MLK Jr. Day

It's been a little over a week since I last "blogged" (that must be a word now- but is it in Webster's??)  Exams have come and gone, corrections have been done, and - as of today - grades and comments for about 60 Spanish students have been written and will be downloaded on the school's server tomorrow morning before faculty meetings.   This year I used a test generator that comes with the Spanish text, rather than giving the same exam that Armando Perez and I have used with revisions for the last three or four years.   On the one hand, it's a teacher's dream; you simply chose the chapter and topic you want to be tested and it spits out questions in a variety of formats from which to chose (multiple choice, true/false, short answer, etc.)  Then you edit any of the questions to suit your own needs.  The only part about it that scares me a little is that it's a bit too Orwellian.  (I have to admit, though, that the answer sheet that is spit out at the end sure makes correcting ten or eleven pages of exams a lot more palatable!)

Sally drove down Saturday afternoon, took a well-deserved nap, then we dined with Tom & Canny Iampietro, former teachers at Stoneleigh, now teaching at Hamden Hall and Hopkins respectively.  On Sunday, we took time to read the Times, then Sally's business partner at EDUInnovations came over to discuss plans for their Beginning Administrator's Institute at Lawrenceville, N.J. in June.  Soon the snow began and Sally had to return to SBS (Monday was an Open House).  Being in a day school, I have MLK Jr. Day off, and I've spent it finishing up comments and grades while listening to Pandora.com (if you haven't tried it, DO- it's GREAT!)

Though it is still somewhat of a trial, Sally and I continue to agree that our living an hour and a half apart isn't what we'd prefer, but "it is what it is," and there isn't much that can be done about it for the foreseeable future.  I firmly believe that she belongs at SBS at this time in her and the school's lives, and it isn't a tremendous sacrifice on my part for her to be able to do the best job she can do for the school she loves so much.  (Among my greatest sacrifices are having to make the bed alone in the morning, vacuum and dust the house every once in a while, and cook my own dinner. . .)  I support what Sally's doing and look forward to the day when the school is situated well enough to be passed on to the next Head.  

Speaking of transitions, I am so excited about tomorrow's inauguration!  I met last Friday with a drama teacher at Hamden Hall to discuss ways we could get the tv signal projected on the big screen in the theater during the inauguration.  While I was waiting to get instructions from him, Charlie has made all the connections, bless his heart.  Now all I have to do is convince the powers-that-be to break for lunch early enough tomorrow during faculty meetings for us all to see not only the swearing in ceremony, but also the singing by Aretha Franklin, music by Yo-Yo Ma, Itzhak Perlman & others before the oath of office.  This IS a once-in-a-lifetime experience, after all. . . We can finish the faculty meeting a little later, no?

I plan to invoke the spirit of my father ( a notoriously emotional person) while watching tomorrow's ceremonies as I  whimper, snivel, and cry uncontrollably.  Just thinking about it makes me want to break out the Kleenex.  I pray for everything to go as planned tomorrow and for our President to be able to help us all to bring our nation back together again!