the top ten of 2010

With 2011 just around the corner, everyone is doing their "Best of" compilations. On the homepage of Yahoo I've already spotted the best and worst of Celebrity Baby Names, Food Trends, and Viral Videos, to name a few. So for your reminiscing pleasure, here are my top ten blog posts of 2010 in chronological order. Some are highlights from my teaching, others are milestones, and a few are just plain silly. I had a hard time narrowing it down to ten, but if there were any more this couldn't be called the Top Ten, now could it? Enjoy!

my first speedo experience - 7th grade class party at Laguna waterpark

my first 5K race - Kerzers, Switzerland

promoted to glory - the death of great-grandma, my unexpected trip home

experiential learning week - the 8th grade class trip to Lugano, Switzerland

the creation museum - day trip with my Lifebuilder family

schnitzel poptarts - the oven saga

opening ceremonies - the first day of school

chicka chicka boom boom - the middle school fall party --hilarious video!

france in the fall - a 24-hour retreat --great pictures!

christmas - a few days with good friends from Vienna

frohe weihnachten

Today I had a wonderful time with my friends Amanda and Carrie, who are visiting me this week from Vienna, Austria. They're both teachers at the International Christian School of Vienna and we met two and a half years ago at our Pre-Field Orientation. I haven't seen them since last Christmas so it's been fun to show them around Kandern and enjoy their company.


Christmas "morning" in the Greenhouse

getting ready for Christmas brunch

Christmas brunch!!

French toast, sausage, and eggs... yum!

I wonder what's in this package?

Shaking the presents...

My first lasagna...aren't you proud of me, mom?

Christmas Dinner - homemade lasagna, garlic bread, salad

Merry Christmas!!



Christmas [break] is here

I can't believe Christmas break is finally here! It seems like just last week we were welcoming students to the middle school and settling into routines, and then suddenly we were taking final exams and cleaning out lockers! Where does the time go??

There was lots of activity during the last few weeks of school. I kicked off my Christmas season at a Christmas tea with the ladies of Black Forest Christian Fellowship.

Later that week, the BFA choirs performed at Kandern's Christmas market. Because our town is small, our Christmas market is basically some food booths and flaming logs around which people roast their wursts-on-a-stick and sip their gluhwein.

Students performing at the Blumenplatz

The next weekend I attended the middle school Christmas party where students revealed their Secret Santas, ate snacks, and watched Home Alone. The following week, we had the Chrysalis Christmas party which was planned by my group of seniors. They heard the story of the Magi and talked about selfless giving, had a white elephant gift exchange with their small groups, then played games like "make your Chrysalis leader into a snow sculpture."



Christmas worship

the makings of a snow monster

7th grade boys working hard

an army of abominable snow monsters

one of the winning designs?

On the last Sunday before finals week, BFA held its annual Christmas concert. All of my students participated in the concert, whether by singing in the choir or playing in the beginning band or orchestra. I am so proud of the work my students have put forth this semester. Some of them have juggled multiple extracurriculars (music, intramural sports, play practice, chapel band...) and managed to keep their grades high as well!

middle schoolers on clarinet and flute!

middle schoolers on flute, french horn, and trombone

8th graders on violin and cello

8th graders on violin

middle school choir

don't my boys look sharp??

lovely ladies

Now that I've graded all my final exams and finished posting grades for the quarter, I have some time to breathe and catch up on life. My first priority has been sleep, followed by shopping for Christmas presents and writing my Christmas cards. For the second year I will be spending Christmas here in Germany. I'll miss my family (thank you God for Skype!) but I won't be alone either; on the 23rd my good friends Amanda and Carrie will be visiting from Vienna and will stay for several days! I'm so excited to see them and show them my "world" here in Kandern.

Merry Christmas! Check back soon for my second quarter newsletter!

let it snow

We've finally made it to finals week! While my 7th and 8th graders have been studying hard for their final exams, my 6th grade math class has been learning about symmetry (no finals for 6th graders!). What better way than by making paper snowflakes?? I researched and found a bunch of templates for them, including a few Star Wars designs that I read about on this blog. I found other more traditional templates here. Check out their awesome snowflakes! I loved seeing their creative juices flowing and watching their unique personalities come out in the designs they created.

TJ figured out the tie fighters on his first try!

Micah and his original leafy design

Abby, star girl

Nathan did an awesome job on the stag!!

Naomi's nordic design and Jonah's holiday love

Cailyn's crown!

Let it snow!!

After our snowflaking, we decorated the middle school hallway

snowmen

Star Wars: the universal love language of 6th grade boys



candlelight

This post has nothing to do with BFA... I came across this video on the Yahoo homepage and couldn't stop laughing. Hope you enjoy it and learn a little about Jewish history.

schnee! (snow!)

On Thursday night as I walked home from Maugenhard, my feet got soaked. There was a wintery mix of rain and snow falling, and the streets and sidewalks were covered with a layer of slush. When I got home I stuffed my shoes with newspaper, put them by the radiator, and fell into bed, exhausted from a long day. The next morning I awoke to a strange feeling... the light streaming through my curtains seemed too bright. At first I thought I'd overslept, but I checked the clock and my heart rate returned to normal. Peeking through the curtain my heart skipped a beat - SNOW! A good 2-3 inches of snow!! So, I took my time getting to school and took some pictures along the way.

three thanksgivings

Here in Europe, Thanksgiving is not a national holiday. That means we don't get any vacation time. Yep, we go along with our normal business and attend school on Thanksgiving. Go ahead, feel bad for us, but I think we get the better end of the deal. Because we don't get any vacation time, we like to make up for it by having as many Thanksgiving feasts as possible. This year, I had three Thanksgivings!

My first Thanksgiving was last week, with my friends at Maugenhard dorm. This is my second year celebrating with Maug and once again it was a delicious, fun-filled evening with some very neat young men who have so much to be thankful for. Here are a few shots from Maug Thanksgiving:


Thanksgiving - Hogwarts Style!

I sat in the middle ... and couldn't see the end!

The other end... hi Mark!!

It's not Thanksgiving without a slice of pumpkin pie smothered in cream!

Thanksgiving number two was at Liel dorm, where ten of my students live with their dorm parents, Bob and Sue Kummer, and their RA, Lauren. I had hoped to make them Great Grandma Bertschi's sweet potatoe casserole, but alas, I couldn't get my hands on sweet potatoes. Some things are nearly impossible to come by here in Germany. So instead, I made dessert, my mom's peanut butter fingers. The Liel feast was on a Sunday afternoon and a much smaller gathering compared to Maug. I really enjoyed spending the day with my students and watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving with them (it was the first time for some!!).

Everyone at Liel made a card for someone else - this is the card I made!

Waiting for dinner

Pumpkin Pie!

Mom's Peanut Butter Fingers... my first time making them!

A few of the Liel ladies - Laura, Priscilla, and Kaelah

Dogpile!!

Luke and Josh, 8th graders

Ira, Joyce, and Kate, 8th graders

Liel dorm staff - Aunt Sue, Uncle Bob, and Laura

 Until yesterday, I thought I would have to settle for only two Thanksgivings. Yes, I know two is more than enough, but I wanted to top last year and have three feasts this year. At the last minute, I was invited to the Watsons' house for a quick bite to eat before our basketball team's first scrimmage of the year. Little did I know that would be my third Thanksgiving! We were all running a bit late, so we ended up sitting down to eat just 25 minutes before we had to be at school for the scrimmage (I was running the clock and scoreboard so I couldn't be late!). In 20 minutes we managed to scarf down turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, bread, corn, AND dessert, apple cobbler!! I've never been more stuffed in all my life, but it was so worth it!!