The Most Unforgettable Person You Know

One of my new favorite things to do in my new home of Bloomington is to wake up early, while Brett is still deep asleep, and go for a long walk. I plug in my ipod into my ears and listen to "This American Life" a radio show on NPR that features stories. This week's show was inspired by the The Georgia Rambler a column in an Atlanta newspaper where the journalist would drive to small towns and ask, "Who is the most unforgettable person you know?". The show featured seven stories from that very same question.

I have to ask, what would happen if I did the same thing? What stories would come out? Who would people pick?

I asked my husband, Brett, who was the most unforgettable person he knew and he sputtered something about his dad and his twin brother Eric. It was difficult for Brett to qualify why he felt these two individuals could wear the title of unforgettable.

Now to ask me; who is the most unforgettable person I know? Unforgettable isn't the person who has changed me significantly or the person who has inspired me to be who I am today. Unforgettable is the person who you can see, smell, and their energy erupts out as stories are retold. To that I can only think of one person in my life who could meet those requirements - my friend Joya.

Just barely skimming 5' Joya made up for her short stalky stature by being loud and noticed quickly. Brett loves stories that feature Joya as he laughs with a loud cackle at each detail described. Stories told about Joya must be told in a specific dialect. One that is slow and vowels are slurred. The word bunny becomes bonnie with a lazy tongue barely wanting to move. In my mind she is almost like a folklore figure - larger than life. Joya known for uncanny words and nicknames to anyone she met. If she didn't like you, you were named for a feature that was unpleasant. For the counselor that had overweight arm fat that dripped and dribbled as she walked, qualified for a Joya nickname of "Dumplings". I would come home from running an errand to find Joya spread out on my couch like a blanket basking in the cold frosty AC air. She would only have the energy to turn to me and say, "I'm not going up to the fourth floor - I'm staying right here." She didn't ask permission for things - she informed people what would be happening.

Who is the most unforgettable person you know?

Guess Who's Getting Hitched???

So the day has FINALLY come! Brett and Ms. Conroy are getting married. I have about 40 lbs. of hairspray in my hair and 100 bobby pins holding everything up. I cannot believe the day has finally come. I am so excited and I hope I don't mess anything up. Last night at the rehearsal the priest at our church told me that I shouldn't be shy and I should speak up when I have my vows. I totally pulled out my teacher voice to practice. I don't think being quiet will be a problem for me. A wedding as I have learned is basically just like a great big party where ALL of your friends and family come and have the best time ever -- at least we hope they have the best time. It will be very interesting to see all of my friends and Brett's in the same room. Let's just say we have different types of friends. Brett's are all very unique. You have Kit who is a PhD student in DC and cuts his own hair, Adam whose nickname is T-Rex, and you have Hebert who is so obsessed with LSU that he bleeds purple and gold. My friends on the other hand (I think) are totally normal and very sophisticated. But it will be so great to see. Mrs. Farrar and her husband will be there dancing the night away. And you know that Journey will be playing if I have anything to do with it. I wish you all could be there today and see it all unfold. No worries - I will have many pictures up so you can see what I look like. Wish me luck! :)

Love,

Ms. Conroy

Ps. Does anyone want to guess how many cats William has? My bet is 7.

New Kitten

I got another cat :-O.

About Him:

Breed: Unknown

Type: Kitten

Age: Unknown

Acts:

Shy untill you touch him. Once you touch him he will rub you and purr.

2010-06-22

This is my new cat that we got from the pound.

1 Truck Full of Stuff

Imagine...taking all of the contents of you room and putting them in boxes. That means books, clothes, toys, and of course shoes. Imagine...boxes and boxes and boxes containing all of those possessions. Imagine...all of the furniture you use everyday in your home. Imagine...your chairs, TV, Wii, cables, DVDs, computers, bed, blankets, and even you cocoa puffs. Imagine taking everything that you need to make your life normal - how much stuff would it be? Well if its like me, it would be a LOT!

Brett and I spent 3 hours loading a moving truck and filled it to the brim with our most prized things. We filled the truck by carefully stacking each package in the bright hope that its contents will not shatter into a million pieces. Tomorrow we drive to Indiana. According to Google Maps our trip should only take 9 hours and 30 min. However, the truck can only go a max speed of 45 mph when going up a hill - that means we will be on the road forever!!!!

