Reading thus far in 2021

 I have been carving out time to read more. Not that I don't have time. I do. It's more....forcing myself off the technology/ mindless scrolling that eats up ridiculous amounts of time.

I can hardly keep self complaining that I need to read more when I don't make the time for it.

It's purposeful and intentional time.

I have lost a lot of my reading stamina....that ability to just keep reading and reading without getting distracted.

So I set a timer now on my phone and put my phone on the charger....away from me.

That way I know how much time has passed without forever glancing at my phone.

This helps when I am reading something for school.

I never used to have this problem.

anyways...here is what I have been reading thus far.

Adventures of the first two weeks of 2021

 Back to work started briskly on January 4th as our school continued with half the students one day, half the next. It took a couple days to get used to wearing a mask again all day, but it did come back. The kids took a bit of brain jiggling to get things back for them, which is quite understandable.

The weather has been incredible for January in SK. Just a teeny bit below 0C. We definitely cannot complain about that. When the -40Cs come along, as they eventually will, it will be a tough adjustment.

Friday the 8th we got an email of our first covid case of 2021 at school. It was to be expected when people don't take things even with a modicum of seriousness. By Saturday we had a second and then a third.

Sunday afternoon I got  THE call from provincial health saying I had been deemed a close contact to a positive case. Not from my own class, but within the building. 

And so begins 14 days of self isolation... minus the 2 since I had last saw the person.

I spent hours Sunday night finding a sub for 2 weeks and planning for the first few days. Thank goodness I had brought my computer home. At least I could access some of my materials.

My husband was allowed to go to work. We could have no one over (which technically has been the rule since Dec 15th in our province). They encouraged us to be as separate in the home as possible. Different sleeping arrangements, bathrooms etc.  I did not have to go for a test unless symptoms developed.

I rather enjoyed Monday at home. I had a few emails from students and parents, but other than that, my time was my own. 

Tuesday morning was wonderfully leisurely until the virtual staff meeting that announced there were more cases and all students in our building would be virtual for the next couple weeks.

And with that my sub was abruptly done her shift, 8 days early, and I began to teach online from home.

Some schools have been doing this since the start of the year, so I really can't complain.

A huge storm in our province Wed covered the roads with thick freezing rain and no visibility, so being at home was a good thing for many.

6 more days of isolation for me and then off to the city on the 7th for my infusion that had to get bumped to the absolute edge of the window.

Here's hoping the numbers from Christmas calm down and we can get back to in person soon

Happy New Year

 

Fall Catchup

 I realize I have been away for the better part of six months. There was nothing cataclysmic keeping me away....just life being busy and no brain energy left to give much else but work and exisisting.

We started the fall here back in person at school. All masks, all the time. 

I have to say that the kids I have this year did really well with this adaptation. There was no pushback. With the group I had last year, it would have been a much different, far more stressful story.

The biggest challenges were that pretty much everything we used to do, was no longer allowed with covid. Working in groups. Challenge stations. Pass and share etc. We are also not a 1 to 1 school for devices so that required some creativity as well.

It took the better part of September to start to feel comfortable in the new routines. Thankfully it was glorious weather so we did a lot of work outside and took a lot of walks on the campus, which could be mask free provided there was distancing. That great weather lasted until Remembrance Day weekend.

It was a blessing.

Remembrance Day weekend brought a snow dump unlike anything we have seen in a long time. We actually had a snow day, which never happens here. In reality, the snowday was more of a 'we don't have enough staff who can make it into work, and we can't combine classes' thing. But it was glorious and a little gleeful.

Towards the end of November we hit Level 3 with Covid protocols. This meant that we had to split the kids. Half one day, half at home. and then switch. The good news is I wasn't required to teach the  in class and at home at the same time. So for their in class day we did a lot of front loading and practice, and then for their at home they worked on deeper level work on the same topics.

The tough part comes with keeping the two groups balanced in terms of work load, finding time to get caught up on the online marking, and planning when to load each assignment online. It generally is taking two hours a day outside of school time to stay on top of all of this.

Really hoping the after effects of Christmas do not change us to purely online. That is even harder to do and with the disastrous decision making by the provincial govt in spring about online being optional then, some bad habits have been set.

I guess we shall see what the new year brings for school.

A quiet Christmas

 

It's our second Christmas in our new (mom and dad's old house). 

The tree it tilting because I snapped this just after I pulled the orange cat out of it :-). It's their second Christmas with us and their first with a real tree.

It definitely was a quiet Christmas.  With Sask COVID rules only those living in the house could be at the house for Christmas. Technically until January 15th or whenever the rules change again.

DS2 and his gf stayed at their place a couple hours north of here. DS1 and his gf did their own at our old house.

I can remember this house being absolutely jammed with people for Christmas celebrations. Those memories were a gentle haunting here on Christmas Day. 

We will save our big turkey meal for when we can join together in the house. 

The day was spent in front of the fire, watching movies and doing a new jigsaw puzzle, along with a few virtual visits.

That being said, I cannot complain. We have a comfortable home, food to eat and most of us are in decent health. That is more than so many more folk I know.

I hope however you celebrated the day found ways of making you smile.