First Week of First Grade

Well week one of grade one is in the bag! It felt like the longest week of my entire life and I have spent every night after work in what feels like a perpetual state of shell shock!

These kids are hilarious, cute, loving, creative, excited, talkative, active and all around rambunctious. A week into routine and structure and they seem to be doing pretty well!! Of course there have been some bumps and hiccups and surprises but overall I feel like we are well on our way to working well within a routine. They know to go to the carpet after any major transition (morning arrival, recess, lunch, gym/Cree Language) and "read". I've provided my entire primary library for them to choose from, regardless of whether or not they can actually read it. Actually I know at this stage in the game they can't read at all but the love for "reading" is already there and I want them to have access to all varieties of reading materials of high interest. I feel this strategy really worked for my class last year. I put out books of all levels and lots of higher level books too which I think encouraged them to try something harder or different. Having a wide range of book types and topics (fiction, non fiction, picture books, chapter books, magazines, leveled readers) allowed them to explore their interests and challenge themselves as readers.  So seeing my kids on the first day of school all on the carpet "reading" to themselves and one another gave such an indescribable feeling. I have high hopes for this group! 

So this year I have a rowdy bunch of 17 6/7 year olds. I have 7 girls and 10 boys. The boys are energetic and typically rambunctious kids and the girls are very sweet and creative little ladies. We are working heavily on establishing and following a routine as well as behavior management. I am using a rewards-based system (stickers earned towards prizes) and it seems to be working so far. I know it will take weeks if not months to get these kiddies to where I want them behaviorally but we are on our way. They are very bright and already surpassing my academic expectations so that is a pleasant surprise! 

Teaching with Monika and Meghan has been a blast so far!! We are an awesome team supported by Marsha and if this week is anything like what the rest of the school year is going to be like then I can't wait for all the fun we are going to have. We work well together, help each other out, bounce ideas off each other, share resources, it's awesome. A true partnership! 

Since work these past couple of weeks has taken most if not all of my attention, my house has fallen by the wayside. There are tons of little things (and big) I need to take care of and I am hoping to tackle. One of which is somehow getting rid of the beehive that currently occupies my recycling bin. I poked this beehive last week because I thought it was dead but it turns out it wasn't and I awoke an angry swarm of baby bees (who have now matured into a swarm of angry adults) who buzz around my bin and car every time I go outside. I thought about lighting the whole thing on fire and hoping for the best but I have been advised against doing that. So we'll see. 

This week in Wemindji has been uncharacteristically hot. Now, I know I complain a lot about the cold weather during the 10 months of the fridgid season we have here but this is really unreasonable. It is SO HOT. So hot. So buggy. No breeze. Just hot. I hate my life because I can't just prance around in short shorts and a tube top (I have to look somewhat presentable for my job) and my classroom gets no cross breeze whatsoever. The kids are constantly asking for water and we are collectively a very sweaty bunch. Cold baths and showers have become my only friend in these hard times. Oh and I don't want one of you to tell me in the winter "Oh but Aidan don't you remember cursing the heat of the summer? Don't you miss it now?" The answer is no. No to all your comments. I will still hate winter as much as I hate summer the end!

Anyways I'm off to watch some kind of show that will connect me to another world where I don't have to mop up epic nosebleeds and break up colossal, tears-inducing, raging arguments over who is better, Mario or Luigi?!? 

Hopefully this darling Kleenex box will inspire a love for blowing one's own little nose so that I no longer have to! 

Confiscated items from carpet land. 

Supplies for my Mexican-themed birthday party have started to arrive!!

EXHAUSTED

So I am really not being dramatic here when I tell you that I cannot remember a specific time or place when I have been so exhausted in my entire life. My entire life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may have to take up drinking Red Bull or coffee or eating raw coffee beans! Seriously!! Grade Ones have an energy that is unmatched in the natural world! 

But more on that later. 

I have been quite absent from the blogging world for the past couple of weeks, but for very good reason. After helping my aunt move, moving my existing storage unit into a bigger storage unit (don't ask), throwing a backyard bachelorette BBQ, seeing family and friends, helping my mom move furniture and belongings so the floors could be redone for what seemed like the millionth time as well as doing ALL my Wemindji shopping and shipping and car packing in 2 days, driving up to Wemindji, moving my whole house back into it's rooms after the floors being redone, cleaning up a storm, unpacking my boxes, hosting a couple of social events AND finally unpacking my new classroom - you could say I was a little busy.

All in all it was a very nice summer. I saw my friends, had tons of bridal party fun related to my BFF Katherine's upcoming wedding, spent some quality time with my family and got a TON of shopping done for Wemindji. Shopping, as I am sure you know by now, is a major passion of mine and lets just say the experience did not disappoint this time around. I managed to find some great items to spruce up the ol' homestead (now complete with gorgeous new floors) and really make my house feel like a home. My summer felt far too short though and I really wish I had a couple more days in the south and a few more up here to prep too. 

