Yesterday when I got home I laid down on my bed just "for a minute" and the next I knew it was nearly 6 p.m.! I'd been a bit cranky with a couple of my classes too - over tired I guess.

We had an All Saints presentation by all the various grades yesterday, whcih cut short one of my favorite classes. But I enjoyed it, and even was asked to read a bit from the Bible -- the Bible on my phone to be precise. Sr N came up to me an said "You know the Bible pretty well, right?" "Would you know where it talks about feeding the hungry/clothing the naked?" I had a good idea of where it was, and Google helped me find out for sure.

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Today was a really good day. First, I had an awesome parent volunteer who was whipping through the donated books finding out lexile and test info for me. Then, I finally!! got in touch with someone who told me how to take off the barcode filter ... and I then preceded to catalog 5!! books I can hardly wait to see my third graders on Monday so I can tell them all about these books - they're on their level.

Even better though, when I got home tonight I had a call from my brother! Not a 5 minute one, but nearly 45 minutes long. His birthday is on Friday - he'll be 31. He's loving his new job and proving his worth -- in fact, if any of you are in the Napa area and get the local winery magazines ... you may just see a picture of him and his girlfriend on a back cover. It's an advert for the new place he's working at - as Marketing/Advertising/All Trades ...

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Today was my 3rd day doing morning duty/prayer. It went much better than the past two mornings. (Monday I blanked on doing the sign of the cross before praying) and Tuesday I totally messed up on the attention signal. I was complimented on my choices of prayers by the Kinder teacher - even though they've had nothing to do with the actual feast/Saint days occurring this week. They are all prayers of being thankful/showing God appreciation.

Even though it went so much better today, I will not be sorry to see Friday and 8:15 a.m. come (end of duty.)

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Today I actually managed to impress my fifth grade girls - really almost shock and awe. They'd been working on a PowerPoint project about Fall. Today I showed them how to use a computer microphone to record themselves reading their paragraph. It was priceless seeing their faces as they heard their own voice being played back. The only caveat is that I only got through 3 girls because the front microphone line didn't work on any of the 4 computers I tried it on - so ended up using the circulation computer.

After school the tech coordinator and I figured out that the mic plug in the *back* of the computers worked. Whew! I'm glad I figured this out today, and not when I had my 8th graders on Monday getting ready to do final prep on their presentations!!!

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Speaking of the plagiarism project. I found out yesterday that one of my mid-school students was caught plagiarizing a classmates essay -- word for word. This was after having spent at least the past six weeks focusing on plagiarism and its consequences. She failed the essay assignment, and is now being watched with Eagle eyes by all her teachers. It makes me sad to not be able to trust her. But even worse, to know that all we've discussed and pounded in, has gone in one ear and out the other.

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I bought my ticket to CA for Christmas tonight - $285. Not too bad if I do say so. I won't be going to San Jose this year - just LL. I've also limited my time to 8 days. That way it'll give me time here to have actual "vacation" and maybe do some projects in the library ... My dad really wanted me out there the whole Christmas break ... I love him, but that is just a bit too much time to fill -- plus, I'd really hate to leave Kari that long. (I need to find someone to care for her while I'm gone at Thanksgiving and Christmas.)

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I found a flyer today for a Children's Librarian seminar in ABQ on Jan 18 with a pretty famous (to school librarians) facilitator/presenter. It would mean missing a day of school, and one nights stay at a hotel. I plan on talking to SrN about it tomorrow - I really hope she agrees that it is a good idea!! I may be able to have my way paid for/reimbursed from Title 1 funds (professional development.)