as my year with VISTA starts to wind down, I'm thinking more and more about what I've learned from this year. I view every experience as a learning lesson, and this was certainly no exception.
here's what I have so far:
1. I take things way too personally. This has become an issue, especially when it's work-related.
2. people still see me as being "just a kid." this really bothers me, especially when I'm less than two months away from turning 24.
3. All future homes must have a full-sized kitchen, or at least more than one countertop.
4. small children are vessels for diseases, especially the flu
5. Having a roommate is preferable to living solo.
Don't get me wrong, though...I had some great experiences, too! such as:
1. everyone should live alone at some point in their life. it's a great way to build character.
2. exercise is a fantastic form of stress relief.
3. if it's not worth fighting for, it's not worth having. That was my mantra when applying for grad school.
4. houseplants are a wonderful substitute for pets.
5. basil plants are especially handy, especially when you cook often.
6. lentils are a staple in any poor person's kitchen.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
School's Out for Summer
This is my first day of working out of parents plus for the summer. Maple Tree is only open half-day for summer school, so I will only be there on a need-be basis.
My summer plans with the school are relatively light. I'll be writing several grants, working on my sustainability binder, and spending quality time with growing power.
For those of you who don't already know, I have my post-VISTA plans set. I'll be going to grad school at Montclair State University in New Jersey, where I'll be studying with the Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and students with disabilities program. I'm very excited about this.
My summer plans with the school are relatively light. I'll be writing several grants, working on my sustainability binder, and spending quality time with growing power.
For those of you who don't already know, I have my post-VISTA plans set. I'll be going to grad school at Montclair State University in New Jersey, where I'll be studying with the Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages and students with disabilities program. I'm very excited about this.
Monday, May 24, 2010
What a Feeling
You know how in most towns/cities the tell-tale sign of warm weather is the appearance of ice cream trucks? Well, that's a little too conventional for those who live in Milwaukee. It's been beautiful weather these past few days, and we've had sunny days on and off for the past few weeks. I've observed the following to be signs of a day of beautiful weather:
1. The appearance of the satellite crepe stand on Brady Street
2. Bars and restaurants set up outdoor seating
3. An abundance of people running and riding their bikes around the east side/the lakefront
4. The appearance of summer season beers in liquor stores/grocery stores (my personal favorite is leinenkugel's summer shandy)
Apparently I'm not the only one enjoying this beautiful weather, as was made apparent by yesterday's events at Bradford Beach. For those of you unfamiliar with what happened, read it and weep:
http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/94714434.html
1. The appearance of the satellite crepe stand on Brady Street
2. Bars and restaurants set up outdoor seating
3. An abundance of people running and riding their bikes around the east side/the lakefront
4. The appearance of summer season beers in liquor stores/grocery stores (my personal favorite is leinenkugel's summer shandy)
Apparently I'm not the only one enjoying this beautiful weather, as was made apparent by yesterday's events at Bradford Beach. For those of you unfamiliar with what happened, read it and weep:
http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/94714434.html
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Spring Fever
It's officially spring in Wisconsin. It's been raining nonstop, my allergies are going crazy, and the kids at my site has lost their minds. I blame all the pollen in the air.
Spring also means that it's time for the garden kickoff party at Maple Tree. Growing Power has been here for the past few weeks getting the plots ready, and they've been happy to report that they've had a good amount of neighborhood kids volunteer to help out. We've set the date for the party for next saturday, and I've already made flyers to be sent out. We're having a meeting this afternoon to finalize our plans and plan future events at the garden for the summer, including a back-to-school bbq in August.
Planning events here has become difficult at this point in the school year. The HIP coordinator has been taking even more sick days than usual since she announced that she's pregnant. It's been at least two weeks since the last time I saw her. I'm unsure of whether or not this will affect the health fair she planned with school nurse for this month, but I'm not involved with the event so it is not an immediate concern of mine (remember how we're supposed to plan everything collaboratively? apparently this isnt a huge priority for her, since she planned the whole event without talking to anyone on the action team).
