Bring on the Summer Naps...the Little Labbers and Young Novelists Have Started and Working with a Hundred Kids Take a Lot of Mental Meandering

I love it, and it's funny how the classroom clock simply says "1". Why, yes...it was day one and by the time you read this we'll be entering Day 2. I have to say, however, that the biggest note of 2025 thus far is how much the regulars are disappointed that it will be a summer without Abu. I mean, Abu's been with our programs most summers since they began and he's sort of a legend with teachers, parents, siblings, and campers. The older kids were like, "What do you mean he took another job and no longer has summers to spend with us?" All I could say is, "Hey, it's much harder on me. I don't have him in my home, either." Our summer shenanigans are irreplaceable.

I'm excited to bring graduate students into the fold this year and offer them some opportunities to get teaching experience before student teaching next spring. They're working in Little Lab and Novel Writing for the next two weeks, then transitioning to Ubuntu Academy. Today's bonus lesson was learning both Danish and Spanish, the languages two of them teach.

The wizard hats and magic wands also arrived and, of course, I went with the light up ones with sound effects which caused Stefania Vendrella, lead teacher this week, to say, "Crandall, I'm going to kill you." I don't blame her...I'm every teacher's worse nightmare because I buy toys that I think will be fun, but then they become a distraction. Needless to say they were monitored rather quickly.

It was also Bellarmine College's first day, so there was a return of last year's crew and the newbies for this year, which caused for many first-day jitters as every one arrived at the same time...drop offs became a lil' tricky.

Now for day two...and we'll see what we're gonna do! Always the happiest time of the year.