Lakeville North & Oak Hills Bands Perform Together

 

As you look at the OHE fifth graders, know that these are MY kids and I CAN tell you their names!

Farewell, Clarke!

It was with mixed emotions that we said farewell to Clarke tonight.  She is a most wonderful dog and we will miss everything about her except her poops!  

The good news is she won't be gone forever!  She'll be back for a weekend and September, and if we're lucky, maybe sooner!

 

2701 Miles . . .

. . .Plus two laps!  I was pretty pumped!  I put in one hundred miles between February 4 and May 30.  That's almost seventeen weeks, at a little over six miles a week.  I'm happy, especially when I do the "running translation".  It was like running around eighteen miles a week . . . 

Some of still miss running! 

Two More Days of Clarke!

 Clarke and I worked outside all afternoon.  Fortunately, she had a nap first . . .

Three More Days of Clarke!

Clarke got to take a road trip today.  She was absolutely miserable, but Dad enjoyed seeing her!

"You're NOT Going to Eastview!"

I let my supervisor know that I had turned in my LEAF position request form yesterday, thinking she was out on COVID leave until Monday.  She wasn't.

She was the first person I ran into at OHE today.  She stopped, she said, "You're NOT going to Eastview if I have anything to say about it.  I want to keep you here." 

Never one to leave well enough alone, I said, "But I kind of miss Kathy Ohlerking (Matt's first grade teacher at Eastview)."  She said, "You can keep missing Kathy.  I want to keep you here."

I said, "Thank you."

There's nothing official yet, but I think things are looking promising . . .  

Four More Days of Clarke!

 

Check out those legs!  She just made me smile!

P.S.  She really is one energetic girl!

Thankful Thursday!

Today I am thankful for options.  On Friday, the district sent out a list with all the LEAF (my bargaining unit) openings in Lakeville.  There are two tutor openings at my building at 5.0 hours/day (a bit more than my reduced 4.75 hours/day) and one at Eastview with 5.0 hours/day where Matt attended grades K-4 and Micah grades K-1.  So I requested any of those three positions because while I love being at Oak Hills, I equally enjoyed all of my years volunteering at Eastview (and some of my favorite teachers are still there!).  Hopefully, I will get one of those three positions . . .  

Five More Days of Clarke!

 

She loves sleeping on the couch . . .

Isn't her coloring just beautiful?

Six More Days of Clarke!

Running a bit behind, but here's yesterday's shot:

She grabs her own blankets, pillows, whatever, and tucks herself in!

 

Shark Teeth!

The reason we even found out about Clarke was we were doing the "Great Shark Teeth Exchange" with Mark and Sheryl on Saturday.  When they were in Florida this winter, they found hundreds of shark teeth on the beach.  Knowing that my second graders were reading "The Gentle Shark", they collected over 100 teeth for ALL of the second graders at Oak Hills.

Today, I went into two of the classes and read "The Gentle Shark", then passed out shark teeth to the students.  THEY.LOVED.IT!!!  I have one more class tomorrow.  It's been a blast! 

Seven More Days of Clarke . . .

We're pretty sure she enjoyed her first ever Kong this morning.  She had to work extra hard to get that Milk Bone out!

Eight Days of Clarke

 For the next eight days, Clarke will be staying with us while our friends. the Raffs. are in Boston watching their first born, Alex, graduate from Harvard Law School.  Raffs took care of Annie while we were in Sierra Leone the summer of 2011.

Besties in minutes . . .

The Gentle Shark

 My second grade "Read Naturally" students having been reading a story called "The Gentle Shark" to me.  In there, it says that "the great white shark swims two to three miles an hour".  Now, I can honestly swim two miles in a little over an hour, so I've been adding a line to what the kids read, "the great white shark swims two to three miles an hour just like Mrs. Zupke".  

Yesterday, I told one of the boys he had to read between the lines when he did his final reading and sure enough, he read to me "the great white shark swims two to three miles an hour just like Mrs. Zupke".  

The story only gets better . . . when he found out that yesterday was our last day together, he ran out to give me a hug good-bye and then said, "the great white shark swims two to three miles an hour just like Mrs. Zupke".

I love that kid! 