I got an email today from the teacher I will be working with next year, Heather Rock, and she offered to help Brett and I unload our truck once we get into Bloomington. I can't even begin to explain how touched I am that someone I haven't even met yet wants to help unload all of my junk.

Do you all have any moving stories? What have you all done when you have had to move? What would you absolutely take if you had to move?

Will keep you all updated on our new home!

Love,

Ms. Conroy

What are YOU reading?L

So I just spent some time with a very good friend of mine who is a librarian in a school up in Northern Virginia. Her apartment is like a mini library with books stacked EVERYWHERE! It's fantastic. Every time I see her I always come away with a list of great books to read. I'm curious to hear what books you all are reading and what you recommend. I want to read a ton when I'm on my honeymoon and sitting on the beach with my new husband. Here are some of the books that I have been enjoying and plan to read:

The Help

By Kathryn Stockett

Definitely a book to read if you're okay with reading about challenging topics like race relations in the South. This story is told by three different narrators - two are African American housekeepers and the third is a young white lady who wants to be writer and tell the story of what life is really like as a housekeeper in the South. This story is so well written and weaves seamlessly in and out of descriptions that I really feel like I am in the story! I have heard that this book is GREAT on audio because you hear the different voices so clearly. I am still reading this book but I have found myself staying up later and later trying to find out what happens. Definitely check it out with your parents if you plan to read because there is some language that they might not want you to read. Overall - a fantastic book and definitely one that I will be keeping on my shelf.

The Truth About Forever

By Sarah Dessen

This is one of my all-time favorites (except for The Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankenweiler) and I literally read it every summer. Definitely a book I would recommend for girls but there may be some boys that might like it. This story is about a girl who has a boyfriend that expects her to act a certain way all the time. She starts working with a catering company while he is at "nerd" camp and discovers that through this disorganized and insane job that she is good enough to be who she is. Definitely a book that is for young adults (you guys) and has some references of high school behavior (partying) but is a story I cannot put down. I love this author and I think she does an amazing job of having her characters come to life.

Listening Is An Act of Love

Edited by Dave Isay

I picked this book up for my trip after reading the first paragraph! It is a collection of stories written by people who participated in Story Corps. (Remember those personal narratives we wrote and recorded guys?). So basically this group goes around the country asking people to tell stories about the people they love and experiences they have. The notion is that oral history (what stories your grandparents would tell) is disappearing and we are losing the great stories to tell our family's pasts. These stories are so inspirational and there is something about hearing them out loud. Hopefully reading these stories will have the same impact. I can't wait to read this book and will give you all a better review once I finish.

So my question to you is - what are YOU reading? What are the books that you cannot put down this summer? You have time to read and if you need a suggestion - just ask me. I have a list that I am dying to pass along to you. If you have any suggestions to read definitely let me know. :)

Happy Reading!

Love, Ms. Conroy

Hey Ms....i mean Mrs. Conroy-

I am so excited for you and hope you have a great time! This year I had Mrs.Webb as my 6th grade english teacher and I learned so much from her. We read books like A Study in Scarlet by the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle to A Midsummer Night's Dream by the one and only Shakespeare. As I continue to blog I will share some pieces that I wrote this year!

From,

Hannah Curry

Emma wants a bath!

You all know, I have a weird dog - Emma. She eats vanilla ice cream and sucks the heads off of her toy animals. She likes to sleep in my bed and chase deer in the back yard. She has very odd habits but overall you can't help but love how adorable she is. I think she has gone off the deep end.

It was late last night and I was just getting home from a trip up to DC to see some of my close friends. My parents had gone out to dinner for a UVA event and I was at home "babysitting" the dog. Emma insisted on following me wherever I went upstairs and wanted to be right by my side. My phone rings and I am temporarily not paying attention to the lovely 60 lb. lump of yellow fur when all of a sudden I hear a huge crash in the bathroom. I immediately think, "Did I leave something that fell?" "Was it a tree?"...when I walk into my bathroom I see my dog standing in the bathtub waiting for her fun to begin.

Does she want a bath? Does she want to play? Does she want this to be her new bed? I really don't know or understand how we could have gotten such a strange dog.

Ms. Conroy won't be unemployed

Attention!!
Ms. Conroy will not be homeless, completely broke, and only able to eat PB&J sandwiches everyday while Brett is in graduate school. After all the worries and concerns, yesterday Ms. Conroy got the phone call that the Project School is offering her a job!!

