The Quiet

Well things are finally slowing down a little for me. For the first time all year (I think) and I didn't have one meeting this week. As a result, I actually felt a bit like a normal person. There are still lots of things to do before the end of the year. This includes getting awards ready, leaving a supply list to be ordered, and saying goodbye to folks who are retiring or leaving. I also have been working on firming up plans for the field trip with my advisees just before the last day of school. So there is still much going on, it just is starting to feel a bit more manageable. Crazily enough, my family and I are accompanying 4 Maranacook students to France the day after school gets out! So even though this week was quiet, there is still much to stress about.

My students are into their Final project presentations with full force. U.S. history students are examining Native American rights and issues of sovereignty. Ironically, tensions between Maine Native Americans and the state of Maine have really increased in the last week or so as we work on this project. I hope that the state and the Wabanki Confederation can ease the tensions soon, but it has piqued some of the students interest as they hear about the tensions in the media.

(Penobscot Chief Kirk Francis)

My Sacrifice for Freedom students are putting together websites with their research. We have earned some money for Lewis Frelan Goddard's memorial, but not as much as we need. So we may have to wait until next year to actually get the memorial installed. There are still some things in the works, so we will see what happens. Either way, the memorial will still happen.

With this week over, there are only 12 students days left. This includes Final Assessment periods, and a field trip with our advisees. So much happens in these last few days it always make my head spin. Usually I need 3 or 4 days of nothing in June to recover. This year I won't have that luxury because we are going to France. We fly to Paris overnight on Thursday June 18 and land on Friday. We will be staying in Paris in a hotel for 3 days. We have a whirlwind planned including the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame and the Opera. I have been to Paris twice before, but none of the students nor my family have ever been. I also speak no French, so it will be a bit of an adventure! On Monday June 22 we travel by train from Paris to the city of Vannes in Brittany. There, host families will pick up the students and we will go to the Flat we have rented. One day over the next two weeks we will all meet together for the day. Otherwise than that we won't see them while they are with the families unless there is a problem or an emergency. Let's hope neither happens. We fly back home on July 6. At that point I will probably need a week of doing nothing to recover!

Next week is the last week of full days, only half days remain after that. this gives us time to grade assessments. the end is in sight, but there is still much to do!