Sean and Tessa's Wedding

We had a fun time at Sean and Tessa's wedding last night as

• I met the son and wife of my former roommate, Karen.  Of course, her daughter-in-law just happens to be a nurse, so you know what we talked about!
• As we were introducing ourselves at the reception table, the groom's cousin's boyfriend said he was from Aberdeen, South Dakota to which my friend, Jana, replied, "I'm from Norton" to which he replied, "So's my mom!"  It turns out they went to school together!    
  

From the Mouths of Fifth Graders . . .

 I'm sure this was an assignment from Cathy Jo, but it brought great joy to my heart as I read the 3x5 cards some of her class left on my table.  Here's a sampling:

"Thanks for always helping me do my math at the end of the day and for watching over everyone at reces or whoever you spell it (:" - S

"Thank you for being the best tutor in the world.  I really like to say hi!  Thank you." - E

"You are always honest and fun and kind.  Thanks for teaching me a lot of things." - B

"Thank you for helping me with my math when it gets hard." - E

"Thank you so much for always making me smile during the day!  I love seeing you outside and during math.  I'm going to miss ya so much when I'm off to middel school! Thank you!" - C 

"You are a great tutor and provide a great learning space." - M

"You are fun.  You are smart.  You are fun to talk to." - R    

The Missing Name Tag

As I left the lunchroom on Wednesday, I went over to the desk to grab my phone, walkie talkie and name badge in order to go outside for recess.  My phone was there.  My walkie was there.  My name badge was not.  I looked all around the desk area.  No name badge.  I retraced my steps throughout the school.  No name badge.  I went out for recess.  No name badge.  Karen, my fellow tutor, went in and looked.  No name badge.

I came in from recess.  I talked to the secretary, the librarian, every teacher I saw.  No name badge.  I sent out an all-building e-mail.  No name badge.  I talked to our night custodian just before I left.  She would look while she cleaned.

I got the text at 4:00 p.m.  The custodian had found my badge in the third grade bathroom trash can.  She had emptied the trash can around 1:30 p.m. and found the badge just before 3:00 p.m. in that very same trash can.

I work third grade lunch.  It went missing during third grade lunch.  What the third graders did not know is that there are cameras by the third grade bathroom and the principal will be checking them to find out who the culprit is!  

Thankful Thursday!

In all honesty, I can only say that I was thankful when I crawled in to bed Thursday night and the day was over!  It was a rough day for both Sam and I at our schools.

I had an incident at recess where one of the third grade boys told another one of the third grade boys who has special needs to pull down his pants.  It wasn't a full moon, it was the the front end . . . I caught the second showing and the principal came out to deal with it before there was a third showing!

Add to that, I was already emotionally exhausted from the name tag incident the day before, and . . . phew!

Sam arrived to an emergency building meeting with the district superintendent.  His principal from the prior year was caught in a police sting operation and would no longer be working for the district.  This was a person Sam really enjoyed working for and respected and it was crushing.  Not just for Sam, but all of his building staff.   

Speaking of "Track and Field Day" . . .

Matt and Micah went up to watch their little siblings participate in their "Track and Field Day" on Friday.  Here's hoping you're warmer watching it than they were!

 

Note:  My favorite comment from Matt, "That Kingsley has legs!  She even lost her shoe and tied for first place in her race!"
 

What Does the Fifth Grade Tutor . . .

 . . .Do when all of the fifth graders are at "Track and Field Day"?  She helps the kindergarten teachers get ready for the kindergarten open house!  And to think, they paid me to do this!

 

In case you don't want to watch the video!

The Meeting After the Meeting . . .

Since I don't know who reads my blog, I can't use names because this isn't public information yet, but here's the rest of the story . . . 

One of our tutor team was adamant that that we meet in a secure spot IMMEDIATELY after our meeting with the principal.  So we ran down the stairs to the book closet (yup, truly a closet filled with books!) where she announced, "I wasn't going to say anything yet, but I was going to resign at the end of the school year.  However, I'm going to resign today so that Margo and Angela don't have to lose as many hours."  Then she turned and glared at another tutor until she said, "I've already talked to Wade (aka The Principal) and I'm going to retire at the end of the year so hopefully you both will get your hours back."  

So while our hours haven't been restored yet at the time of this post, there is a good possibility that they will be.  Unfortunately, two of my favorite tutors will be leaving at the end of the year . . .

Change is on the Way!

There's nothing like coming home from work on a Monday night and getting this e-mail at home on your home e-mail from your principal:

I need to meet with you all tomorrow morning.  What time would work best to get everyone together? The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the impact of our Title I budget reductions for the 2022-2023 school year. 

