little nervous once we got in the classroom and came over and held my hand but once I said I had to go he was fine.  It was really cute.  I am so glad they like school.  After school my mom picked them up.  My mom and Phillip's dad are going to share pick up duties this year.  Thank goodness because that was one of my stresses about them going to a different school.  I think this will work out great.  After school the pick up line was waaaaaaay long because of course since they are a charter school they don't provide transportation and it was the first day of school so it took quite a while for mom to pick them up but once she had them in the car they were full of stories but once they got to her house and had a snack their energy level went down and went down quick - they were two tired kiddos.  When I picked them up Blakely was a sleep before we got out of the drive way.  Since we have been home and they have re-engergized we have heard quite a few stories and I love it.  They are so sweet and innocent.  They told me all about lunch and recess, Drew told me about how you have to raise your hand, Drew told me his favorite part was making new friends, Blakely told me they got draw and read, they told me about the Owl binders/communication folders and how important they are, they told me about the behavior clips, and so on and so on...  It is so sweet to hear them tell about it.  I am so glad they had fun and that they are so excited to go back tomorrow.  Well - 1 day down 179 more to go....Good Luck Blakely and Drew!  We love you and are so proud of you.

Headed Back to Work!

Tomorrow I have to head back to work - BOO!  Don't get me wrong I am very glad to have a job and I love my high schoolers but I sure have enjoyed my week off.  I guess since I head back tomorrow that means I need to get to sleep since it is after midnight but before I do that I wanted to look back at what all I did this past week so I can feel some what better about heading back to work tomorrow.  Hopefully I will feel somewhat accomplished!  Here is a little bit of what I did during my break -

• shopped, shopped and shopped some more pretty much everyday including Black Friday when I shopped from 10pm - 6:25am!  
• went to the Mart in Atlanta,
• went and rode the Pink Pig with the kiddos,
• had Baby Maya spend the night,
• 2 Thanksgivings (one with my family on Thanksgiving and one with Phillip's family on Saturday),
• house completely decorated for Christmas with trees in almost every room,
• made Christmas ornaments,
• celebrated Mom's birthday,
• went out with some high school friends,
• ran lots and lots of errands,
• got the car washed,
• finished a scrapbook for a girl at work,
• made a burlap bubble wreath,
• updated my blog,
• updated my class website, 
• rode to Lagrange with Phillip for work,
• went to church,
• made a Christmas list of what I need to get, already got, etc.,
• sewed a curtain for Baby Maya's table in her room,
• washed clothes,
• picked out and ironed clothes for me and both kiddos for ALL week (Way to Go - Whitney!),
• outfits ready and ironed to go see Santa on Wednesday at Phipps,
• etc., etc., etc.!!!

Well - as you can see from the above list I used my break to the fullest and it feels really good.  I am so glad I was able to accomplish so much this past week.  Now just 15 days to go until I will be off for two weeks for Christmas break - wonder what I will be able to get done then!  I better head to bed so I have energy for my high schoolers tomorrow (oh and the twins too!)  I will just keep thinking - I can do it, I can do it, I can do it - I CAN!  Merry Christmas!

DECA Fall Leadership Conference

Last Thursday and Friday I took six girls to the DECA Fall Leadership Conference which was held at the Crowne Plaza Ravina across the street from Perimeter Mall. We had a great time and hopefully they learned a little along the way. We registered and then we headed to the mall for lunch and a little shopping, following that we headed over to the conference for the students to take the Statesmen Test and to get ready for the Opening Session. Following the opening session they had a dance which was a lot of fun and then we finally got to head to bed at about midnight or later. The next morning we had to be up and ready to go at 7:30. Friday was full of different breakout sessions which I hope the students got a great deal out of. I had advisor sessions to attend and they were pretty good, with good speakers and good information. After the breakout sessions they had the closing session and one of my students Gabby L. was recognized for her great score on the Statesmen Exam. This was a great event with some great students. It is nice to see that with all the negative you hear about youth today that there still are good, respectful students still out there and I wish these girls the best of luck in the future and I hope the best for them.

DECA

New Manchester High School

Last week I took the DECA organization to the DECA Fall Rally in Perry, Ga at the National Fairgrounds. We had a GREAT time. It took us a little over two hours to get there but the girls didn't mind they talked the whole way! Once we got there we listen to a motivational speaker who was GREAT! After the speaker the students had to take a general marketing test - not so fun - but after the test they got to go ride whatever they wanted = fun! They got to ride rides from about 11:30 - 3:00. At 3:00 they had the closing ceremony where we found out we won t-shirt contest. We were so surprised and excited. Our t-shirts says Scan Me... and they have a real scanable bar code. Once you scan the bar code with a smart phone it says - "You're not a member of DECA - What the hecka? Join Chapel Hill DECA today! www.deca.org" It was a fun day! The following students went with me - Kelsey Switzer, Morgan Taylor, Sawyer Wilson, Faith Hall, & Gabby Lord.