one down....

The first week of the 2011-2012 school year is "in the books".  Not a bad first week, as first weeks go.  I looked forward to returning to some semblance of a routine.

Monday was hectic.  I drove the kids to the bus stop and waited.  And waited.  We thought maybe we had missed it, so I told them they could just come to Mass with me, and I would drop them at school after.  It would be tight, but I figured we could make it.  Until I drove into the parking lot and saw the extra cars.  And remembered it was the Feast of the Assumption.  Not a Holy Day of Obligation this year, but still extra people and and extra reading....we weren't going to make it.  We sat in the back, and made our exit at the beginning of the Eucharistic prayer. 

At school, I compiled a list of all my students from last year and all of those promised us from our feeder schools.  Our school is pretty transient, but e.v.e.r.y s.i.n.g.l.e child that we expected to be there, was there.  And we are gradually finding more who have come from elsewhere.  We have about 50% more special ed students, but 1 less teacher this year and no assistants.  The school board in their wisdom...  We could have told them...

By Tuesday, we had worked out the kinks with the bus, I think.  My kids mentioned that they were the only white kids on the bus, but didn't seem too bothered.  It was a bigger deal that the ride was long and the bus doesn't have A/C.

I wasn't sure about finding my rhythm for the mornings, with things being different this year.  The past couple of mornings, I have taken the kids to the bus stop for 6:10, made it to Mass at 6:30, then made it the establishment where I work out for a quick 30 minute (or so) workout.  I didn't smell too bad when I finished, and today, I had enough time to spend a few minutes sitting at the church before arriving at school around 8:15.

It was a good thing, too.  I needed that strength and peace today.  Hadn't been at school 30 minutes, and I was met with one of my students perching in a tree...totally non-responsive to any authority.  Then, he escaped.  We lost him...it was too hot to run...but found him outside of the fence, hiding behind a tree.

Did I mention that we had a storm last night?  It was our first real storm in the new house.  Kind of cool.  Constantly flashing lightening and a steady rumble of thunder.  Kind of cool...until I got in my car this morning and felt something dripping on me...The sun roof?  Well, apparently, it was not entirely closed.  Wonder if my cupholders could double as rain gauges??

The first week of school is tiring as it is, and the 90+ temperatures just make it worse.  I think I'm going to like the morning workouts.  Wednesday was the first time I'd been able to spend any time at this church since early summer.   I took in reading material and my iPad.  As I sat there, with just the early morning sun coming through the few windows, I remembered that it was useless to bring reading material...too dark to read it...unless it is on the iPad - which has an inner glow.  I like that the time is unstructured...one day I might pray the Rosary.  Another, the Liturgy of the Hours.  Another, I might spend just enjoying the Presence. 

This morning...this gem was in the Office of Readings...

For thus said the Lord God, 

the Holy One of Israel:

By waiting and by calm you shall be saved, 

in quiet and in trust your strength lies.

 --Isaiah 30

And so you have an ADD snapshot of my first week of school.  No students yet in my class...no schedule.  And I have no idea how I will keep up with paperwork, when I actually do have students to teach. Not sure how I will deal with getting kids out of trees when I have kids in my classroom to teach.  But I am not worrying about that today.  I'm going with the quiet and trust from above.