run to the beat 2013

In late September I had the chance to run in the Basel Marathon for the third year in a row. This year I ran the 10k distance and set a new personal best for myself of 1:08! There is quite the group of runners here in the BFA community. I've already written about my journey to a healthier lifestyle through running, but I have to say again what a blessing it has been for me to have a handful of solid running buddies to keep me in check and push me to go farther. Here are a few shots from our exciting race day!

About to begin my fourth race with my best friends

Feeling great after finishing!

Allison's first time running the 10k

Brittany and Heather are excited to finish!

Our awesome cheering squad

Ellen finishing the half marathon

Jacob finishing the half marathon

Ahna (blue shirt) represented BFA by placing first in the women's 10k!

Moments after receiving my official time. Ecstatic.

step into my classroom: oreo moon phases

Within the last year and a half, I have become a devoted "pinner," using Pinterest to gather ideas for recipes, DIY projects, and lesson plans. At the ICEC conference last March I was challenged to start making my pins a reality, so I have been working on adding new activities, lessons, etc. to my teacher toolbox. Recently I did a lesson on the phases of the moon with my eighth graders and decided to spice it up a bit with a Pinteresting idea. For this activity, students created an edible model of the lunar calendar using Oreo cookies. Some groups had more luck than others (generic German "oreos" are quite crumbly!) but I think overall it went well. Of course, the addition of food makes any lesson more fun!