You know it's summer when...

-Greenmarket produce is actually cheaper (and much more delicious) than the grocery variety.

-Someone pops a fire hydrant. The function I observed was more car wash and less kid sprinkler, but still.

-You get flashbacks (heat stroke?) to the barely bearable heat of my very first month in this 4th floor, non-cross-ventilated apartment.

-You have time for volunteering and babysitting and actually hanging out with friends... So much that you kind of forget this is "vacation".

-You can truly wish teachers and administrators a happy summer and thank them for a fantastic year because your 5th graders have graduated and you will not be returning to the school until September!!!! A note on these 5th graders: Throughout a good portion of the year I found this grade the toughest to engage and relate to, in part because of their bigger class sizes (28 compared to around 20 in every other grade), in part because of my difficulty in lesson/unit planning for older grades. Between a really successful spring concert and a half-dozen graduation rehearsals, I complete the year feeling most bonded to these soon-to-be-middle-schoolers. They stepped up their game for these ceremony songs (and all other procedures for that matter) in a way unseen in the rest of the year. They delivered each piece in strong, clear, projected head voice with expression and pride. Witnessing Miguel and Ashli and Eric (what a voice--who knew!) and others get so INTO the songs in their faces and performances... Mind-blowing. I'm in the right profession. =)

A few long-overdue pictures...

PS 43's auditorium, "decorated" for spring concerts

This is what it looks like when a kitchen self-destructs.

No more pesky cabinet! Or usable drinking glasses for that matter.

Gorgeous Wave Hill (of septuagenarian-oriented Mozart concert fame)

A few of my proud, deserving 5th grade graduates

PS 43 in all its stately, UNOBSTRUCTED (just in literal time for graduation) glory!!!!!

The happy feel-good moments are becoming a bit cumbersome to the flow of the blog... Consider them integrated (i.e., Greenmarkets, fire hydrants, 5th grade pride, unobstructed schools) unless otherwise noted from here on out in your readership.

Love, Hugs, & SUMMER!!!
Ms. Phillips, with pride

Fresh Start

PS (As in pre-script): Here's the sermon I referenced last blog. If you can make it through the extended exposition on the migration patterns of geese it really does all tie together. =)

Inspired by the blog of Miss Emily DeLong, I decided to switch up the design a bit... Like just about everything else in my life (particularly shoes and coats), I wish I could draw what I wanted it to look like and then magically have it appear that way, but alas, I'm not savvy enough to venture beyond templates and colors. Still, a change is refreshing.

Speaking of refreshing change, I need some. Though I've been foot-busy (as opposed to brain-busy) in my first week of summer vacation, I feel a little restless funk sprouting within me... I'm definitely ready for some new projects. These might include:

*Starting curriculum planning for next year

*Collaborating to jumpstart and lead social justice initiatives within my church's young adult group--I'm leading a "Food & Fellowship" (our bimonthly get-togethers centered around a discussion topic) in July on service and volunteering as well as participating in a joint committee between the young adults and the church-affiliated (though confoundingly not directly supported by the church) community outreach organization that funds the efforts of a variety of services and programs for underserved groups in New York City, I'm very excited about the opportunities that await me in the coming months.

*With all the service-/volunteer-related talk, I figured I should actually get back into volunteering, something I've let slide over the course of the school year. I have a few food pantry/soup kitchen type projects I'm looking forward to in the next few weeks, so that will be energizing. I have yet to find a volunteer-ready organization in my neighborhood, however... If I could find one that didn't require an hour of travel I think I'd be more likely to continue participating come fall.

*Painting and/or redecorating--In all likelihood, the latter half of this initiative probably won't happen. I only have so much space and furniture can only fit in a room so many ways. But with the very likely prospect of remaining in my apartment another year, I think a multi-wall paint job could be a fun way to rejuvenate the space and make it more my own. Details to follow...

*Running--The weather of late has been weird and unpredictable... Combined with my train hopping to graduation rehearsals and babysitting gigs and summer fun activities, I have not been running as frequently as I would like. That's changing--I know from experience that a large part of this spirit restlessness could be fixed with some consistent aerobic activity.

*New and delicious recipes--ideas, please!!


Happy Feel Good Moments

*Free half-pizza from Planet Fitness, my gym. Irony never tasted so delicious.

*Wave Hill Park--Free Mozart concert (of whose attendees I was the youngest by roughly 40 years), beautiful gardens, exploring a completely new part of the city... This is what summer's about, kids.

*I get to play "good cop" at the 5th grade graduation rehearsals, which is awesome.

*A subway guitarist interrupted his regularly-scheduled Latin music to play "Old McDonald" for an enthused toddler.

*FIGMENT Art Festival--a free, gigantic collection of participatory art exhibits/installations/performances. Most unique and thought-provoking attraction: Unseen Dances.



Love, Hugs, & Links!
Kate

PS: I have lived in this city for over a year. Over. A. Year.

PPS (or is it PSS?): A tangent of the FIGMENT experience--reintroduction to the wonder of Dippin' Dots.

PPPS: I sang at a piano bar for the first time. "On My Own," for simplicity's sake. Fun stuff...

Summertime...

And the living is indeed easy! I have just experienced my first weekend since August without any lesson planning or bulletin board making hanging over my head... It's awesome. I completed a massive apartment clean-through on Saturday, hosted a get-together Saturday evening, attended church (with a marvelous, this-is-why-I-choose-this-church-as-homebase type of sermon; link to come but enjoy an equally as pleasing one from last week here) and brunch, and then made an afternoon out of unplanned clothes shopping with a friend from church. H&M is dangerously inexpensive, btw.

For the moment, June has remembered it's not August and temperatures in the 90s have subsided to pleasant summer 70s, so the outside is much more fun. Ran this morning, walking to the Bronx tomorrow for a free Mozart strings concert, enjoying a packed Wednesday of school stuff, lunch with Meghan (Hey, Meghan, I'm coming for lunch Wednesday), Buddhist meditation in the evening... I. Love. Summer.

Happy Feel-Goodery of the Week:

*A successful and lightly bittersweet last week of classes included several of my most non-participatory students fully engaged--singing, volunteering answers, the whole shebang. I do not know what happened.

*There's a conductor on the A who makes additons like, "Have a beautiful day and a very pleasant evening," and "Each and every one of you is beautiful. Thank you so much for choosing to ride with us," to her standard/mandated announcements. Great way to end the day!

*After sharing her summer travel plans involving Honduras and Peru, Yasmine is beyond impressed that I get to spend part of my summer in... South Carolina!!!!!!

*I received flowers and the cutest-ever book of "Thank You/I love you and music" notes from one of my first grade classes... And then more flowers and a card from a fourth grade class. If that's bribery, I'm eatin' it up. =)

*All three Kindergarten classes chose to listen/dance to African Children's Choir over a previously grooved-to funk song... and then they all sang along to the Swahili the best they could. My work here is done.

It's June, kids--ENJOY IT!!!
KP =)