March 2011

March was a month of much schoolwork and long practices preparing for our TACS state competition.  I usually go to Gatlinburg as a sponsor for our honor society, but didn't get to make the trip this year.  Since the event is hosted by TACS, Brian got to go and on his way home he stopped at Pottery Barn in Knoxville.  He received some help and surprised me with some beautiful spring decorations.  I love this centerpiece.  The spring touches lifted our spirits and gave us hope that the long winter would eventually come to an end.

I did get to go to Gatlinburg on March 11 & 12 with one of my teacher friends for the "Dare for More" women's retreat.  The founder and speaker of the retreat is my good friend Reba Bowman.  It was a relaxing, challenging weekend during which I was recharged.  I'm so thankful that I was able to go.

Finally it was time for state competition.  We planned and prepared for this event all year long.  We drove to Murfreesboro and spent the night on Wednesday, March 23.  Elementary and junior high speech competitions were on Thursday.  Although we had a few close calls everyone showed up, performed, and handled the pressures of competition like champions.

Here is the junior high choric speaking group preparing to compete.  Both this group and the junior high reader's theater did very well.  Both groups won first place in state and the reader's theater group got to perform at the Thursday night awards ceremony.  One girl told me she was so nervous to perform in front of everyone.  However when she was up on her box saying her lines she said it hit her that she really loved it.  That's the rush I always had as well. 

On Friday the "Big Dogs" arrived ... senior high speech students.  I was so proud of all of these students.  There were 15 in the choric speaking group and almost everyone competed in at least one other speech category as well.  We had a blast during competition.  We actually have a little "following"...the students told me some ladies asked them when and where they were performing because they came to watch Berean. Both choric speaking and readers theater won first in state.  We also placed first in senior high religious reading, declamation, duet acting and humorous interpretation. 

At the senior high awards assembly on Friday afternoon choric speaking and the girl that won humorous performed.  Our school won the award for overall points in senior high.  What a wonderful time we had and best of all, all 15 students qualified to continue on to the AACS National competition at BJU on April 12-14. 

Thankfully our spring break began as soon as state competition finished.  I needed the week to recover.  We stayed around town, but had a relaxing week.  Brian even took a vacation day.  Although the week went by quickly, I felt much better by the end and then it was time to return to school on April 4.  To be continued ...

April 2011

(I'm almost caught up:)

February 2011

We did lots of math problems during the month of February.  I had one student who had shoulder surgery and couldn't write for a few weeks.  She would tell her mom her answers for her homework.  I had to take pictures of our problems and record class sessions in order for her to catch up on the work she missed.  Nothing like trying to be innovative!  She is doing much better and is actually doing her own homework again.

Lest you think that all we do is compete in speech competitions, let me mention the math poster contest that my algebra students entered at the University of Tennessee in Chattanooga.  Each student designed a poster on "Math in Tennessee: Science and Industry."  We then entered the top posters in the competition and actually had three winners.

My nephew Austin is one of my math students and his poster qualified for the competition.  Of course, it was a basketball poster!  I was thrilled to have Tony and Darla go with us to UTC as chaperones on the day of the competition.

The best part about having several winners was that they actually received prize money!  Here is Lydia who won $200 for first prize.  Not bad for a poster about the "Cupcake Industry" in Chattanooga.  I guess she'll be able to buy lots of cupcakes!

On February 15 we had over 40 students from our school compete in the TACS district speech competition.  It was the first level of the competition that we are involved in every year.  We did not have much competition at the district level, but I always challenge the young people to know their pieces well and do their best.  This is the senior high reader's theater group.  They performed an engaging version of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow."  This is Brom Bones and some "ladies."

This is the senior high choric speaking group who performed "Casey at the Bat."  We even had matching baseball shirts with everyone's last names on the back.  The group looked really sharp and wowed the audience with their first live performance.  We also had a number of individuals in senior high as well as a duet act that did a cutting from "Shadowlands" which is the love story of C.S. Lewis and his wife Joy.

Then we also a junior high reader's theater group.  Here is the group performing "Sideways Storied from Wayside School."  Most of these students are first-timers and I thought they did very well at the district competition.

Finally we had a junior high choric speaking group who performed Mark Twain's "Punch in the Presence of the Passenjare."  This fun story tells about a man who gets the torchering jingle "Punch, brothers, punch with care, punch in the presence of the passenjare..." stuck in his mind.  By the end of the performance everyone in the auditorium had the jingle stuck on the brain and lips.  I was so proud of this group because they are all 7th graders and one boy is in 8th grade.  My nephew Rylie is the one with his head up snapping his fingers.  He is my nephew that just can't wait to be in a play.  I'm in the process of training him!:)

Whew, it was quite a month between schoolwork and competitions.  However, at least the snow held off and we were able to get everything done.  Now on to TACS state competition and the long awaited spring break during the month of . . .

March

(coming soon)

January 2011

The year started with a bang.  As soon as we got home from North Carolina we had a quick New Year's celebration and we were back to school.  We got settled into the first week of the new semester and rumors of a snowstorm began circulating.

