A New School Year Begins

Well, Summer Vacation is over! And we find ourselves back to routine.  The first week after coming back from New York gave us just a couple of days rest before Rick started work again as the new school year began.  He took one day to go and set up his room and get organised, then by Wednesday he was back officially, starting with meetings and professional development.  It's a different perspective not being on the leadership side of things!! Just set up your classroom, and turn up!!

For the rest of us, Sarah was back at tumbling for cheerleading.  She is coming along, and it won't be long before she masters that back flip!  I was also busy registering her for school online, since that happened while we were away.  We ended up making a time to see her counsellor, Mr Lantini to work out her schedule.  It turned out, because of cheerleading at 6.00-7.30am, this actually counts as the first period lesson!  She then has a 'free' for second and so doesn't start actual classes until 9.15am!  So this will give her some time in the morning to 'study' and make sure all work is 'done'.  On Thursdays, there is a staff meeting first thing, so the school schedule starts an hour later, which means Sarah doesn't have to be at school until 10am!!  She still gets to catch the yellow school bus home!

Sarah is a Cheerleader!!

On Saturday, 20 August was a photo session on the football oval for the JV Cheer team.  This is the first time the whole team has worn their performing uniform, ie what they would wear for events and for competitions.  They have a couple of different uniforms as well as various 'warm ups'.  This is part of the big expense of cheerleading -  the uniform!!  However, they were all excited and all looked very glamorous for the early hour on Saturday morning!! These photos will appear on programs and promotional materials.



 

The Junior Varsity Cheer Team 2011-2012

An official photo on the Football Field, Columbine HS

Tom meanwhile, had taken himself off with Kelland camping in the mountains.  They drove a couple of hours into the mountains, then hiked for ages until they came to a well known spot by Kelland.  They were completely isolated and out of phone range, in the wilds and carried all the food they needed, and shelter on their backs.  (there is more to be added about this story!)

The semester began officially on 22 August 2011, with all the anticipation a new year brings.  For myself, I am still getting very confused at this terminology.  When referring to 'last year' in my mind, I think of Adelaide, not left yet, but it's actually last semester!  By the end of the first week, a routine of sorts had been re-established to look something like this:
5.00am Sarah's alarm sounds on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.  5.30am, mine goes off.  5.45am we drive out to school in the dark! Back home, I can't go back to bed so use the quiet for reading or sometimes painting! By 7.15ish Rick is ready to go to school, a five minute drive, and by 8.00am Monday, Wednesday and Friday, I meet up with Cheryl from two doors down to go to the gym!! Tuesday and Thursday mornings are a bit more leisurely with Sarah starting at 9.00 and 10.00am. I try and walk on these days. Sarah has tumbling on Tuesday evenings and I have Cub Scouts on Thursday's.

 Meanwhile Tom lost most of his hours due to the summer break and so takes what he can get.  He usually spends about two hours a day studying, then goes to the gym and then hangs out with me!!  We are slowly ticking off the missionary to-do list in preparation for him reporting on the 26 October.  For myself, besides the usual 'housy' things, I have been spending my time blogging occasionally, painting and more painting and researching Family History, with the occasional 'lunch' thrown in, all of which I really enjoy and make the hours vanish very quickly! I look forward to Watercolour classes starting up in a couple of weeks - in fact I'm pretty excited about it!!  My life will be vastly different next year when we resume our jobs and general busyness!!


Exercise: Shape painting using a 2" brush only



Exercise: Misty Mountains. Wet on Wet using 2" brush & liner

Exercise: Distant Mountains. Wet on Wet again. (I'm happy with this one.)

A first attempt at waterfalls.  Adding colour on white to highlight moving water. (tricky!)

The only thing to mar the start of the school year, was a young man in some of Sarah's classes, and a very good friend of Kelsey's called Brad, who took his own life.  This was an extremely sad and upsetting thing to happen.  I relived the death of my brother and grieved too for this family that I did not know, and the girls went through a terrible week until the funeral, which did bring a sense of closure but not forgetfulness.  A great loss and renewed determination to look out for, and to look after friends.


Entering the Buell Theatre, Downtown Denver

To finish the month of August off, we were able to see the musical performance of 'Les Miserable' at the Buell Theatre downtown.  Our good friend Jeff Mercer was able to get a large group from our ward tickets at a group concession price.  We have seen Les Miserable before at the Festival Theatre with outstanding performances, especially by Debbie Byrne, and also the school production where Karlie played young Cosette.  This was also outstanding but with a few variations.  The standard of performance and special effects was very impressive, although I would have to say that this is would have to be the most raunchiest version I've seen!


 





I just love the music from Les Miserable, my favourite would have to be 'I dreamed a dream' sung by Fontaine, but I left the theatre singing 'Can you hear the people shout!'  So stirring! Fantastic!