Bumpy Start

So I realize that it is, indeed October. So far, our school year has gone something like this:

Saturday, August 15: I came back from vacation to learn that our textbooks had not come in. My beginning of the year spirit was not to be dashed so easily though - I figured it would be a good time for me to really assess my students, and do some fun activities while we waited a day or so for the shipment.

Monday, August 17: Happy third anniversary to Scott and me/ Happy second first day of school to Mana'o'io Baptist Academy!

Tuesday, August 18: Today a Fed-ex truck drove in, but it wasn't our books. Nevermind, I was sure they'd be in tomorrow... I was excited about having a Teacher's Aide, and figured that the two of us could keep up with our 5 grades together for one or two more days...

Wednesday, August 19: two of my kids got sick. Really, really sick.

Thursday, August 20: two more...

Friday, August 21: three more, including me. My Teacher's Aide quit.

Monday, August 24: We cancelled school today, because everyone was sick. Still no books...

Friday, August 28: Mostly everyone was back to normal. I was exhausted, and running out of things to do with five grades all day and no textbooks. I don't know what I would have done without my mom stepping in and volunteering every day.

Two Weeks Later: We finally got our books! ....But one elective didn't show up, and we had a late enroller, so I still didn't have everything I needed.

September: We played some serious catch-up. It's hard to recover from such a rough start, but I am proud of the effort that each student put in, and the flexibility that they have had. I got a new student (the same boy I had briefly last year), and was really excited about the challenge that having him presented (he's twelve, and never been schooled), but his mom took him back after two weeks. Urgh!

October: It is only now that I feel like we are going strong. Our schedule is becoming routine, and a lot has been accomplished. We put JJ's art in the County Fair, which was a great boost for him. We had another one of our brief "class pets" (I really want a Jackson's chameleon) in a small praying mantis named Ernest Lee (let me know when you get it- it took one of our 10th graders 4 days) and I get a new first grader tomorrow!