In trying to pick a date for the BBQ in August, several staff members realized that I'm not returning to Maple Tree next year (NOTE: this is something I never planned on doing. I always saw my time with VISTA as a one-year thing and never attempted to renew my contract). Some of the staff got it in their head somehow that I was going to renew my contract with VISTA, so they were surprised when I told them I was done after August 21st. The thing is, even if I were to renew my contract with VISTA, I could not work with Maple Tree. They had two previous VISTAs who left the school before the year was over for various reasons, but still finished their years of service with Americorps. Plus, I dont think Maple Tree has as great a need for a VISTA as other schools in Milwaukee for various reasons.
So now that I've got a happy stomach full of leftover indian food, it's time to get some work done! I'm also expecting a call from a prospective VISTA for next year.
Spring also means that it's time for the garden kickoff party at Maple Tree. Growing Power has been here for the past few weeks getting the plots ready, and they've been happy to report that they've had a good amount of neighborhood kids volunteer to help out. We've set the date for the party for next saturday, and I've already made flyers to be sent out. We're having a meeting this afternoon to finalize our plans and plan future events at the garden for the summer, including a back-to-school bbq in August.
Planning events here has become difficult at this point in the school year. The HIP coordinator has been taking even more sick days than usual since she announced that she's pregnant. It's been at least two weeks since the last time I saw her. I'm unsure of whether or not this will affect the health fair she planned with school nurse for this month, but I'm not involved with the event so it is not an immediate concern of mine (remember how we're supposed to plan everything collaboratively? apparently this isnt a huge priority for her, since she planned the whole event without talking to anyone on the action team).
In trying to pick a date for the BBQ in August, several staff members realized that I'm not returning to Maple Tree next year (NOTE: this is something I never planned on doing. I always saw my time with VISTA as a one-year thing and never attempted to renew my contract). Some of the staff got it in their head somehow that I was going to renew my contract with VISTA, so they were surprised when I told them I was done after August 21st. The thing is, even if I were to renew my contract with VISTA, I could not work with Maple Tree. They had two previous VISTAs who left the school before the year was over for various reasons, but still finished their years of service with Americorps. Plus, I dont think Maple Tree has as great a need for a VISTA as other schools in Milwaukee for various reasons.
So now that I've got a happy stomach full of leftover indian food, it's time to get some work done! I'm also expecting a call from a prospective VISTA for next year.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
happy earth day!
today is going to be a full-out earth day celebration for me!
at 1:30 this afternoon, I'm going to growing power for their open house with one of my supervisors from the corporation for national and community service/serve wisconsin in order to take a full look at their facility and hopefully talk to someone about hosting a potluck there for Americorps week. this will mean i have to miss my school's tornado drill, but i think i endured enough actual tornadoes while at earlham to get by without being here for the drill.
this evening is also maple tree's science fair/spring open house, which we're running in conjunction with a family gathering night. the HIP coordinator has planned arts and crafts activities, so the kids will paint flower pots. we've worked it out through the action team that parents will be given a form to fill out when they arrive that allows them to rate the displays by most creative, most informative, etc. when they go to the cafeteria to attend the family gathering night, i will be there to collect the forms as their ticket into the gathering night.
i am a little anxious about this, but for a good reason: the school principal will not be present at this event. this means that even though she supports the idea of collecting these forms before parents attend the gathering night, that doesnt mean things won't go according to plan.
stay tuned for more information on Americorps week, maybe some pictures at growing power (I'm not going on the tour, since I didnt bring sneakers and refuse to destroy my new loafers), and the results from the science fair!
at 1:30 this afternoon, I'm going to growing power for their open house with one of my supervisors from the corporation for national and community service/serve wisconsin in order to take a full look at their facility and hopefully talk to someone about hosting a potluck there for Americorps week. this will mean i have to miss my school's tornado drill, but i think i endured enough actual tornadoes while at earlham to get by without being here for the drill.
