Sorry I have been so quiet. Things have been busy with school. Jeff and I are more or less settled in. We actually got phone, cable and internet service around the 15th of the month. School is insanely busy but good.

I must be in school by 8:20, unless I have a 7:20 am meeting. I have those on Tues -dept meeting, and Wed- Faculty meetings, and occassionaly thurs. . . overflow for dept meeting and for the next few weeks Fridays for training on software.

Mon/Wed/Fri I have first period planning. So once I am free of meetings I do not have students until close to 10 am. But from there I am teaching 5 classes, 65 minutes long straight thru with a 23 minute break for lunch with the students until 3:50. Then we hope the buses are on time so we can dismiss those students.

Tues/Thurs we have advisement. Which means I have a class from 8:50-9:20. Then I get till 10:15 or so to prepare and plan. Then I teach from 10:20 straight thru again till 3:50. I

It is a whirlwind of a day. But the students are a good bunch. I am constantly surprised at how much they already know. I need to have lots of back up stuff ready in case we finish early, but I like it. It is a change of pace, I am still adjusting to 6th graders, they need lots of direction, no matter how smart they may be, but I am slowly catching on. I am working my tail off, but enjoying it. It is forcing me to become a better teacher. It also helps that the teachers I work with are a great bunch; Always willing to lend a hand and give pointers. Still I am tuckered out at the end of the day.

We nearly have the lab set up and we even ventured in there last week to do several stations on minerals. I hope to eventually start teaching in there more often then not. We set up a freshwater aquarium this week and we hope to get a terrarium set up with fish, plants, frog and maybe even turtles. I am doing research on saltwater tanks. . . . but that will wait a few months.

This past week was PTSA back to school night. So I was busy preparing the lab, that means most of my 3 day weekend will be spent catching up on paperwork. Sigh. Still Today I got lots done. I did a thorough cleaning of the apartment and I am finally going through the last handful of boxes and finding homes for things.

Next weekend Jeff and I will be meeting my Mom and brother to see my sister in nashville for visit day. It should be fun.

The following weekend I have a conference for "new" teachers at the Fernbank Musuem in Atlanta. It should be useful.

Oh and the district is paying for me to get endorsement to teach the gifted so I will be busy these next few months. I will probably start my masters program at KSU next fall. I have lots going on right now.

Well I miss all of you and hope to carve out some time for phone calls.