Year 2: Day 2

OK….by the date of my last posting, it seems that I have been neglecting my blogging….my apologies!

The academy has been up and running for 2 days now….on Tuesday, we started two of the sites and then the following day (yes we were brave), we started up two more sites….so by the 2^nd day, we had all 4 sites up and running……all sites were up and running very smoothly!

We have 250 students enrolled and our waiting list keeps growing….I want to say we are at about 90 on the waiting list…..this makes us happy and sad….happy because there is such a high interest in the academy…..but sad because we wish we could serve all the students…..one day, hopefully we will!

So….here are the numbers since we started……..

250 students

120 gogurts, 120 cereal bars, 250 bananas, and 250 pastry crisps served for snack

370 dinners have been served

90 minutes of physical activity for each child

60 minutes of literacy instruction

60 minutes of math instruction

hundreds of smiles shared between students and teachers

hundreds of positive praises given by the teachers

….this is only after two days!

As we continue throughout the year, stop back and watch the numbers grow! As the numbers grow, the world will change….are you ready?!?!

Carpe Diem!

- Amy

Back to School Time for Carpe Diem!

It’s Back to School Time for Carpe Diem Academy!  Here’s a look at all that has happened since I last blogged.

•     The staff list for Fall Term of Carpe Diem Academy has been finalized. We have 12 graduate assistants, 5 full-time clinical teachers, 4 full time support staff, 8 part-time support staff, and 2 i-Pad instructors!

•     We will be running 4 sites this year. 1 more than we ran in the spring and summer!

•         Enrollment forms were sent to all Kindergarten – 2^nd grade students at the sites.  Each site will have 4 classrooms.

•         On Friday, enrollment forms were picked up and by early afternoon we discovered that we reached maximum enrollment and have a waiting list at each site.  Carpe Diem Academy will have an enrollment of 240 students!

•        Staff was trained in the 40 Developmental Assets

•         Staff was trained in Pediatric CPR/First Aid.

•        And a whole bunch more!

The first day is September 18^th and there is a lot to do before then. Here’s a look at what will happen within the next week.

•         Staff Meetings will take place on Monday and Tuesday

•      Each afternoon we will visit one of the sites. Staff will meet administration, see their classrooms, organize supplies, etc.

•       Rosters will be finalized.

•     Acceptance letters will be sent home.

•     Lessons will be planned.

•     And a whole bunch more!

 Looking forward to the final week before the year long phase begins!

Carpe Diem!

-Amy

Dynamic Staff

Every time I logged into Facebook over the past few days, my newsfeeds have been plastered with back to school pictures of “smiley, happy kids”……each time I see one of those pictures, I laugh…..you can search far and wide and I guarantee you will never be able to find a back to school picture of a “smiley, happy Amy” – until probably college! I HATED going to school. I student taught where I went to grade school and the principal would often remind me of how surprised she was that I was going to be a teacher since she still had visions of me screaming down the hallway on the first day of kindergarten….and the first day of first grade…..and…ummm….the first day of second grade.

I was not a fan of school….now…if I could go to college for free….I would take classes just for the fun of it….cause why???....I love school! Back to school time is the most wonderful time of year!

I started to love going to school when I started taking education courses.....

Classes resume Wednesday, at Mercyhurst! Within the next four years, education majors will graduate and take what they learned into classrooms of their own but before they leave, I hope many will become part of the staff of Carpe Diem Academy and contribute their creativity, dedication, knowledge, etc., just as the current staff does.

If it wasn’t for the amazing staff, Carpe Diem would not be running as successfully as it is, today. 98% of the staff is returning this Fall and I can’t wait to see all that they bring to academy, this year. They motivate……they guide….they share….they dream….they create….they inspire…..they are bold….they are strong….they are adventurous…….they are courageous….they are energetic…….they are enthusiastic….they are proud…….they are leaders ……...they are educators! The academy staff is DYNAMIC!

Here’s to the 2012-2013 school year! Here’s to smiley faces! Here’s to a successful year of Carpe Diem!  Here’s to changing the world!

Carpe Diem!

-Amy

Back to School Time is Within Reach

Can’t sleep…..nothing is weighing on my mind…..I just simply cannot sleep.  I am beginning to wonder if I could get away with sleeping every other night.

Back to school time is within reach. I always post how much I love my job. However, I want to make it clear that I didn’t hate my job prior to coming to Mercyhurst. I mean who could hate hearing, “Miss Bauschard” 100 times a day…..who could hate tossing a beach ball up into the air the exact number of days we’ve been in school…..who could hate doing the Cha-Cha Slide during a mid morning break…..who could hate having students repeat directions and at the end somehow always get them to repeat, “and we will do this because Miss Bauschard is the best” -  I would get them every time.! Who could hate having the opportunity to introduce a chair to a student who never seemed to being to stay in it. I loved the job I had before….I loved teaching first grade…..I loved each of the 6 classes that came through my door. I never dreamed of leaving. However, as much as I loved what I did, there were reasons that made me realize it was time to move on. 