this evening is also maple tree's science fair/spring open house, which we're running in conjunction with a family gathering night. the HIP coordinator has planned arts and crafts activities, so the kids will paint flower pots. we've worked it out through the action team that parents will be given a form to fill out when they arrive that allows them to rate the displays by most creative, most informative, etc. when they go to the cafeteria to attend the family gathering night, i will be there to collect the forms as their ticket into the gathering night.
i am a little anxious about this, but for a good reason: the school principal will not be present at this event. this means that even though she supports the idea of collecting these forms before parents attend the gathering night, that doesnt mean things won't go according to plan.
stay tuned for more information on Americorps week, maybe some pictures at growing power (I'm not going on the tour, since I didnt bring sneakers and refuse to destroy my new loafers), and the results from the science fair!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
looking ahead
it feels like spring has barely started, and already i need to start thinking about the summer.
tomorrow is the deadline to submit my summer plans for my year of service. i sent it to my site supervisor this morning, and pending her approval, it will be sent on to my DPI supervisors. no far-fetched, elaborate plans involved. the main points of my summer plans involve working with growing power through their community garden at maple tree, writing a grant to get a bookshelf for the school as a parent resource center, and working on my sustainability binder.
the main question is where will i be working?
maple tree is open for summer school, but it is a half-day program. it's my understanding that most of the action team will not be around for the summer, as well. given this information, i think it makes sense for me to operate out of the parents plus office. this doesn't mean i wont make regular appearances at the school...i just think i can get more work done at parents plus. furthermore, it's a much easier commute for me and i won't have to deal with mps internet blocking certain websites.
of course, i have other plans for the summer beyond work. i still have 9 sick days and will have 4 vacation days left as of May 17th, and i plan on using them all before my year of service ends. if i go to grad school in the fall, i may need a few of those days towards the end of the summer to return to new jersey to gather up some things to bring back to milwaukee with me (that is, if I end up at UWM. if I end up at Montclair State, I'll need a few days to pack up everything to move out). I'm also planning on finally going to chicago, so i'd like to make a trip out of that.
tomorrow is the deadline to submit my summer plans for my year of service. i sent it to my site supervisor this morning, and pending her approval, it will be sent on to my DPI supervisors. no far-fetched, elaborate plans involved. the main points of my summer plans involve working with growing power through their community garden at maple tree, writing a grant to get a bookshelf for the school as a parent resource center, and working on my sustainability binder.
the main question is where will i be working?
maple tree is open for summer school, but it is a half-day program. it's my understanding that most of the action team will not be around for the summer, as well. given this information, i think it makes sense for me to operate out of the parents plus office. this doesn't mean i wont make regular appearances at the school...i just think i can get more work done at parents plus. furthermore, it's a much easier commute for me and i won't have to deal with mps internet blocking certain websites.
of course, i have other plans for the summer beyond work. i still have 9 sick days and will have 4 vacation days left as of May 17th, and i plan on using them all before my year of service ends. if i go to grad school in the fall, i may need a few of those days towards the end of the summer to return to new jersey to gather up some things to bring back to milwaukee with me (that is, if I end up at UWM. if I end up at Montclair State, I'll need a few days to pack up everything to move out). I'm also planning on finally going to chicago, so i'd like to make a trip out of that.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Spring has Sprung!
It's officially spring in wisconsin! The wind is going at full-force (making driving on the highway not a fun experience for me), there's thunderstorms being predicted every other day, and the temperature is jumping all over the place. needless to say, my allergies are going nuts.
It's also spring break at Maple Tree this week! it started last friday and will go through the rest of this week, which means I'll be at parents plus instead of school. This does have it's benefits, such as not having to wake up at 6 AM and drive 30+ minutes, being around adults all day, and being able to work off my laptop. oh, and i can listen to pandora radio and access facebook here. I do have to go in on wednesday to help the learning team update the site's school improvement plan, as well as pick up some things I left in my office.
My mom came to visit me this past weekend, which was a lot of fun!
