Crystal Apple

Let's just say that I feel loved.

Every year, the teachers at each school in our district select a co-worker to receive the Crystal Apple Award. I was the one to receive that honor this year. The following is what Adam and Garrett wrote to read out loud when the award was presented:

The Crystal Apple award this year goes to the brains of our operation. Julie Hammari leads our team through her talents, knowledge, abilities and height. She has been a great leader and teacher for both faculty and students here at East Meadows Elementary. She has always been willing to change a grade level because of her nature to be flexible and ability to work in any situation. This is most apparent in her current grade level team.
Julie began teaching at Canyon Elementary as an intern in the 5th grade. She then moved to 3rd grade the next year and back to 5th her third year at Canyon. (Close, I started as an intern in 3rd and then spent two years in 5th grade) Her move to East Meadows Elementary placed her back in 3rd grade until she made that fearful move to teach sixth grade. However difficult the content in 6th grade was, it was the fact that the students exceeded her height that brought the most fear.
Julie’s knowledge and understanding allows her to teach and inspire students to achieve beyond even their own expectations. Her math knowledge has allowed her to diversify the level of math classes she has taught over the years. From the advanced learners to the lower students who struggle to understand. Miss Hammari’s genius in math brings teachers and students throughout the school to her room for understanding.
Julie is a team worker who in her own sneaky manner, plays pranks on the best of us. She is always willing to help her team and is a frequent supporter even at their basketball games. Students often comment on her sense of humor and her ability to bring a smile and joy to their lives. Her creativity and artistic talents have appealed to the eyes of many, especially Dwight at Christmas time. We love working with Julie and congratulate her on all her accomplishments.

Happy Baby!

My cousin is expecting her first baby boy sometime real soon! She basically told me that I HAD to make her little one a baby blanket. I think it turned out really cute:

A Black Eye and a Bloody Nose Doesn't Always Mean a Fistfight

Today was a field trip from let's just say a not-very-nice place. We went to BYU for Sports Hero Day. The athletes put on a program involving getting the students active and talking about eating healthy and doing good in school, etc. It's a pretty good thing especially since as a teacher I get to sit back and watch except for today...

My two co-workers had to leave about an hour before the program/field trip was supposed to be over so our principal sent the school counselor with us along with a tech from another class. We were also supposed to have a sub meet up with us just before they left. Well, a sub for another teacher did not show up so the sub we had arranged was needed at the school. We didn't think it would be a big deal as there were plenty of adults to keep track of the students and get them back on the bus. Adam and Garrett left when they needed to and I continued on with the field trip with the other adults. The next rotation/station we went to was with members of the softball team. They gave their little spiel, let a couple of students hit a ball around, and then started a game with the group of 80 12-year-olds. I didn't quite hear what they were planning on doing as I was redirecting a few students back to the group. The next thing I know, the room has been split down the middle and they are playing "dodgeball" with the practice softballs (softer than a regular softball, but the same size). At this time, I have a boy coming up to me in tears, holding his nose, he had caught one right in the face. I sent him with two other boys to the bathroom to handle the bloody nose. By the time I get back to the gym to look for the counselor to help the boys in the bathroom, I have students running up to me telling me that one of my girls got hit in the eye and is laying on the floor with one of the BYU helpers/students/group leaders.

The boy with the bloody nose was fine, so he rejoined the group. The girl with the eye injury went with some people associated with the BYU program we were attending to check on her eye and continue with the ice. I went with one of the boys who was helping with the bloody nose to go find his jacket as the rest of the school went to the next activity with gymnastics. I had to hunt down the group and then the girl with the eye injury. We had the BYU EMTs come check her out to be sure. They said she would be fine but to continue with the ice to help with the swelling.

We finally got to go back to school and I told the counselor to lead the group as he was much taller than I am so the students would be able to follow him more easily. I took up the rear and kept getting after the students to keep up with the group so they wouldn't get lost in the 1,000 6th graders trying to get back to their buses. At this point, the counselor walked past our bus so I had to go chase the group down again. We then handed out our lunches (keep in mind, BYU didn't schedule our lunch break until we went home which was at least an hour past when our students normally eat lunch=cranky 12-year-olds and cranky teachers) and I found that one of my students did not pick up his school lunch, so he did not have anything to eat. In a positive note, it was nice to see everyone quickly offer up pieces of their lunches to this student.

I'm tired.

The good news is that I have a sub tomorrow, the bad news is that I have a sub tomorrow because I'm going to a boring workshop.

Free Time

In case you couldn't tell by the last few posts, I tend to have a lot of free time lately and I just don't know what to do with it. I made a comment to my cousin tonight that I should get a new hobby since I finished my last one, but I don't know what to do. Suggestions? Keep in mind, I don't like to do things that have no point, I prefer to have something in return for the work I put in, whether it be for me or another person.

Of course I also have a list of "should start"s but just haven't had enough momentum to get started on or again like running/jogging on a regular basis again (the cold weather is not very encouraging).

What do you do for fun?

Drywall Guy

Because of my school schedule, I tend to be stuck in town a few more days than everyone else as my Christmas Break starts much later. In all of my free time, I tend to prepare for my travels and clean the house. When all of that is said and done and there is no one else around to play with, I get creative. I filled part of my free time with an art project one day before heading to California. This was all started with a comment I made to my co-workers about one of the many reasons I like to go to Home Depot and an individual that works in the drywall section. So to present my Christmas gifts to Adam and Garrett, I made Drywall Guy and placed him by their doors with a note telling them that I was trying to figure out who my favorite co-worker is so they needed to fight it out and that Drywall Guy would oversee the outcome for me.

(You can't really tell, but he is made out of a piece of drywall)

As you can probably tell: me, bored, plus free time equals creativity which usually produces something in the mischievous category.

I'm Done!

Now that Christmas has passed and the gift has been given, I can post about a project that has taken me years to complete:
My sister asked me to do this cross-stitch for her a few years ago. I would work on it here and there, a little at a time. I finally finished it last month and gave it to her for Christmas. I'm such a good sister.