Reductions.  Just the word to strike fear in the heart of an OHE tutor!

Our meeting was at 9 a.m. Tuesday morning.  The district is "equalizing" the buildings so everyone gets the same amount of Title One assistance.  Personally, we, the tutors, feel that not all of our buildings have the same clientele, so we don't all need equal Title One assistance.  But we're not in charge . . . 

Angela and I, the newest tutors, got our hours cut by thirty minutes a day and everyone else got their hours cut by fifteen minutes a day AND we all lost six days of work.  Better than what we expected.  Still very disappointing.  But stay tuned.  There's more to come . . . 

No Proof. No Grace. No Mercy.

To get right to the point, the students in my CPR class at the Y this morning had to show me proof of CPR certification that had not been expired for more than thirty days IN ORDER TO TAKE THE CLASS.  Tim sent his in early this week via email, the only one of ten students to do so.  

Fortunately, I had the foresight to copy the email stating that students needed to show proof of current CPR certification prior to taking class today in to my phone. 

I showed that very email to five students who showed up this morning WITHOUT proof of certification.  Hello!?!  READ.YOUR.EMAILS.

I had two in tears.  Sorry.  No proof.  No grace.  No mercy.  American Red Cross rules. 

Thankful Thursday!

I can't tell you how thankful I was Thursday morning when Jen came to join me in fourth grade for some Fast Bridge action!  There's something about sharing the pain with a friend that makes it so much easier . . . 

And the good news is . . . by 11 a.m. yesterday, we only had one fourth grader left to Fast Bridge.  Unfortunately, she won't be back in school until next Wednesday. 

Flee and Doppy!

By yesterday afternoon, I was slap happy!  Fortunately, I was back in fifth grade with the students who knew and loved me!  

My journey began Monday morning when the window opened for Fast Bridge testing.  I was the tutor chosen to do Fast Bridge with all of our fourth and fifth grade students.  I began to test our ninety fourth graders with three stories - "Dan and Joe", "Betty, Emma and Dan" and "Jim".  Why the writers of Fast Bridge weren't more creative in their titles, I don't know!  After lunch, it was on to seventy-five fifth graders and "Mark", "Apples" and "Dee and Floppy".  

That was all day Monday . . . Tuesday . . . Wednesday . . . Thursday . . . and Friday.  And Monday . . . 

No wonder "Dee and Floppy" became "Flee and Doppy" by Friday!

 

Happy Mother's Day!

 

We chose a "different" type of Mother's Day today where Sam and Micah honored my mother by going home to take care of my dad who just got out of the hospital.  With so many trips to Iowa over the past couple of months, my bionic knees just could not get in to a car ONE. MORE. TIME. and be bent up for six hours.  It was physically impossibly and mentally exhausting for me to even comprehend ONE. MORE. ROAD. TRIP.  So with my blessing and love, they hit the road this morning and will be back early this evening - giving my father a very happy Mother's Day!

Meanwhile, back at the fort, Matt and I went out for a quick lunch, stopped and picked up some m & m's and agreed that we both were looking forward to a quiet afternoon at home!

Steiger Update from Ukraine

 

When the war began in Ukraine, our Kyiv City Team was among the thousands who evacuated the city. As they sat in the endless traffic jam, one member, Denis, felt a tugging in his spirit. “As we pulled up to the metro station, I said to my friend, ‘Mat, I feel like I need to stay in Kyiv. I don’t understand why I would be leaving now. I need to stay.’ Another girl decided to stay with me. We got out of the car, burst into tears, and said goodbye.” The pair walked, hitchhiked, and finally took a subway back to the center of the city they had just fled.  Strengthened by the Holy Spirit, they opened the doors to the Steiger Community House, welcoming in anyone who needed a place to stay. And now, along with the physical relief the space provides, everyone who enters can feel the presence of God. Prayer, Bible Studies for the Non-Religious, and worship have become a lifeline.

In the midst of the chaos, fifteen young people gathered at the Community House to celebrate 3 years of the Bible Study for the Non-Religious in Kyiv.

Many of the people who have come to the house since that first night are not strangers. Instead, they are the same young people the Kyiv City Team has spent the past year pouring into.  “Christina also joined us. I was so surprised when I saw her with us in prayer. She, along with everyone else, sang praise songs, the words of which she looked up online,” Denis shared.  “After a few days, she received Jesus in her heart. I am so happy to see how her life and outlook has changed in these past few days of war. She devoured the Gospels one by one. Such stories are so inspiring and give even more strength in this difficult time.” Recently, on Easter morning, Christina was baptized, declaring to the world that she is a follower of Christ.

