The Utep game this past Saturday was awesome! Everyone who wore pink in support of Susan G. Koman and her breast cancer awareness foundation was permitted to go in for free to see the womens’ team in action. People received “pink” (strawberry) milk as they entered the Haskin’s stadium and the first 1,000 people were given pink scarves that had “Utep” embroidered in them in navy. It was nice to see people go support, not only the womens’ team, but breast cancer awareness too. It is a horrible illness that has taken the lives of many woman. I just wish more people would support the womens’ team. Someone made an excellent point in a comment to my last post, saying that the womens’ games’ tickets are only one price and the mens’ games’ tickets are different prices. And, that is because more people go the mens’ games so they can get more money from them. It is just sad that there is still no equality in some areas in the world. The womens’ team  is out-performing the mens’, yet the men get more attention, money from the school, and fans

The Utep womens’ basketball team is playing this Saturday and the Edgemere dance team, Evolution, is going to be dancing at the half time show. I think that is a great opportunity for our school to get noticed for the hard work students commit themselves to. Plus, it’s a great experience for the dance team to have to get used to performing in front of large audiences. Another benefit to the game on Saturday is that if you wear pink you can get in for free.

The Utep womens’ team hardly ever gets the same amount of support as the mens’ team does and that’s really disappointing, especially considering that the womens’ team had an outstanding season last year, making it to the NCAA playoffs, which the men did NOT accomplish last year. It would be great if as many people as possible could go out and support the Utep womens’ basketball team AND Edgemere dance team!

As usual and in true El Paso character, the weather has not been constant lately. Beginning last week, we were starting to see beautiful Spring weather. It had been sunny, warm, and you could smell the scent of Spring (flowers, the warmth of the sun radiating off the pavement of the street). But, yesterday, a change occurred. The winds flared up and the air turned crisp, cold, even icy. And today that pattern continues. It even snowed… IN FEBRUARY! It never snows in February.

I had been really enjoying the “springness” in the climate, so I must say, I am not happy about the sudden turn in the weather’s course. I’d much like it to go back to being warm outside. I am much more of a shorts, tank top, and flip flop kind of person, so all this bundling up and wearing pants has got me a little down. All it makes me want to do is go home, snuggle up under the coziness of my puffy comforter, and hibernate until Spring comes to stay.

Do you ever think back at a time in your life, years back, when you had a different idea or view about a particular subject? I have been doing that a lot lately, I think mainly because I have finally accepted that I am getting older. Not older in the sense that I FEEL old, but I am realizing that my AGE is getting older.

I remember being in third grade and my teacher asking us, “How old do you think you are when you graduate from college?” I think the conversation had started because someone had mentioned a particular age and said that it was “old”. Kids were guessing numbers like 16, 14, 18, and so on. After we had all made our predictions, she announced that she was 22 when she graduated. “Whoa!” we all gasped. I remember thinking that was so old. Our teacher was, of course, older than 22 at that time so we thought she was ancient.

So here I am, about 20 years later, thinking back on that day, remembering how “old” I thought my teacher was. Man, how much thoughts and ideas change over the years. When I was 22, I myself had just graduated from UTEP and began teaching here at Edgemere. I felt like a little kid still, much like I was in third, walking into this huge building filled with screaming kids, excited and full of energy. I definiteley felt no where near old when I was 22.

Truthfully, I don’t feel old even now. But I DO think about how fast life seems to fly by the older you get. Each year seems to race past me faster than the previous year and it’s as if I am left standing on the side of the road, looking back, trying to recall how I got to where I am today, so unexpectedly quick.

I have already been in my career for 6 years. Six years!! Where did all the time go? I can still remember the days at UTEP, when I couldn’t wait to graduate and graduation seemed to be an eternity away, a mere spec of light at the end of a very long tunnel. Then, in a blink of an eye, here I am today, a 6th grade language arts teacher.

The point of all this? ENJOY EVERY SECOND OF EVERY DAY AND LIVE IT FOR WHAT IT IS! Don’t try to grow up to fast. You are only young once, and you can NEVER get that back.

Your childhood was a time intended for fun, gaining experiences in life with learning new things and making friends. Don’t try to grow up too fast. You have many long, stressful years in your future to be an adult. ENJOY your youth and spend it as just that, a YOUTH. You are not adults yet, nor do you know everything there is to know about life. Be kids. But also be open to learning new things. Life is packed full of opportunities to learn new things. Each things you learn will better prepare you and strengthen you for your future.

Okay, now that we have ALL had a little time to get used to the new block schedule, I’d like to re-address the previous weekly assignment you all were given, two weeks ago. I wanted to know how you all feel about the new “block” schedule.

**BE SURE TO ANSWER THE FOCUS QUESTIONS GIVEN TO YOU BELOW!!!
Your assignment is to write about the experiences you have had in your language arts class over the past two weeks. What kinds of things have you liked/disliked about it? Do you see a deeper connection between reading and writing? What have your experiences been like with the activities, strategies, and skills you have been learning in class? Overall, how do you FEEL about having a language arts block as opposed to having two separate reading and writing classes