Thursday, July 30, 2015

School starts Monday

My cat does this. I always thought it was just him, but apparently not, lol


My new cat Murray is coming along swimmingly. This summer since I've been home, he as taken to seeking me out for company. He will sit or lay at my feet, request grooming and actually purr, or bump noses with me as a hello. This is wonderful progress since for the last year since I brought him inside as a stray, he has pretty much fled whenever I even looked in his direction.


I found another television show that I really like. As I've mentioned many times, it's hard to find one that is interesting, clean, well-written, etc. And more often than not when I do find one, there was only one season of it. See Terriers (2010), Firefly (2002), Enlisted (2014), sadly, so many others.

The show I found on Netflix is "The Finder." It got one season in 2012. The premise is "An Iraq war vet suffers a brain injury that triggers the ability to see connections between seemingly unrelated events, objects or people." The setting is Key West so it would seem we can call this one a "blue skies" show. I have seen two episodes and there is an undercurrent of Christianity running through, something that others have noticed as well. Probably why it got only one season.

Ha ha now that I am looking at the cast and crew for both Enlisted (2014) and The Finder (2012) I see that the lead male character in both shows is Jeff Stults. Coincidence? I think not.

I still miss Terriers and I love Donal Logue. What a great show Terriers was.

As for Firefly, well all that's been hashed over so much. We've been mourning it for 15 years now. I notice that when Firefly was canceled its lead Nathan Fillion was depressed for a long time, heartbroken he said. When Terriers was canceled Logue became a truck driver he was so heartbroken and disgusted with how shows are made and kept and canceled. Coincidence? I think not.

I found Castle online. Yes I know it has beenon for 7 years. It really does take me a long time to wake up to things. Its lead is the aforementioned Firefly lead, Nathan Fillion.  I've been watching this summer. I like all the Firefly references in Castle. They're great insider jokes.

I like TV shows, when they're good. (Sea Patrol). I like bingeing on them when they're really good. (Sea Patrol). But all that is coming to an end. Monday I go back to work. This year they have bumped back the starting bell for parapro's day to 7:10, so I will have to leave home at 6:55 latest. Early.

We have a three-and-a-half hour convocation starting at 8:00 Monday, and then after break for lunch I'll be in my shared  classroom setting my section of it up. I'm anxious to see the schedule, how my day will go and into which classrooms I'll be sent to support the teacher. And which groups of kids I'll be taking out for small group or tutoring work. I know already that in addition to Kindergarten I'll be used in first grade and second grade. It's a busy day for sure, but good days, because they involve kids!

I will miss my afternoon naps though, my studies, and my kitties. All good things come to an end, while other good things come in to take their place. In my case, fulfilling and enjoyable employment.


9 comments:

Grace to You said...

It's so encouraging to hear/read someone thankful for their work and enjoying it. I was so blessed to have work I enjoyed and co-workers as friends, to the extent that I looked forward to going back to work on Mondays and after vacations. What a privilege! And what a great testimony too. But I do hope you revel in the last few days of your vacation. :)

Elizabeth Prata said...

Thanks Grace To You. It's stressful sometimes, and physically demanding, and at times overwhelming (if social services has to get involved) but overall I truly love children and it gives me great joy to help them in any way I can, even something as little to us as tying their shoe or cleaning up after their sick. In many ways, they inspire me, their courage, perspective of child-like faith, perseverance. And they're just so blessed cute!

Anonymous said...

I cannot imagine school starting Aug 3rd. Seems like you just wrote your first summer post. Indeed your schools start early....but when do they let out for summer.
Texas usually starts by August 20-15, are around there, except for big cities which start after Labor Day.

Texas requires 180 days for children and 190 for teachers.

Your summer was surely short. But, may God bless you in your school year.
B.Gunn
Texas

Elizabeth Prata said...

Hi B.Gunn,

This schedule has taken me some getting used to. I was an educator in New England for many years, and we always started after Labor Day and got out mid to late June.

However like it is where you are, we do have the 180/190 days. We educators start Aug 3 but the kid don't come till Fir Aug 7. We get out at the very end of May (or a couple of days into June, like this year). But usually we're out by the Memorial Day Weekend. We get 8 weeks off, June and July.

August is very hot, playground duty is sweaty and the buses are not air conditioned so the kiddos for a couple of weeks swelter on the way home. But soon enough the weather breaks, usually the second week of Sept, so then we're good to go weather wise.

Something in me still rebels at an early August start date though, lol.

Anonymous said...

Hope your first day adjustments went well. Also - any word on BBs returning to your area? Prayed God would send them back, as I know you've said they were very helpful to you budget wise. Plus - very yummy.

-Carolyn

Elizabeth Prata said...

Thank you Carolyn! Apparently the BB Admins had a hard time with the trucking vendor. Our numbers were running half of the full load, and eventually he git tired of delivering a half-full truck. It was taking way too long to line up anther trucker vendor so they begged the vendor who quit to come back until they could find a replacement. They said that we have to get our numbers up. I don't know how well we did last weekend, but my friend who picks up the Baskets said there were a LOT line dup. We'll see! I have been doing my part on Facebook, promoting it.

Our first day went well. We have a ceremony where all employees gather in the HS gym. The Superintendent to reveals the Teacher of the Year and Support Staff of the Year. We honor the veteran teachers, 30+ years. I've always been impressed with how many employees retain in our School System. It's impressive. Then the Superintendent makes a speech.

This year we had something new. The teachers had identified as an issue they wanted to learn more about, poverty and class distinctions and how they affect learning. We were very fortunate to have Ruby Payne, an internationally recognized speaker on the subject of poverty. It lasted three hours but it was very interesting and the time flew.

After lunch I got back to my classroom and set it up, moving the furniture back in the class where it had been parked out in the hall so the floors could be cleaned and waxed. Tomorrow I'll unpack the boxes of books and games and wash the area rug, & stock my desk, Wed there's a meeting and I'll finish preparing my room. Thu I'll help my teachers and Friday the kids come!

It always hits me like a ton of bricks the day I go back. Even though we had a long meeting andn moving the furniture wasn't too hard, my legs are killing me and I'm pooped! Friday night after the first day with kids' I'll be dead in my tracks. But then the body gets used to ti again and we're off and running.

Thanks so much for your prayers. I hoep the BB chapter in GA doesn't get cut, too.

Grace to You said...

Even as an adult, don't you love the fresh start each new school year provides? I think I get more excited about the start of our new school years than my son does. :)

Elizabeth Prata said...

I do love that Grace to You!

Anonymous said...

Also want to toss in a comment that I think your care for Murray has been so sweet. It's been wonderful to hear how he has gone from a skittish stray, to learning to love.

-Carolyn