another weeks work

So updating about once a week seems to be going well. I have a lot more time on the weekends so I have the chance to be able to do things then. This past week of work has definitely been interesting to say the least. Definitely better then boring though.

Monday it typically the day that everybody hates, but it is my easiest day of the week. I suppose it is good because I am able to ease myself into the crazy days. I only have one PE class, the 6ths graders which are really great to me. I have 8th grade computers following that, but I've been having a lot of problems with the computers so I have yet to have them for that. Monday's are the days I also have english enrichment classes. The kids who are fluent in spanish bring some of their english work to me and we do that together. I find it to be pretty hard because I don't really get a specific idea of what to be doing with them. I'm sure i'll figure it out within the next couple weeks though

Tuesday's are long days. Anne and I are split up through the first four periods of school because there are computer and PE classes going on at the same time. The two of us finally sat down this week to figure out our schedule of how things will be working at the school. I start out with 6th grade computers, have a break and recess duty, then 5th grade PE followed by 4th grade PE. lunch time is afterwards and then Anne and I have the 7th graders and the 1st/2nd graders together. computers this week has beeen a chance for them to get work done due to the lack of computers. 5th, 4th and 7th grades we played big base kickball which is a more fun version of kickball. 1st and 2nd grade we decided that since it's such a big class on Tuesday's we are going to work on their motor skills and fridays when I have them alone we will play a game.

Wednesdays are a strange day. I really like the mornings because it starts with liturgy. It's great to see the kids in mass and really enjoy it. A different grade runs the mass each week and they put a new spin to it. It's definitely very cute. The afternoons get hard because I have the 7th graders which aren't too bad, followed by the 8th graders. We played volleyball in both classes and let me just tell you, setting up that net is the hardest thing ever, and we did it 3 days in a row. The 2nd group of 8th graders had computers and the comps wont be going till this week so they were all complaining. It's funny though how they are such a horrible class yet when they are seperated (like they are for computers. half have it mon. have wed.) they are so much better. It's just that they egg each other on and become very rude. Not only to me but their classmates as well.

Thursday and Friday I set up the volleyball net again. Played it with most of the classes by starting with skills and moving into a game eventually. Anne and I are together for all of Thurs so it makes it easier to control the classes. Fridays are supposed to be the "it's exciting because it's almost the weekend" day, but for me it's the most difficult day of the week. I have the 8th graders for PE in the morning and they are just ridiculous. They don't listen to me and don't treat me as their teacher. Probably since they can remember they've always had a new volunteer there each year for PE so all they know is the new person coming in. I'm just the new volunteer in their eyes. Kinder followed 8th grade and since it was friday they were just nuts. Its so hard to calm them down and they hate being in the sun for 45 minutes. 4th grade is later and they always give me a hard time and 1st/2nd is after them which is pretty much just like Kinder except there are triple the amount of kids. So needless to day, Friday's are hard...but i'm hoping that they will get easier with time.

So since the kids haven't really done any specific PE units with the combination of skills and games because they have different teachers every year, I'm going to try to make that happen for them this year. The pricipal of St. Pats is also the principal of Holy Family grammar school where Mike works as a PE teacher. The person that was in his position retired and left him all her old lesson plan books so I have one and i'm going to try to implement a lot of that on the same schedule to the kids out here. They are so used to playing so many different games all the time and it's so hard with them. I think they'll be slightly upset that they are going to be playing a game for about 2 weeks (like these coming weeks it's going to be soccer), but they'll get over it. I'm going to do about 2 days of skills and 2 days of playing the game. I think it will help the kids in the years to come with starting to get used to being on a schedule and it will help all volunteers to come in the future.

So this weekend our community had began its change for the week. Both Anne and Chris had close family members pass away within days of each other and are home for this coming week to be with their family. It's strange without them here with us and how things run with a smaller number of people. It's also weird to think that all of the other communities have four people all the time yet its small for us. As much as six people can be hard at times, I really like having a larger community. It's more ideas for prayers, meals and just plain old topics of conversation. I don't know who exactly reads this, but I just ask you to keep both of them and their families in your prayers.

The weekend started off a little busier, but ended very simple and relaxing which was quite needed. Friday we went to the kick off for the fall festival at St. Pats. A parent (we don't know which ones and nobody will tell us) donated the money for six carne asada meals for us to eat while we were there. We've been here for close to a month and it's unbeliveable to me how generous people are to us. I think it's something that will still amaze me until the day we leave and even after. I like being there for the kickoff a lot because I was able to be at my school with my community and really show them where i'm working and give them some faces to names that I mention. After we left the kickoff we headed over to Janettes house, a volunteer from last year in SD who is working at St. Pats parish and USD. It was a pretty fun night because there were different staff member from USD there along with us and the JV's as well. We went to our favorite place, Hamilton's with the JV's after which was pretty fun.

Emily, Anne and I left Hamilton's earlier then the rest because we wanted to go to bed since we either had to work or were going surfing very early in the morning. After a few hours of sleeping though, we each were individually woken up in the middle of the night by Mike who decided to stand at the end of the bed singing to each of us while playing anne's guitar. Apparently I freaked out when I woke up, but now looking back it was halarious. Surfing came very early in the moring, just Emily and I went. Ali and Mike were tired from staying out late and Chris and Anne had flights early in the morning to head home. Deac had a boogie board for me that I was so excited about and we didn't stay for long, but he took the two of us to an adorable coffee shop on the way home which looking out on the water and was adorable.

In the afternoon, Ali and I spent the day at the mall. I needed a new pair of sneakers for both work and running and I wanted a watch to keep track of the time much easier throught the day at school. I also went into eagle and got depressed about the fact that I don't have a discount anymore. On the way out Ali and I couldn't find where we parked our car. Eventually we found it, but it's hard when we don't even know the lisence plate or what our car even looks like! We picked up Mike and Emily and then got some frozen yogurt of course. We are addicted here in SD to it. They are seriously everywhere and the places are amazing. It's really all I spend my stipend on. At night Ali had some of her friends from Nova over which was fun.

Today was a relaxing day here...we slept in a bit and then me ali and emily drove to mission bay park to go for a walk/run. I have officially started my training for a 5K on Thanksgiving. The program I'm using is a 9 week program which works out perfect because it's about 9 weeks away. I know it's going to be hard because I'm not a big runner, but I hoping that I can really get into it out here. I also am definitely starting the zumba class out here on Tuesdays. I cant wait to finally dance again :)

So I think thats about all for the week. It's going to be very strange out here without Anne and Chris...especially when I'm by myself on Tuedays and Thursday when Anne is usually with me at work. Hopefully I can begin to find my footing more with work this week. If you want to talk at all, either give me a call and I will pick up if I can. Or send me an email, kaitlyn.kupski@gmail.com, I love getting email from friends and family!