October is Here

Agnes and her honey. Made by Dorothy Nayamin.

October is my absolute favorite month. I love the feeling of fall in the air, and the smell of winter around the corner. It is the month of PFD's (Permanent Fund Dividends), Halloween/fall festivities, and, of course, my birthday! :) This year I will be turning 25.

I have to tell you, 25 seems like I am really "growing up." lol I am very fortunate in that I will be in Anchorage for the evening of my birthday and am able to have a birthday dinner with family and friends... I cannot wait! For someone who loves celebrating birthdays, it is really important to me to spend it making fun memories with people I love. A co-worker and close friend out here, Emily, will be traveling with me which means she will be one of the few of my co-workers to meet my family. This will be fun!

Emily and I will be attending a Math and Science Conference in Juneau prior to my birthday. I have never been to Southeast Alaska, but I am very excited to see this beautiful place. My dad was from SE, born in Wrangell and raised in Craig, so that makes the trip even more exciting to me. Also, I have reviewed the sessions for this conference and there are MANY that are aimed at early childhood education (yay)! I was nervous that there would be more MS and HS workshops, but it looks like there is quite a variety for both Em and I (she is a MS science teacher).

October also marked a new project for me. I am opening my classroom up to my students every Thursday after school for one hour to focus on extra literacy activities. This will include book making, story telling, acting, movies, singing, etc. My theme is "Learning to Love Literacy." It is my goal that I will assist my students in becoming comfortable with reading, and in enjoying it. I really believe that without reading, we are limited in the paths that we can choose in life. And, I really want my kiddos to dream big, and then go after what they want. Hopefully, with this after school project, I will see my students grow even more over time.

This beautiful month also marks the end of first quarter! Before I know it, we will only have three more quarters left of the school year! It is so wild how time flies. As a teacher, there is so much you want to get done with your students... where does the time go?!

Also, hopefully by the end of this month I will find out if I was accepted into UAF's Master's in Cross-Cultural Education program. This is very exciting to me, as I have already begun coursework in this field of study and I absolutely feel that it is perfect for me. Everything that I am asked to read or inquire is directly related to the work I am doing right now. Cross your fingers for me!

Thank you to those of you who are keeping me in your thoughts and keeping up with my journey here in Chevak, and as an educator.

Happy October!

Misty