Back to school time is within reach. The few weeks leading up to the first day of school were always my favorite. I took much time in setting up my classroom from the décor, to desk arrangement, to a pointer that went right along with the theme– it had to be just right….I mean, I was going to be spending 40+ hours a week in that space! That was one part that I really missed this year…at one point I thought was seeing if anyone wanted a classroom decorator….eh, maybe next year! The anticipation of a brand new year – the curriculum may have stayed the same, but each year a brand new group of students walked through my door. Each year, I had to do things differently to meet their individual needs. Each year, as my students learned, I learned.

Back to school time is within reach.  We have had time to sleep in, pin new ideas on Pintrest,  soak our feet in the sand, read a book or two, and the list could go on. As teachers, let’s not get boggled down by the endless paperwork, phone calls, and “Debbie downers”. Let’s  keep the excitement of back to school time within reach for the entire year – by doing that, you may just change the world for a child or two or more!

Carpe Diem!

-Amy

Summer Phase!

Phase 1

Here's a look back at Phase 1!

5 Weeks

In the past, my life as consisted of 2 phases….SuMmEr VaCaTiOn and The School Year….

However, lately, that has all changed! My life has consisted of several 5 week phases. The summer phase of Carpe Diem Academy just ended and in 5 short weeks, the year long phase will begin!

As I look back, I can’t help but think of ALL the students did during the summer phase….

-       Made new friends

-       Some became familiar with a new school

-       Gained confidence in reading and math

-       Reviewed and built upon content from the previous school year

-       Ran the bases at Jerry Uht Park

-       Picked tomatoes at the Mercyhurst Farm

-       Took a tour of Wegmans

-       Learned new dance moves

-       Exercised

-       Focused on manners during lunch

Thanks to an amazing staff of teachers and future teachers (who, in my eyes, already are teachers), for all that they did to make the students enjoy coming to school during the summer! Their dedication, creativity, and enthusiasm made the students come back each day with a smile on their face and an eagerness to learn!

Great things are happening at the Carpe Diem Academy and I am looking forward to all that the 2012-2013 school year will bring!

Carpe Diem!

- Amy

What to buy?

It’s been awhile since I posted….I am not neglecting you….I simply just don’t know what to write about….. My ideas for writing often come when I am out at the sites…..but since all the sites are always calm, I have been working at the office a little more….this week I have stayed at the sites for longer time periods….I want to be out there more but I also don’t want to be an interruption to the staff and students…..so basically I am still trying to find that happy medium!

We have 6 days left of the Summer Phase…..it seems as if we were just beginning Phase 1….the saying holds true….”Time flies when you are having fun!”.  Someone asked if I was working this summer and my response was, “No….well, kinda.”….just doesn’t seem right to classify what I enjoy doing as work. I know I blog about this often, but I just can’t get over it! I love my job! (I also don’t want you to think that what I do is easy….that I sit in the sand and work on my flip-flop tan…..there are stressful times…but those times make me stronger…..there are crazy times...but those times make me think on my feet……but the majority are happy times....and thats what makes me love my job, so much!)

Anyway…..

I have spent quite a bit of time shopping! Since the spring was spent getting up and running, supply purchases were done week by week….sometimes day by day….however, I wanted the upcoming year to be different. I wanted the supplies to be purchased so I will be able to spend less time shopping and more time focusing on the curriculum and needs of the students, staff and the program, in general.

During my many shopping sprees, I came to the realization that it is much easier for me to swipe my own plastic than it is to swipe the plastic belonging to Carpe Diem. Perhaps I put a little too much thought (I am known to do that!) into what I was buying…..

……Does it really matter what color the i-pad cases are? Many would say no….but to me…I must say yes!......

……In my cart I had a variety of colors….blue…green….clear…pink.....but then I began to picture what I would hear (I want the clear one. I want the blue one. I’m a boy, I don’t want the pink one. I’m a girl, I don’t want the blue one.)……but then I began thinking that they will just have to be happy with the color they get……but then I began thinking a little more…..we only have the students for 3 hours a day….the less interruptions, the better….sooo….out went the pink and clear cases and I ordered additional blue and green cases!

It’s easy for me to swipe my own plastic because I know what I want/need.  The difficult part for shopping for Carpe Diem is that I want what will be the best for the students….what will engage them?….what will benefit them the most in their learning?

On a side note, I must say thank you to all that assisted me while I was shopping at BestBuy! They were patient, professional, patient, generous, patient, helpful, and patient....Seeing that I was there until 10:00 and the store closed at 9:00, I just had to repeat patient a few times! I highly recommend BestBuy for all of your shopping needs….and make sure you ask for the Belt-Buckle Buddies for any assistance that you may need!

Carpe Diem!

- Amy