I GOT A JOB!!!!

Great news! I have a "next step" already planned for when I come back to the Chicago area. I will be teaching in a 5th/6th grade English Language Learners classroom in District U-46. I will be able to live in Elgin and commute a mere 20 minutes. :)

Thanks to all family and friends for your support and prayers for direction in the next step. God is good!

I posted this on Facebook a couple weeks ago but forgot to put it on my blog! An apology to those of you that check on my blog but are not Facebook users!

Graduation Party

After the graduation ceremony, the kids were excited about our graduation party that night at a classmate´s house. A mom helped me do nearly all of the planning, invitations, food, decorations, etc., and so the planning part was fairly stress free for me :)

It was a blacklight party, so all students came in black and white clothes. We hung the mural to block off the rest of the porch to create a party room.

The flourescent paint glowed with the blacklight. Very cool :).

I was surprised by my students' dancing skills. Then again, I shouldn't have been surprised since most of them have latino blood. In case you didn´t know, latino blood = natural dancing talent. My white Caucasian blood has never experienced this natural dancing talent, lol.

We had lots of food like Doritos, Cheetos, and yummy peanut butter chocolate brownie bites. Nothing like some gringo food for a tico party :).

I think this is the best smile I captured all school year form my shyest student. He has progressed so far in his English speaking since he came from Honduras in October. I am proud of him!

The kids discovered early on that if they popped the balloons that were hanging on the ceiling, there were glowsticks inside. They started making hats, jump ropes, necklaces, bracelets, and hula hoops.

The cake was beautiful and matched our painted mural!

A group photo in front of the mural. 19 of my 22 students were at the party.

And then another hyper group photo. By this point, the boys started throwing each other into the swimming pool while I was waving goodbye to all and leaving all the students for their parents to calm down :).

Fifth Grade Graduation

At Lighthouse, elementary school ends with 5th grade and then middle school starts in 6th, so we had a graduation celebration for the students as they excitedly anticipate being in middle school!

The girls went all out with their cute cocktail dresses.

More excited girls.

And more...

Seriously, all the students looked so grown up!!

Another photo right before we go out for the processional.

The church sanctuary was decorated very nicely. We had to sit straight and tall during the ceremony.

The director, Ms. Head, was on the stage the whole time. Each student had to stand front and center to give their speeches we had practiced millions of times. They all did well and I was very proud! :)

Then after the ceremony, we went outside to release balloons to symbolize our prayers going to God about our future goals and dreams.

Mural Process and Product

Here's what it looked like when the white was finished...

And students starting to paint the black...

And putting on finishing touches...

And again, not everyone had to help...

What it looked like when the black and white were finished...

And then, the best part! THROWING paint! :)

We used yellow, blue, pink, and green flourescent paint so the colors would shine in the blacklight at our graduation party...

And the finished product! :) Cool, huh?

Please Meet the Prop Box

I have a fancy cardboard box that contains any 5th graders' imagination needs...

...for creating ... well, anything!

Preparing for the ''Freeze Frame'' guessing game...

Students dress up and act out a ''freeze frame'' of something we've been studying and the rest of the students have to guess. Here you see Ms. Fúster teaching with freeze frames and my magic prop box during Estudios Sociales class.

And another freeze frame...

...All from this magic cardboard box :)

Lighthouse Art Presentation

Lighthouse had their second annual Art and Music Presentation at the Museo de los Niños in San José yesterday. All teachers and students ran home, showered, and dressed up ''semi-formal'' style to meet just a few hours later at the museum for the final evening event of the school year.

Everyone loves Miss Jen, our school nurse :).

7th grade girls greeting and directing at the entrance.

A view out the door into the downtown area.

And some of my girls patiently waiting for the music to begin.

We're lookin' good :)

And some artwork by 5th graders!

I was actually quite impressed with what students had done!

This student of mine was excited that we had matching pencil skirts :)

The cute son of a co-worker

And the students being goofy as we were leaving.

5th Graders are Very Tall...

This student is the youngest... and the tallest. At 10 years old, he looks me in the eye.

The girls are pretending to be as tall as me. Not quite! :)