Weekly Update

It's been another busy week...

Rehearsals for Godspell are intense, active, and FUN!!!!!!!!! I haven't danced this much in ages. Sore, tired, sweaty, and HAPPY! The choreography is challenging and amazing... all different genres since our musical director has completely reorchestrated the show. "We Beseech Thee" is now a 40's style jump-swing number. "O Bless the Lord My Soul" is a hip-hop number. It's all so fun! I got my solo too... it's "Turn Back, O Man," and the blocking is awesome. I get to throw all the boys around, and I love it! It's a little scary putting a show together in 3 weeks, but it's also a show that needs to feel spontaneous. I think we'll definitely have that. I hope you all will be able to come and see it!!!!! Call (641)472-ARTS(2787) for tickets, and get more info at http://www.fairfieldacc.com/.

We also had some bad news about Annie. A touring company applied for rights after us, so we don't get to do the show. It's an unfortunate downside to being a community theatre in a little town. The big professionals always have first dibs. So, instead of Annie, we're doing another fun show (but totally different in every way) called Pippin. Not really a part for me in it, but I like the show a lot. I think it will be fun too, but it doesn't have any kids. We have 65 pretty disappointed little ones in Fairfield, but hopefully, we'll get to do Annie another summer.

Dad went to the specialist yesterday in Iowa City. He will be having his prostate removed on May 21. He decided to go that route instead of trying chemo, etc. The doctor feels good about this plan too. Please still keep him in prayer!

School is going well. My 6th graders are working on their independent research projects, my 7th graders are starting a unit on computer animation, and my 8th graders are probably going to be doing historical documentaries, but when I introduced the unit this morning, they gave me major attitude. Looks like they have 8th grade-itis already... UGH! It's going to be a loooooooong quarter if that's started already. It's been about 5 years since I last had 8th graders, and I'd forgotten about that little mutation. I just have a feeling that at this point, whatever I want to try, they'll roll their eyes. Guess I shouldn't take it personally. Easier said than done.

Here's a cool website to explore: www.visuwords.com. It's a graphic dictionary, and it's kind of addictive. When you enter a word, you can see it's relationships to all kinds of other words. Very cool. My students all love it!