Busy week indeed

Well I made it through parent teacher conference week!  It was quite a week - Wednesday and Thursday were the conference days, and overall, they really went quite well!  The 6th graders are beginning to shape up more and more each day.  I think they are finally starting to realize that their parents won't stand for them not turning in homework either...which is good!  Now, we are heading into the last three weeks of the first quarter already.  Beginning next week, I am starting a novel with the sixth graders which I am quite excited about - they are voting on Monday to decide between The Giver  and Sign of the Beaver.  I think it will be fun to really engage them in a book together as a class - and see how they do with that.

I didn't even get a chance to mention anything about our day adventure to Canyon De Chelly last Saturday.  The Canyon is a sacred place for the Navajo - Spider Rock (pictured below) is symbolic for their Holy Spider Woman who taught them how to weave!  It was quite a day to say the least - we had the chance to hike down into the canyon and look at some more ancient ruins.  And the craziest thing about the whole day was the fact that we only drove about an hour or so from our house - there is just so much beauty in the land all around here!

Currently, I am sitting at the other volunteers' trailer watching the Packer game...it isn't exactly the same watching it by myself in Arizona - but hey Go Pack Go!  Earlier today, the parish held its annual Harvest Mass outside which was a beautiful mass indeed.  And was of course, followed by a potluck! YUM!  Then, Mary Rose and I stayed after to rehearse for a short play we are going to be in on Wednesday night.  Wednesday is the feast of St. Francis and since the priests here are Franciscan, the four Postulants (novitiates) are putting on a short depiction of Francis's life and death.  We were asked by Noel, one of the postulants, to help out, so we said sure!  I will be a Soldier and a bishop and Mary Rose is going to be St. Clare.  It will be a pretty neat experience.  And, I am happy to have met the four postulants - Noel, David, Anthony, and Patrick.  Hopefully, I can take some time to hang with them from time to time.

Anyways, on to another week of teaching - Days go by pretty darn fast but there is never a shortage of work to do as a new teacher.  I just try my hardest to make sure I find some time for myself every day - for my own sanity.  Alright, I'm off to cheer on the pack - check in again sometime this week hopefully!

Enjoy the pictures:

Spider rock