You have to understand that after an hour and 15 min. long interview of intense questioning on my philosophy of teaching (why I do it, how do I help my kids, what do I use to teach my kids, how does social justice play a role in my classroom...) that I wasn't really sure what was going to happen. I had actually convinced myself that next year would only be a waste and I"d be answering telephones in the Russian Department at Indiana University. Now my outlook on moving to Bloomington has completely changed.

You might be asking, so Ms. Conroy what is so different about this school? Is it anything like Crozet Elementary? Great question - I think for you guys who have been in my classroom (maybe multiple years) know that our classroom environment was pretty different than other classrooms (or at least I like to think that). I worked really hard to focus on things like choice, and doing hands-on things. But you former Crozet kids should know that my style of teaching isn't all that common in a lot of schools. I think it's really important that you all experience learning just like it happens in the real world and that worksheets and boring text books aren't the best way to learn. My new school - all the great things I love about my classroom, happens all over the school!! They have writing and reading workshop and math workshop to do real world problem solving. Not only that but the kids there take a class called the "Passions" class where they choose what topic they want to study!! How awesome is that?? If you are passionate about animals and animal adaptations - you get to study and take a class on it! I guess I should plan to pull out the meal worms again! :)

I think what I am most excited about is the fact that I never thought I would get this job. You guys probably don't know this but jobs for teachers are getting pretty tough. State budgets are not giving enough money to schools and principals are having to let teachers go. In the city I'm moving to over 80 teachers had already been told they wouldn't be coming back next year. If there are 80 teachers that no longer have a job, I wasn't so sure I would be selected to get a position. But when I saw this school I thought - for sure they won't need me. They would think that I wasn't good enough or had enough experience to be a part of their school. I want you all to know that no matter what you think is too high of a reach - it isn't. Somehow I got it, I got something that I NEVER would have thought I could get. I really stretched and applied for something even though I didn't think it would happen. And look where I am?? I get to get married, move to Indiana, AND have a job (that pays real money , not just Conroy cash). I am so happy and I have to thank many of my former students to make it happen. You all are the reason I teach and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to teach you.

Anyway this is my future school - check it out...tell me what you think!

www.bloomingtonprojectschool.org

Love,
Ms. Conroy

Leaving Crozet? Arriving to Bloomington?

I have a phone interview today and I'm applying for a teaching job in Bloomington, Indiana at a school that focuses on choice, writing, and hands on learning. Sounds like a dream job? I am so terrified though. I have loved my time at Crozet Elementary and working with all of my kiddos. I am so comfortable with my coworkers and knowing that they trust and know me well. They understand my jokes and my passion for teaching. But these new people - they don't know me at all. I am scared ... I am nervous that I won't be able to tell them all they need to know in 20 min. or less. I am scared that I might talk too fast and they won't understand me. I'm terrified that they might think I am not good enough for their school.

I have taught you all in some way (I hope!) and I know that there is something very special about our classroom. You all came in each day excited to learn (or maybe just excited to see what crazy things we would be doing). Is this something I can recreate next year? Do I have the energy and push to do it all again?

I will let you all know how it goes today. I will be thinking of you all as I talk about reading, writing, and all of our daily activities. Cross your fingers for me!!

Love,

Ms. Conroy

Spyder is Jason

Hey guys,
How are you doing? How's Henley?
I'm going to miss Ms.Conroy.

Miss you

hey ms. conroy whats going on im going to miss being able to say ohh lets go to crozet school and say hey to youu i would have to drive all the way indiana just to say hi but anyway good luck in the married lifeee have fun in your newww lifeee :)

hey

hey mrs. conroy

whats up?

i hope you like it in indiana!

noelle daly

WELCOME!!

Former students - WELCOME!

This is our new blog and you all are cordially invited to post to our blog. The purpose of this space online is for past students of Crozet Elementary to be able to post personal writing, thoughts, and updates on what is happening in their lives. You can comment on people's posts using compliments, quotes, and questions. I hope this is a place where you all can share and continue your love of writing. And since you all my former students, you all get to critique my writing and stories as well.

I hope this blog will be a positive place and that invited students will use it as a tool to connect with others and share great ideas. If you cannot be supportive or thoughtful with your words, I would ask that you not be a part of our community.

Again, welcome!!