Today is my last Friday with students. The yearbooks are here (they look great!) The 8th graders are rapidly unraveling. A camp will be in my classroom this summer. I have to teach a bullshit class on the 6th grade elective wheel because there weren’t enough 1B students to justify two classes. My first child turns 16 this Sunday. Just a couple things on my mind right now. June started fast and furious and it won’t really slow down so I’m trying to enjoy the ride.
End of the school year. My kids were supposed to be done on Wednesday, but because of the strike, they added five days to the end of the year. The end of the grading period was still this Monday, and very few students are going to my kids’ schools right now. We decided that today could be our kids last day and they are very excited. I have one more week of school. My last day with students is next Thursday and Friday is a staff day (to pack up rooms, etc). I found out a summer camp will be in my classroom so cleaning up will be a little more fraught than usual. Boo.
Big birthday. The 15yo turns 16 this Sunday. I can’t really believe it. She’s not interested in driving so we haven’t done any of that yet. Her big birthday present is getting PADI certified in open water diving and all the gear required for that. She finished her pool training last weekend and we’re doing our certification dives in Monterey later this month. The grandparents came over today for her family birthday and we’re hosting her friend birthday at the beach on Sunday. She is very excited.
Appointments. I had video appointments with my Endocrinologist and Psychiatrist earlier this week. I love my Endo and don’t love my Psych. Endo says my labs all look good and kept repeating how healthy I am (cholesterol, blood pressure). I was struck by it because lately I feel like I have to take so many pills every day, and I’m only 45 which means that number will only keep going up. Her comment helped change my mindset. I’m supposed to keep taking meds to manage my thyroid (they keep reducing the dose) until late 2027, at which point we’ll stop and see if I’m in remission. I decided not to talk too much with my Psych about how the Strattera is not as effective as Ritalin in managing my ADHD symptoms, because not having to deal with filling a controlled substance still outweighs the negatives. I have a PT appointment this coming Monday, and I hope to do my first 12 minute mileage + 10% run on Sunday. I honestly don’t know how I’m going to track these kinds of small distances, maybe I can do it with time instead of distance?
Weekends this month. This Sunday we’re hosting the 16yo’s birthday party, on her actual birthday! Next weekend I’m driving her to her overnight marine biology camp in Bodega Bay (a 1.5-2 hour drive one way). The next weekend I’m picking her up from Bodega Bay and we’re driving all the way to Monterey Friday night, for our Monterey Bay dives on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The final weekend of June we’re flying to St. Louis. And that’s just the weekends in June.
Summer fun book. For the first time ever, I started the photo book of our family reunion at the farm the summer of, which means it’s already half way done! Except I’m kind of having a hard time figuring out how it’s organized. I’m really glad that I only have half of the book still to make, but I’m realizing that leaving it half finished was not a great call. I hope that once I find a productive way to jump back in, it will be done quickly. Luckily I don’t feel burned out from the yearbook, so I’m ready to tackle this project sooner rather later. And I have a coupon that will make it affordable and isn’t creating a time crunch. Hooray!
I started this post over 12 hours ago and it’s not even Friday for most of you anymore, but I’m just going to press publish and be done. I think this is what June is going to look like, at least for another week.
I’m remembering when you did not have a classroom and had to move to new classrooms & schools during the day. But it still does not make having your classroom used by a summer camp fun/easy. Reminds me you can do it. I hope the camp group does not disturb your belongings!
Congratulations on your 16th anniversary of her birth! What a wonderful event; she has grown and matured and developed as a marvelous person. You must be so proud. How great her grandmother could make her a cake in celebration. Sunday will be delightful.
I am so excited for your summer vacation; sounds like BIG plans, a total change of pace. So nice you are able to have that camp travel time with you daughter. Special togetherness time and you will hear all about her experiences!
Thought of you today It made me smile. How busy you must be but your school year is over and I hope you got some extra sleep this morning! Happy summer in cool grey San Francisco.
Thank you for the smile.
Oh, I’m sorry to disappoint you, but I’m still at school. THIS is my last week. And it’s a doozy! But next week I will be happily sleeping in on a Monday. Or at least not waking up at 6am.
Holy heavens! Deepest sympathy.
Are your kids still technically in school with sfsud having extra ‘strike penalty” days? (Know you are not sfusd) I am totally confused as I hear the extra days are not being ‘well attended’ and not educational in normal school terms. Such a sfusd mess up. Curious about what your kids say but not asking you to share because privacy etc.
They are supposed to be at school this week, through Wednesday. They both went last Thursday and Friday (both “strike add on” days and were reporting very low attendance in their classes. Some classes had only 2 or 3 other students! So we told them they didn’t have to go this week. The 16yo has her zoo internship trainings Wed, Thurs, and Friday so I’m especially okay with her getting a couple days off before that starts. I would love for the 12yo to be in school, but not if no one is there and nothing is being accomplished. It’s definitely another SFUSD shit show, but I understand that they couldn’t really extend the grading period because people had plans and camps and reservations and it’s not fair to tell them the school year end one day and then, eight months later to say it actually ends a week later. I wish they had leaned into project based learning and field trips, and while the 16yo’s school did organize some field trips even those were very sparsely attended. Definitely a disappointment.