Looking Back in Photos!

Our blog has been neglected for the last several months. Things are busy here at Community School and between teaching and working in the dorm, there seems to be little time to update the blog. However, we do take the time to snap a quick photo here and there!

Oliver, Annie, Caitlin take some kids hiking in Warm Springs

Melanie takes a group of students to support our soccer team at Sage Willow

Annie enjoying a delicious meal prepared by our chef, Doug Durfey

We celebrated Thanksgiving- here's Mel and her mentor

We received a care package from Mama Deb

We prepared bouquets for parents weekend

Started our own Sun Valley Dorm Olympics- Here is Weixia and her team

We are still praying for snow!

Rocking their holiday gifts

Annie cannot take the shock of seeing Josh vacuum

Melanie and Todd constructing their gingerbread village

Celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival

and toasting at our formal advisor dinner!

Oct. 8

This week is spirit week. Tuesday Annie and Caitlin dressed up as Elliot and E.T. and rode their bikes to school! Pretty clever girls...

 Busy talking about differentiation in our Tues. morning seminar. 

Jumping In!

Hello blog followers!

Annie here, with my first blog post!  It’s pretty daunting to sit down and try to sum up everything that’s happened to me here in the past two months (TWO MONTHS?!)  The phrase that comes most to mind is ‘jumping in.’  I feel that that is really all that TTA is.  We constantly push ourselves and are pushed by other to jump into new situations.  One of the reasons that I wanted to participate in TTA is because in my interviews there was so much discussion about how taking risks leads to growth.  This really resonated with me.  And in the two months that I have been here, I have felt that this school not only talks this talk, but walks this walk.  To me, ‘jumping in’ fits with this because jumping can feel like taking a risk, but also contains the excitement that goes along with it.  Here are some of the ways I have gotten to ‘jump in.’

•      -Living at the dorm was a huge ‘jump in.’  I went from having no kids to 21 teenagers in a day!  Living with them definitely presents its challenges (21 is a lot to parent) but is also so rewarding and fun.
•     I joke that my relationship with the other interns has been 0-60.  We went from not knowing each other to being friends, co-workers, roommates, parents, students and adventure buddies.  We have been having a blast and learning a lot from each other.
•     I have totally jumped (or dived!) into the hot springs of Idaho.  I have already visited five and am looking to ramp up that number.
•     My relationship with my mentor, Chad, is really special.  We have gone from having never met to spending all day together in less than two months.  It is a relationship that I am already learning so much from. 
•     Today, I taught most of the lesson in government.  This was especially exciting because it was Parents’ Day!  I was definitely nervous but by the end parents were even participating in the discussion which was a blast.

I could continue but I know that I have already gone waaaaaay more than six words.  Life here is exciting, dynamic, challenging, hysterical, wild and fun, and right now, that is perfect.

-Annie

Caitlin and I try to do a jumping photo at Alice Lake.  I missed the time...

p.s.  I’ll come up with my six word story at some point!

From hardwork comes memories, laughter, growth

Several months ago I sat in a staff meeting and tried to come up with a six word story to describe my Spring Break to the other teachers gathered in the room. This assignment was given to me by Janet, the Elementary Head of School.  Ernest Hemingway had once been challenged to write a six word story and came up with "For sale: baby shoes, never worn."
I want to put this challenge to our Dream Team-come up with a six word story to describe their experience here. Either in the valley, at the school, or in the Residence Hall. Oh, and Dream Team-- see if you can't make it a little more uplifting than Ernie's... 

From hardwork comes memories, laughter, growth.

I'm 98% hardwork counts as one word. It's ONE word...anyways--

This year has been a challenging one for me. Adjusting to a new role and managing so much all at once has thrown me out of my comfort zone. I constantly grapple with ‘balance’ in my life- knowing the scales will never be perfectly equal because I work in a pretty non-traditional boarding school and let’s face it, there is no clear line between home and work, personal life and school life, friends and co-workers. I have realized that through my hardwork (one word) I can experience growth, happiness, and a sense of achievement in my personal and professional life. When I heed my Grandma Gloria’s advice and  ‘don’t sweat the small stuff’ I can find the humor in all situations and move on. I am not an example of perfection and I don’t strive to be. I work hard (two words) and that is all I can expect from those around me. What a rich experience this has been so far; I have made so many wonderful memories with those I live and work with!

I wouldn’t trade it for $1,000,000.00. (one word)

Our first care package...

Thank you Deb Yates!!!

Photo Update!

The Goldmine is a favorite destinations during downtime...

Annie climbing 'Thigh Master"...kinda.

Teaching Fellows on the first day of School!

Blogger-tunities

With the ever changing technological advancements, we have to keep our language current. Instead of 'Kodak moments' we have been looking for 'blogger-tunities'- any moment that should be captured and what is the point of pictures if there is no blog to upload them to? So here are a few from our orientation week so far.

Interns arrived to a smoke filled Sun Valley

Melanie and Annie on the River Run chairlift. We rode the gondola up and had lunch at the Roundhouse.

Our first Outdoor Trip-- to the secret hot springs!

Caitlin and Melanie - Go Yotes!

Weixia- "I have never made a sandwich." "This is definitely a blogger-tunity!"

Weixia, Annie and Oliver

Hang on! It's going to be a wild year!