What A Jam-Packed Week!

Open House at Mt. Carmel. We met all of Hope's new teachers and received our
parental involvement points just for showing up. Don't show up, don't get your points. Just another fancy Catholic guilt trip. Joking! Do I get points for lame jokes?

Professional Development: Clinical Supervision & Evaluation
with former PSS Commissioner Dr. Rita Inos. For most of us it was more of a reunion and a chance to re-focus. "You have a mighty team" she said, "your best resources, your human resources are invaluable and you are going to get through this" I am inspired anew.

Yes, those are french fries. Yes, that is fina-deni. No joke, they brought it to the table like this.
Only on Saipan.

The G.E.S. Health & Wellness Team at work.
Thirty minutes before the food coma.

*****
Thanks Jeff and Cynthia, for the dinner, the company and a chance for a night out with companions who can hold a conversation for more than three minutes. Tony and I have gotten so adept at eating and talking as we pull a three year old off a restaurant window pane that we'd forgotten what it was like to sit down for a meal. Their boys were so well-behaved that I almost got the mommy withdrawal shakes. How does one eat without the scampering of feet, sound of toys dropping to the floor every few seconds and the persistent whining of crumb-snatchers?

I have to say, Cynthia and Jeff are a great team. They had kitchen symphony! The food was really great, Jeff's not joking when he says he can cook.

Chicken Marsala a la Jeff
Do you see the sangria? The sweet and wonderful sangria?

This pasta rocked!

Cynthia and Jeff ...awww

Don't make up your mind

I can be a real dork sometimes, especially when I've pre-decided to shut down. I guess it comes from my teaching days, but everytime a mandatory workshop is scheduled my amygdala does an automatic off. The little beasties in my brain work overtime telling me that I'd be better off scraping bark off the tangan-tangan than sitting in a room listening to one more expert tell me how to be a dynamic leader. The Principal's Institute that started Saturday and will run until Thursday has been, to my surprise, a blessing to my spirit and mind. For the first time in a long time, we are talking about relevant issues, things Dr. Pascarelli calls the "undiscussables". We are not immersed in a bubble of group-denial and edification. We didn't talk about the importance of organizational structure, we got down to the nitty-gritty and admitted where we have built road blocks for ourselves, our staff and our system. I'm not a warm and fuzzy girl mind you, but today was personally and professionally validating. I promise to not make up my mind until I've opened it up to the possibilities first. Kudos to the folks who put this together.

Dr. Pascarelli discussing the principalship as a movie entitled "Every Child, Every Time"
The Fishbowl: how have we failed some of our staff?