Friday was spent getting facials, shopping on Brady Street (We bought gardening stuff for my herb garden, a super-cute jumper at yellow jacket, and baby gifts for two of my cousins) and eating dinner at Cempazuchi (SUCH GOOD FOOD!!!!! If you like spicy food, go there and get the chile relleno). After dinner we went to potawotami casino to see Louie Anderson perform and gamble a little bit. We only played slots, but my mom broke even and I lost $8, at which point I called it quits. We ran into Lizzy and her family at the lobby of the parking garage when we got back to the hotel.
We drove to Appleton on Saturday to meet with some family who live in the UP. I did the first leg of the drive, during which we had nothing but downpour. Naturally, the sky cleared up when my mom drove. Ate really good italian food for lunch, then did some shopping. I could sense my mom's aggravation after I tried on at least twenty bras at VS, so I made up for it by giving in to her pleas to let her clean my apartment. We went to target and bought a vacuum, floor lamp, and full-length mirror, then went back to my place and got to work cleaning. We didn't eat dinner until 9:00 at night. The food totally made up for it, though, since we went to Maharaja.
Sunday morning, we woke up to a broken toilet in our hotel room. When we told the front desk about it, they apologized and offered us a $40 gift certificate to buy breakfast at the hotel restaurant, which we gladly accepted. Went to the public museum and saw an IMAX movie called Under the Sea and the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. The movie was great...then again, I'm a fan of any movie where the last five minutes are just sea lions swimming around with Octopus' Garden playing in the background. The exhibit was amazing, too. They had a lot of information on the history of bible translation, which reminded me of my group project I did for translation class at earlham. It was already 1:45 when we left the exhibit, so I dropped off my mom at the airport right after.
tonight is kickball practice, which I'm super-pumped for! Let's go team awesome!
It's also spring break at Maple Tree this week! it started last friday and will go through the rest of this week, which means I'll be at parents plus instead of school. This does have it's benefits, such as not having to wake up at 6 AM and drive 30+ minutes, being around adults all day, and being able to work off my laptop. oh, and i can listen to pandora radio and access facebook here. I do have to go in on wednesday to help the learning team update the site's school improvement plan, as well as pick up some things I left in my office.
My mom came to visit me this past weekend, which was a lot of fun!
Friday was spent getting facials, shopping on Brady Street (We bought gardening stuff for my herb garden, a super-cute jumper at yellow jacket, and baby gifts for two of my cousins) and eating dinner at Cempazuchi (SUCH GOOD FOOD!!!!! If you like spicy food, go there and get the chile relleno). After dinner we went to potawotami casino to see Louie Anderson perform and gamble a little bit. We only played slots, but my mom broke even and I lost $8, at which point I called it quits. We ran into Lizzy and her family at the lobby of the parking garage when we got back to the hotel.
We drove to Appleton on Saturday to meet with some family who live in the UP. I did the first leg of the drive, during which we had nothing but downpour. Naturally, the sky cleared up when my mom drove. Ate really good italian food for lunch, then did some shopping. I could sense my mom's aggravation after I tried on at least twenty bras at VS, so I made up for it by giving in to her pleas to let her clean my apartment. We went to target and bought a vacuum, floor lamp, and full-length mirror, then went back to my place and got to work cleaning. We didn't eat dinner until 9:00 at night. The food totally made up for it, though, since we went to Maharaja.
Sunday morning, we woke up to a broken toilet in our hotel room. When we told the front desk about it, they apologized and offered us a $40 gift certificate to buy breakfast at the hotel restaurant, which we gladly accepted. Went to the public museum and saw an IMAX movie called Under the Sea and the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit. The movie was great...then again, I'm a fan of any movie where the last five minutes are just sea lions swimming around with Octopus' Garden playing in the background. The exhibit was amazing, too. They had a lot of information on the history of bible translation, which reminded me of my group project I did for translation class at earlham. It was already 1:45 when we left the exhibit, so I dropped off my mom at the airport right after.
tonight is kickball practice, which I'm super-pumped for! Let's go team awesome!
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