So Monika and I got a new teaching partner-in-crime this year with Meghan. Marsha (who was supposed to teach Grade 1 with Monika and I) took a resource position in elementary this year and she is going to ROCK it. She's already been such an amazing source of information, insight and knowledge and resources and materials, I know she will be able to help me through the inevitable sticky parts of teaching such a wide range of abilities. Meghan on the other hand is a fantastic fit in our Grade 1 group. She is funny, flexible, low maintenance, cool, calm and collected and laughs at my jokes so she is essentially awesome. I can tell we are all going to have an amazing year together. My friend Samantha took a transfer from another WAY remote Cree School Board school in Whapmagoostui (aka Great Whale). She is DYNAMIC, creative, awesome, hilarious and such a great teacher. Her classroom is the stuff of teacher dreams and she pours her heart and soul into her work.  We have a whole bunch of new great teachers this year and I cannot wait for the laughs we are going to have and the fun we will experience together. 

Today was the first day of school and it was an experience. I got my group of 17 kids coming to me from a very differently structured environment so they were expecting something a little different I think. Multiple requests for sleep and snacks had me scrambling for excuses other than "This is grade 1, we don't sleep or eat anymore!!!" (LOL). We managed to have a very full day with LOTS of reading (which warmed my heart like you can't imagine) and fun "back to school/first day of school" activities and tomorrow we are going to focus heavily (again) on establishing classroom rules and routines. I feel like this group, and every group I have encountered for that matter, thrives heavily on routine, stability and structure. Luckily I am very like-minded and will strive to find a good balance between structured work and "play". I am looking forward to seeing the fruits of my labor and the hard work I know these kids are going to do pay off!

It's been a wild couple of weeks and they have definitely taken their toll on my energy (and it's only Monday!!) but despite my complaints I am very optimistic and excited to see what the rest of the week will bring! 

Goodbye 277 Queen Mary Drive (Granddad's old house)

I. Just. Miss. Him. So. Much. 

Saw lots of this. 

Just what I could fit in my car.....

Cute bachelorette party favors!

Costco cart 1/2

Oh yeah and I got my G license too!!

Great backyard dinners with my lovely mother. 

Spilled bucket of sour keys. Worst ever. 

Gorgeous duo tangs. I am clearly a teacher. 

I am crying right now. 

Backyard Bachelorette BBQ! 

The contents of my vehicle!

And it begins. 

Tears. 

Last morning Eggs Benny breakfast at Mo's in Oakville. 

My little travel companions!

My new bed!! The mattress is at hip level and I can barely get into it but it's so prettyyyyyy. 

My new rug!

My new living room floors!

My classroom - ugh. 

Kinda almost finished classroom as of this morning!

Cork will soon cover the back wall which is pretty awesome. 

We're going bananas in Grade 1!

WE LOVE TO READ!!

My Strange Connection with Rodents.

Well, here I sit waiting patiently for a little chipmunk friend to come out of hiding, follow the trail of peanuts to the open basement window and exit without the use of poisonous gas or banging pots (Mummy's idea). 

This morning the backdoor was left open and in waltzed a little chipmunk. So cute. Bobo alerted us to his presence and the little creature immediately took off running downstairs. Conveniently, the floors are being redone upstairs and the contents of 3 bedrooms are currently strewn across the basement, making it near impossible to catch this little fella. After an hour of watching him prance around my bedroom, my mother screaming every time he made an appearance,  and I, net (lacy curtain) in hand, made no progress. So now I am sitting in the basement, watching for this little guy to come and follow a trail of peanuts (Hansel and Gretel-style) to the window, praying he will make an exit soon because if there is one thing I hate, it is knowing that a chipmunk will be river dancing across my forehead tonight as he tries to make his escape through my bedroom window!!!

Dramatics aside, I shall update you on the past few week's events. Monika, Marsha, Carmen and I traveled to Florida for a week of relaxation and overall fun. We didn't really have a plan but managed to fit in shopping, hanging out at the beach, poolside relaxing, pampering and great meals. If you don't know this already I will inform you that Florida is probably one of the hottest places on the entire planet. Not only was it hot, it was humid!!! I didn't even bother to bring my blow dryer and straightener knowing there was seriously no point. I embraced my Afro and rocked the bun pretty much all day. It was rainy on and off but we definitely had more sunshine than rain and we made the most of it! 

We spent a day in Naples which was gorgeous and after an intense thunderstorm, we managed to get a lovely spot on the beach complete with rented beach chairs and a sweet umbrella I picked up for a bargain! We enjoyed a delish meal at the famous Cheesecake Factory and then a night out on the town on 5th Avenue where the only bar we could find to escape a gentleman following us around showing off his fancy bra was filled with pumped up cougars and terrible drinks!!! The adventure made for some laughs and we ended up having a good time. I have come to realize that it doesn't really matter where you are or what you are doing so long as you are with great company, and I was!! 

Since I have come back to Ontario I have been very busy with helping Mummy clean out her house of unwanted junk and lots of old furniture. I have also helped my Auntie Traci move houses (across the street from Granddad's old house luckily) and generally keeping busy with shopping and socializing and keeping busy getting ready to go back home to Wemindji. 

I will be traveling alone this trip as Carmen is no longer working at MES and our convoy is down to just me now! My Auntie Melanie generously bought me The Spot (a satellite tracking device with build in rescue beacon should I need emergency help in the 600km of no cell service traveling zone) as an early birthday present so at least I won't be traveling all alone!!

Anyways I am still here waiting for my little crafty friend to make an appearance and vamoosh but no luck. I'll keep you posted.