What's Going On?

Not too much!  But I know there are some interested parties, so I will try to elaborate a bit on that.

School has been going well.  End of the year assessments are over and now it's time for the fun stuff!  Stuff I should have been doing all year, but can never seem to fit it in.  The girls did well on their assessments.  They all showed growth in reading level and the number of high frequency words they could recognize.  My third graders showed growth on letter/sound recognition.  They really just have to work on vowels and letter sounds that they don't have in Arabic.  Thing is ADEC expects them to pronounce all sounds correctly by 3rd grade.  That's just not happening.  Their writing is improving as well.  Most, not all, actually write in sentences with capital letters and periods (3rd and 4th grade).  4th graders are beginning to use commas!  Math is a different story.  They don't know their facts so that makes it hard for them.  So, I have been emphasizing facts at school.  I have been telling parents to work with them at home on memorizing the facts, but that's not happening either so now we're working on it at school.  Like I said, something that I should have been doing all along but there really isn't any time and it's something so easy they can do it at home but they don't.  My 4th graders found out I won't be there next year and they were pretty upset.  I haven't told them where I'll be, but Cindy suggested telling them and seeing how many follow me!!  That would be funny!  The teachers know that I am leaving and they want me to stay too.  It's a nice feeling to be wanted, but I don't want to stay there.  One of the teachers, I don't know her name, has a son who will be in 4th grade next year so she said that I would see her everyday as she dropped her son off and picked him up.  I guess I should find out her name!!  End of the year meetings are underway and I really don't want to be there.  Most of them have to do with what is going to happen next year, and honestly I don't care.  I am praying that my attitude would change because I have to go to the meetings and I should have a Christ like attitude while there.  So that's what I'm praying for and that maybe God would use me in the meetings somehow.  The last day for students is June 21.  We'll see what happens!  My last day is July 12 and we found out that all we have to do on the 12th is sign in and then we can leave!!  Thank God!  That was a terrible day last year when I knew that my friends at other schools were just signing in and leaving.  So, that's about all that is happening at school.

New School.  Not much to report here.  My resignation has finally been accepted!  I haven't gotten any information with 100% certainity from ENS (Emirates National School) about moving.  90% sure that I will be able to move before I leave, but not 100%.  90% is about all I'm going to get this early!  I will be emailing this week to see if they have figured out where I will be living and if they can give me a date when I can move.  I have to try, right?!

Weekends in Dubai are going to change.  Cindy and her family are going back to the States and then to Doha:(  Doha's in Qatar, by the way.  I will miss them, but I know that I will continue to keep in touch with Cindy and Sarah via email, facebook, and skype.  I am going to try to spend the weekends with Lucia, but I'm not sure how it's going to go.  She only rents a room in a 2 bedroom apt. so we'll be sharing a room.  It will be different, but I know, and like Lucia so I'm going to give it a try.

Summer plans.  Right now, there are none:(  I want to book a flight but I am waiting for the exit procedure from ADEC.  I am emailing them this week, as well, to try to find out if I'll be able to get everything done and have my passport back so I can leave by July 13 or 14 at the latest.

Lots of unknowns and lots of changes, but I know God knows and He is in control and I will rest in His ultimate plan and His perfect timing!!  That's what I'm praying.

109 at 7:40.  It's getting HOT!