It isn't easy being green....

Well, my daughter Cathie has finally done it! All of her gentle (and not so gentle) urging has turned me into a much greener person. I am now more conscious of the choices I make each day to help sustain our planet and not hurt it. As a result, I am looking to you, my families, to help me on my quest towards a paperless 3C message system. Starting today, all messages that do not require a signature or reply from you on paper (such as a field trip permission slip) will be posted on this blog in a new column entitled "3C Documents" tucked below my personal profile. If you click on each of the documents it will take you to an online version of the paper. To return to our blog, simply click the back button. I will add/discard information as our year progresses, so please visit often! I will talk more about this at our Curriculum Night. Thank you for helping 3C to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Is it vacation time yet?

Whew! I don't know what is worse - packing or unpacking... I spent the morning in our classroom - organizing books, emptying shelves and just generally putting back all of the things I packed away 2 short months ago. I have to admit that when I got to school at 7:00 am I was a bit daunted by the task ahead of me - part of me wanted to close the door and go back to summer vacation!
The more practical side of me won out, however, so I dove into my work with gusto, and by 12:00 pm I had accomplished a great deal. (Check back soon for some pictorial evidence of my labor of love.)

A picture speaks a thousand words...

Today I finally set up the digital camera Mr. Ciway bought for me about 6 months ago.

(Interestingly, we both had the same idea at the same time and we both bought each other a frame! ) As I went through all of the pictures I have saved in my digital files, I went on a very long walk down memory lane. All of my past vacations, holidays, former students and families and other meaningful events filled my heart with joy and sometimes, with sadness, especially if the picture was of someone who is no longer with me. As I looked with much love at the pictures of all of these people who mean so much to me, I couldn't help but think about you - what kind of pictures will we share? After our year together is over, I will be looking at your pictures, feeling this very same way. I can't wait to start building our photographic history.