Whew! Where has the time gone?

I don't know where the time has gone. My best intentions are to post at least every three days, but it seems life just seems to be getting in the way. I have had technical difficulties with my computer and learning how to navigate all the new applications we are exploring. In addition, I have also lost several pieces of writing just as I was trying to post them.
School on the island has now started in earnest. There have been a multitude of schedule and duty changes as we all learn to live in our newly renovated and expanded building. Did you know it is possible for the architects and building committee to design a new cafeteria where the students all can’t fit for lunch? Our solution: seventh and eighth grades have lunch with students in grades K-4, and fifth and sixth graders eat lunch with the 9-12 grade students.
I am learning how to teach in my new classroom which was the K-12 art room before renovations. My space is full of natural light and for the first time in ten years at ICS I can actually see the bay from my classroom. The students and I are having an interesting time learning how to work our new high-tech lights which seem to have a mind of their own. The lights not only have motion detectors and will turn off on you while quietly watching a video, but will override the manual dimmers to unexpectedly blind you with light when they think it is too dark in the room. The trick for us is to learn how to get the lights to see us as friends not foes.

Some of the windows in my new classroom.

The following link will bring you to the Islesboro Central School webpage where you can view pictures of our renovations.
http://www.islesboro-central.islesboro.k12.me.us/