I have learned not to get real excited when they predict snow in Tennessee because it usually doesn't happen.  However the prospect of a day off already sounded good after being in school for one week.  Well, not only did we get one day off, we ended up missing the whole week of school because of the snow, ice, and freezing temperatures that did materialize.  Much of the South was immobile because of lack of equipment.  I often said my northern friends and family would just shake their heads at the dilemma in which we found ourselves.  I did get much done that week and rested from the busy holidays.   Our Spirit Week and Homecoming festivities were postponed until the following week.  I was in charge of the week's events, so it did give me more time for preparation for which I was grateful.

Finally we returned to school and things were back underway.  Here is my English class acting out the definitions to their vocabulary words.  They love to do this (they have adopted my love for drama) and, to be honest, I see they do better on their quizzes when they remember the skits about each word.  I can't remember what the word is here.  I'll have to ask to see who remembers.  Mom, we are using the flashcard words that your English classes used!:)

My parents gave me this shelf and picture frames for Christmas.  I put prints of winter scenes in the frames.  I'll post another pic with the pictures inserted.  I continue to work on decorating our bonus room.

Finally we were able to have Homecoming.  I know this is a dark picture, but these girls are two that graduated from Berean last year and came back for Homecoming.  Christin on the left was the reigning Homecoming queen.  It was so good to see my former students and hear how God is working in their lives.  This was a reception that we had in my classroom for the alumni.  Another teacher helped organize the reception and made my room look beautiful!  Notice that we are still using Grandma Cutlan's wicker bench!  I was so glad when Homecoming was over but it turned out very well.  Now, it was on to other matters such as schoolwork and preparation for TACS district speech competition.  Stay tuned for

February 2011

December 2010

December started with another birthday!!  I love birthdays!  So many birthday wishes and a fun party.  My mother-in-law made me a buttermilk pound cake.  Yum!  I thoroughly enjoyed every bite!

 I love decorating our house.  Even though we were going to be heading to North Carolina for Christmas I still put up all of my decorations.  Here is the tree in our living room.

This is the little tree that I put up in our bedroom.  I bought this tree at Kmart for $15 when we first got married.  I put it up in our apartment every year until we moved into our house.  I just couldn't bare to part with it; it brings back precious memories of many happy Christmases. 

Although I'm not as extravagant in my classroom, I do like to put up lights and even had a little "Charlie Brown" Christmas tree.  The students said they enjoyed the festive atmosphere in my classroom.  December was busy at school, but we worked hard and finished second semester.

We had some bad weather during the month of December.  One night freezing rain came through.  Tony brought two of his boys over for tutoring and we didn't realize our porch had iced over.  As they were leaving, Tony hit the top step and went flying.  He broke his arm in three places.  Needless to say this was one night that wasn't festive.



I love these next two pictures because they are of both sets of our parents opening gifts.  We often say that our parents are our best friends.  We are so blessed to have all of them.  They mean so much to us and we loved spending time with both sets over Christmas break. 
We love giving them gifts and, as you can see, they enjoyed opening them!:) 
We were also so thankful for many gifts from them. Our parents always work to make
Christmas a special family time.

 

We had a wonderful trip to Rocky Mount arriving around the same time as Kirk, Chad and Jen.  We immediately caught up on all the news and enjoyed all the festivities planned by Mom and Pop Carlson.  We had our traditional Christmas Eve dinner, opened gifts on Christmas morning, delicious Christmas dinner and activity time at Positive Action.  Probably one of the funniest events of the day was a rousing game of Family Feud.  Mom was the game hostess and the teams were the guys vs. the girls & Pop.  The girls and Pop won!!  Lots of laughs!!

I remember checking Facebook on Christmas Day to see all of the snow in Chattanooga.  We were a little sad that we didn't have snow on Christmas Day.  Well, the next morning which was Sunday we awoke to a winter wonderland.  It was a unique day because church was cancelled.  And Brian and I spent the day by ourselves while my parents took an all day journey to try to get the Madison kids back home.  They finally returned in time for supper after getting the gang to Charlotte with seats on an airplane the next morning. 

We were sad to leave, but enjoyed a few days in Blowing Rock

before heading back to Chattanooga. 

What wonderful memories of a glorious holiday season!  We loved every minute of it!

Well, so far so good.  Now on to the new year ... 2011!!  It has already been a fabulous year.

Stay tuned for

January 2011

November 2010

November was quite a fun-filled month packed with birthdays, schoolwork and a big production. 

I have picked 8 pictures that represent the month of November.

Brian's mom was the first to have a birthday. 

She spent the night with us because Dad Walker was on the road.  I made her a homemade strawberry cake. 

Notice the grandsons enjoyed watching her blow out the candles.

