Keep Guns 'Outta School

This slogan is from Crime Stopper's campaign and is popularly posted in public schools across the area. I obviously couldn't agree more with the statement. I would like to add a few other items to "keep 'outta school" myself, but we'll focus on the firearms.

Mostly because one was brought to the school I work at last week.

My reactions/feelings toward the situation? Scared. Troubled with "What if?" thoughts. Mad. Annoyed. Hopeful.

I am fearful for our future. I am thankful for the two students who had the guts to speak up and alert Administration to the weapon on campus. I am sad for every single kid involved. I am hopeful the rest of the student body learned a valuable vocabulary lesson about what a "snitch" REALLY is. It's not someone who reports a weapon on campus - I would call that person a HERO.

My definition of teaching is changing and shifting day by day of this new job. I have never been so stretched, so challenged, AND so rewarded in my short professional career. It is only the end of October - I've got 7 and a half long months to go - but I am very curious and interested at what other amazing lessons I shall learn.

Title I Life

I am officially one week into my new teaching job at a Title I middle school. Let me begin by saying it is different in every single way possible from the predominately white, upper middle class high school I taught at the last two years.

I have never had to adjust to something so new, and so fast, as I have in the last week.

Here are some interesting facts about the Title I school I work at:

5.6% Native American
2.2% Asian
4% Pacific Islander
6.1% Asian/Pacific Islander
6.1% Black
6.1% Hispanic
67.3% White

59.5% Free or Reduced Lunch
13.8% Special Education
5.8% English Language Learners

(Google WA State Report Card to look at stats like these on any school in WA State)

It is a breath of fresh air to be around this kind of diversity in Spokane. I love it. I love these kids. Thanks for giving me a job, God.

Until next time...

A tale of rain, the Ox, a muskrat, and a good dream

I had a wonderful weekend. Of course it rained (thanks, God), but what are we to expect for Memorial Day weekend, right? My hubby's best friend and his wife came for a visit with their adorable three week old son. I got to hold him lots and feed him which made me oddly ooey gooey inside. The effect babies have on the world! Josh held him a little, too. :o) We exposed them to the glorious sandwich shop called the Staggering Ox. If you haven't had the pleasure, I highly suggest it. While watching the UW softball team on Friday night, my friend and I decided we had to find the headbands their stellar pitcher Danielle Lawrie wears. They are sparkly and awesome. Thankfully, we have an "in" and found out we needed to Google "dream and believe headbands." Yes, folks, they are that powerful. Welp, now I'm hooked, and I am trying to get them sold at the cheer gym I work at. We'll be purchasing them in the colors of black, orange and blue, with a little zebra on the side, of course! A few other highlights of the way-too-rainy weekend? A fondue dinner of chicken, beef, broccoli, mushrooms in broth. Might I mention this is the FIRST time I've used my fondue pot since we got it as a wedding gift almost three years ago!? SAD. We dragged ourselves out to my parents' lake house after church on Sunday, and my hubby, his cousin, and my brother tried to take out a pesky muskrat almost the whole time. (There were intermissions of some video game - I think it is called Borderlands? Badlands? Something like that.) Thankfully, they did not succeed. Those buggers are fast! Monday evening was filled with a family get-together for my maternal grandmother's 75th birthday. I am trying to comprehend what 75 years of life is like. I can't quite wrap my brain around it yet. Oh, did I mention Chicago is beating Philly in the Stanly Cup Series two games to none? GO BLACKHAWKS. To top off my Mem Day Ten? A dream with my dad in it that I actually remembered (thanks, God).

Ashley told me to.

Last night I got to hold our friends' baby for the first time. He is precious, and his mama Ashley told me I need to start a blog, so I am. Apparently I'll "be good at it," whatever that means. I'm really not sure how to do this, plug in pics, or use the link button, so it is obviously clear where her encouragement came from. Thanks, Ash! I am also not quite sure who will look at this blog since the only person I know that blogs is Ashley, so it will probably be a party of two for a little while which is always totally awesome. Without my own cute children to blog about, I'll be torturing you all with the ins and outs of the Bergman household: frozen burrito night, arguments over who's turn it is to pick up doggy poo, the successes of the Spokane Chiefs hockey team, the failures of my husband's D-League hockey team, and other fantastic oddities of eastern Washington life. Should be a good time. Here are a few things I am personally looking forward to this summer:

• Josh's cousin Jordan will live with us as he does an internship for I-don't-know-where
• A camping trip with family that hopefully involves some viciously-competitive games of volleyball
• A camping trip with friends that hopefully does NOT involve the loss of my two front teeth (Thanks, sweetheart!)
• Many sweltering hot days of mowing the lawn (my job), pulling weeds (Ohp! Also my job), and weed whacking (Here's a shocker: my job, too)
• Last but not least, news of a teaching job for me so I don't have to make a living by selling my poor lawn care skills to the rest of our neighborhood (15 year old boys, I'll take you down)