"We are a good team." ~Will

I realized I never did my timecard this week. Then I realized I can't even remember what I did this week. Maybe writing about it will jog my memory.

We started Destination Imagination (DI) this week. Our first meeting was Monday and we only had three girls. All in fifth grade. It was a little weird, but good. They loved it, which is what matters. They loved it so much, in fact, that the next day two other fifth grade girls came RUNNING at me asking if they could join DI too. I'm nervous to have a team of all girls. I'm nervous to have a team of students who may not be the right fit for DI. But it will work out, one way or the other. Wednesday's meeting we had the five of them. I think it will get better and better.

I really love in-class support. It wears me out, but it makes me feel really useful. I'm starting to develop a core group of kids who know me and know to ask for my help. Band is going well. At the bookfair one of my kids introduced me to her mom as "the one that teaches me flute!" I laid down tracks on the computer for choir so that the kids can listen to my MIDI files on the internet and practice their parts at home. I had great meetings with Brittney and Cayla this week too. School is really good.

Thursday night I went to a community meeting about the New Hampshire Civic Index. Basically there was a big study done that revealed that teenagers are interested in making a difference in their community, but don't know that much about politics or how to be civicly engaged. It made for an incredibly long day, but it was worth it. I also discovered that even after living here for only 11 weeks, I can already play the six degrees of separation game with random people that I meet in Portsmouth.

Friday was our Thanksgiving service day. I sorted cans from various food drives ALL DAY. In the morning we were at Timberland, and got to add in the cans from the Seabrook food drive too. In the afternoon we were at Salvation Army, which was WAY more fun than serving with the Timberland employees. I want to remember: the possum that Sara rescued from her trash can, the can that expired in 1995, throwing cans at each other across the church at the Salvation Army, and power greeting the rest of the corps with Old MacDonald Had a Farm (they went to an organic farm to harvest the leftovers from the fields while we were sorting cans).

Friday night my team went to the middle school dance at Seabrook Youth Services. It was amazing and totally awkward in the way that only middle school dances can be. The kids seemed genuinely excited to see us. We were goofy and danced and amused ourselves. I stayed the night with a couple of my teammates so that we could bake for the SMS band fundraiser. We baked SO much!! I slept on a couch, and definitely not enough. Got up at 6:30 so that I could go to DI team manager training with Will and Aaron yesterday morning. We were all totally exhausted but the training was good. Will and I developed a newfound love for communicating via Post-It note, and we won the competition for building the tallest structure with the random materials they gave us. The DI folks LOVE City Year. We might be in the paper, and will definitely be part of the next New Hampshire DI podcast. I'll post a link when I get it. I really need to finish the Clinton Innovation proposal with Sara so we can try to get money to do DI stuff with other City Year sites.

I came home last night and totally crashed. I think I'm still in the process of crashing. I can't believe I have to work tomorrow. Thank god we only have two and a half days this weekend. I have some amazing Thanksgiving/weekend plans with some amazing people. I can't wait...