Baptisms like Christina’s are a ray of hope for our brave missionaries.

In the midst of the horrors and chaos of war, God is still at work. Please continue to pray for supernatural protection, strength, and wisdom for these brave followers of Jesus, and for our Steiger family across the Russian-speaking world.

Home At Last!

Imagine my surprise yesterday when I called Dad at the hospital and a lady answered the phone!  She had no idea who Dad was, but she was in his room which only meant one thing . . . he was home!  

Sure enough, I called him there.  Why he never let my sister or I know, but only called my brother who isn't speaking with either of us, I'll never know!

Uncle Bob brought him home Thursday afternoon.  Bob answered his cell phone, said sure, he'd bring Dad home and then came and picked him up.  Uncle Bob NEVER said he was at the dentist!  He just left, brought Dad home and then went back over to Spirit Lake (a fifteen minute drive!) to pick up his dentures!

The story only gets better . . . Dad was a bit surprised that the home health nurse hadn't stopped by yet.  It was almost 4:00 p.m. and he certainly thought she should have been there by now.  I told him to call her.  Well, he didn't want to do that.  Would I text his neighbor, Toni, who is an RN, and ask her if she could stop by?  Fortunately, Toni responded back to my text while I was still talking to Dad and said she'd stop over.  

The text I got from her this morning was priceless!  She read him the riot act and then said anytime he needed help, he could just call her!  If she was home, she would be there!

Bless the two ladies from church who have been bringing Dad groceries and mail and helping him in any way they can!  

Thankful Thursday!

This week has been "Teacher Appreciation Week" at our school and today I was appreciated!  One of my fifth graders, Charlotte, brought me a beautiful peach colored begonia in honor of "Bring a Plant to Your Teacher" today.

I say that to say I am so thankful that I am able to invest my life in theirs and to be an encourager to them!

 

Honored!

 

Sam received an email last week saying that one of his former fifth grade students was now a sophomore in high school and would like to honor Sam as his favorite teacher at tonight's baseball game.

Sam made it to most of the game where John played shortstop.  It was a fun time of reconnecting with families and friends from Sam's time at M.W. Savage.

After the game, John's thoughts about Sam were read over the loud speaker and vice versa.  Sam received the number one baseball gift of Cracker Jacks, popcorn  and gifts card to Holiday, Bricksworth Beer and Chick-fill-a.   

Sadly, Burnsville lost the game 4-1.

DONATE!!!

 

I don't know what you were doing this afternoon, but Micah and I were having a great time giving blood over at Celebration Church!

It has been SO long since we've both been able to donate blood at the SAME time, that we made the most of our opportunity!

Roe v. Wade

In 1993, at the request of our adoption agency, I began to pray for the overturning of "Roe v. Wade".  After almost thirty years of prayer, this adoptive parent of a recommended abortion (Matt's maternal grandfather thought that was the best option at that time) and a scheduled abortion (Micah who many of you were unknowingly praying for at that time), nothing brought me greater joy than to hear on the news that my prayers may be answered!  To God be the glory . . . 

It's Time to Shout the Truth From the Rooftops!

 

Sunday night, Sam, Micah and I went to No Longer Music's 2022 Summer Tour Kick Off - "IT'S TIME TO SHOUT IT FROM THE ROOFTOPS!"

Micah and I had served with NLM's 2017 summer tour in Ukraine  and were so excited to see them back in action after a Covid break.  We found familiar faces on stage and in the audience.  We had a wonderful evening enjoying head-banging music totally outside of our (Sam and I!) comfort zone!  

As they seek to share the gospel around the world with young people who would not walk into a church, may He be glorified! 

Dad is on the mend . . .

After a rather rough weekend where we weren't sure if Dad was going to make it or not (he was refusing visitors and phone calls), he got all of those nasty tubes out of him and is now feeling so much better!

Note:  This is his first beard in years!  He was so glad that my sister dropped his electric razor off yesterday.

The Graduation Cake!

 

This is the cake that Micah baked for her graduation party in NCU colors of navy blue, gold and white!  This is also the cake that we had fun sharing with our neighbors!