Uncle Brian and Rylie were the next to have birthdays only 3 days apart.  There is a funny story about their cakes and this picture.  They each had their own birthday party and then they had one together.  Instead of making more cake, Darla and I both brought out the cakes they already had, relit the candles and saved us extra work.  We didn't think it was any big deal and neither did they.  However, we should have turned the cakes around for the picture and kept it our little family secret.  When this picture hit Facebook we were ridiculed unmercifully with demands for an explanation of the pitiful looking cakes ... fun times!

This picture is one of our cozy little house where we retreated each fall evening after long days at work.  I love how the leaves on the tree turned such beautiful fall colors.  The view all around the house was gorgeous during this season.

Then there was Berean's fall production that was so much work and so much fun!  We did a mystery comedy this year entitled ... "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night"

It was a crazy story and the cast did a fabulous job.

I was especially thrilled to have my wonderful

parents in town for opening night. 

Needless to say, they loved the play

and my students loved getting to know them better.

Mom and Pop presented me with a lovely bouquet of roses on the evening they attended and my cast gave me more roses the next night.  Essie just couldn't resist checking out the beautiful flowers and even cooperated by allowing me to take her picture.  I believe she is also sitting on my papers and gradebook which I tried to keep up with late at night when I wasn't at rehearsals or performances.

This is another wonderful memory of November ... one of my former drama students, Anna Vaupel, came to my final play performance.  I taught Anna in both high school and college.  I am so proud of the fine teacher she has become.  She is using the drama skills she developed at Temple daily in such creative ways.  She also brought a fine young man with her for me to meet.  She whispered in my ear how well he treated her and how much he loved the Lord.  What a thrill to learn of their engagement a few weeks later. 

I'm so thrilled that Anna waited for God's best as I told her many times to do.  

This picture makes me laugh because this is how I found my desk at school one morning.  This is "The General" who appeared several times in our play and the students have had fun making him mobile at school.  I always am laughing and have had fun reflecting over wonderful memories made during November.  Of course, then it was time for Thanksgiving.  We stayed in Chattanooga and ate lots of turkey.  I rested, recupped and started decorating for Christmas.  I will show you the result in the next post ...

Stay tuned for:

December 2010

I'm Back!

I decided to check my blog today to see how long it has been since I posted last.  Wow!  October 1 was 6 months ago.  I looked through the pictures on my phone and realized I have many events to share that have happened in these last 6 months.  So if you don't mind I will work on 6 posts that represent a quick recap of each of the months that I have missed.

We are doing very well.  This week is my Spring Break and today is a beautiful day in Tennessee.  We celebrated our 14th anniversary on Tuesday.  How quickly the years have passed, but how thankful we are for God's blessings.  Stay tuned ... I'll try to get the "November Update" up by this afternoon.

First Quarter has been a blur!

When I last posted we were in teacher inservice and the excitement for the new school year was high.  Since then everything has been a whirlwind.  My room has a "news theme" and do we have many exciting things happening daily! 

We hit the ground running in English and have just completed reading Wuthering Heights.  The story has always intrigued me, although many consider it a negative tale lacking in inspiration.  However, I consider it such a good example of the antithesis of true romance that it does inspire.  I heard recently that Louis L'Amour said something like "It is not what you read, but what you read that makes you think." 

This classic work written by a preacher's daughter definitely made us think!! 

Here is my little teacher's nook.  I have made it cozy complete with a lamp and Grandma's wicker bench!!  Yes, the faithful bench now serves many purposes in my classroom.  This week I had a small group Bible study with 9 girls.  I pulled out the bench, sat on it and told my infamous love story again.  (Sigh!)  It never gets old.  Precious memories! 

Last week we traveled to Murfreesboro for the TACS Educators' Convention.  I presented two workshops:  "Using Reader's Theater to Create Classroom Characters" and "Is Your Classroom Dull or Dynamic?"  Although I agonize over the preparation, I love "game day."  Both workshops were so much fun.  Here is my cast of "volunteer" actors in the RT workshop.  The one guy is playing "Johnny Appleseed."  He was a hit!  He and the entire cast did a fabulous job and helped to make the workshop a great success.

In addition to teaching seven classes, I am also heavily into preparing for our upcoming fall play.  This year we are presenting a mystery comedy called "It Was a Dark and Stormy Night."  Here is how we are presently holding rehearsals . . .in my room with minimal staging.  One day Arabella (above in the blue shirt)  had to leave early, so I doned her hat and glasses and jumped into the role with gusto (see next pic).  I just realized that we are both holding our arms the same way!!  Kaylee is going to be an actress . . . she reminds me of "Kristy Carlson" as a senior!:)

I always am amused when my students are surprised at my acting antics.  It does help them understand more what I mean to act in character at all times!!  We are having such fun.  The play is not until November, but volleyball and cross country occupy much of their time.  We have to practice in short increments for a long time in order to be ready for production.  I found out recently that my parents will be here for my play!  I'm so excited.  After a long week, I'm planning to recuperate and regroup this weekend.  My college speech class starts on Monday night.  God is so good to allow me to be involved in so many opportunities.