Texas in September

Here's the update for the Month of September!

First, I'm behind on documenting my travels:

Since June, I've been to the following cities:

Detroit, MI
Los Angeles, CA (Twice)
New York, NY
New Jersey & Philly (back and forth 3 times)
Toronto, Canada (Twice)

After a very busy spring, it's been a quiet summer for travel. It's been great to get settled in and not flying out week after week. I expect to be slow through September, but anticipate a busy fall with trips back to FL and probably NJ again.

Kayleigh is doing great in school. On Friday, we had our first parent/teacher conference, and she's got A's in Reading, Spelling & Social Studies, and B's in Math and Science. You'll have to read her blog about the latest school news. Apparently she's made quite an impression already! We are all very proud of her.

We also attended the Grandparent's Luncheon on Friday. It was a special event where the Grandparents (and other family members) could have lunch with the kids, then attend the book fair afterwards. Here is a picture of Kayleigh with her Grandma and Grandpa:



After Lunch we all went to the book fair where Grandma and Grandpa loaded up on books. Every year, teachers make out a wish-list of books they would like to have for the classroom library. They bought two books for Kayleigh's class and many others for her to enjoy.

I took lots of other pictures of the students because the one thing this school is big on is technology. Every teacher has their own website, and parents can pull their students progress online and see the balance of their lunch account funds at any time. Crazy huh??? Well, the teacher needed some help with her website, so I have volunteered to update her site once a month, and put up the monthly newsletter on her website. When I was there on Friday, I took all the photos from the Grandparents Lunch and put them onto Ms. Winski's computer. Now her screen saver has pictures of her students!

Over the past couple of days I've been struggling with a flu bug. I can't remember the last time I slept so much! I wish I could say I was feeling better, but at the moment I'm just trying my best to get through it. I need to be better by Tuesday because along with doing the website, I am also volunteering on a field trip to "Exchange City" scheduled for October 4th. This is an amazing place put together by the Houston Junior Acheivment program. Here is info taken from their website:

Exchange City brings the free enterprise and entrepreneurial business world to life for 4th through 6th grade students and creates breakthrough partnerships for transforming American education. Exchange City is based on the principle that students learn best by doing.

Students learn a number of real-life skills in their six weeks of preparation leading up to their day at Exchange City. They learn to fill out deposit slips, write checks and balance a personal checkbook. Students determine the jobs for which they are qualified and interested, and apply for these positions. They even elect the mayor and judge for their day at Exchange City. Students prepare a business plan and complete a loan application. They learn the difference between needs and wants and how limited resources force individuals to make consumer choices. By preparing for and performing the roles of producers and consumers, students learn firsthand about the economic processes that will affect their futures. The role producers play in the economy – the reason grown-ups get paid for working – is one of the most important concepts Exchange City’s hands-on approach teaches children.

During their day running Exchange City, students hold such jobs as: entrepreneur, manager, banker, newspaper reporter, accountant, retail clerk, police officer, service worker, disc jockey, and many others. They manufacture items for sale, determining how many to make, what to charge and how to ensure quality. Students issue payroll checks and produce a newspaper using desktop publishing software. They learn what it means to create a business, produce a product, meet payroll, meet customer needs and expectations, repay bank loans and serve the public through tax-supported services. Imagine the pride on a child’s face when they pay off their shop’s bank loan and realize a healthy profit.

Exchange City reinforces students’ language arts, social studies, math and technology skills by giving them real-life applications. It vividly illustrates the connection between hard work and tangible success, while teaching responsibility, leadership, decision-making and team-building. Students learn about economics and entrepreneurs in ways that will shape their attitudes and knowledge about the American enterprise system and their roles, responsibilities and options within it. They remember Exchange City as a profound and exciting learning experience long after their visit.

Exchange City also benefits teachers and parents. Exchange City helps teachers create learning environments for students to have real rather than imagined experiences, active rather than passive learning, and actual decision-making with consequences they will bear. The first-rate learning strategies and activities correlate to state mandates, district objectives, community priorities and needs. Parent volunteers can work with their children’s schools and teachers in ways that are positive, meaningful and productive, and to increase their child’s knowledge of their own careers, workday experiences and values about personal responsibilities.

In order to be a volunteer for this program, I have to attend a 3 hour training session on Tuesday. Kayleigh is really excited about it already.

I have not been able to put up the pictures of the house color schemes because I'm waiting for some new software (Photoshop Elements) to arrive. My computer is dying actually, so we've just ordered a new one and I got to order the software I've been wanting to get so I can do all the fun photo and DVD editing I haven't had the power to do with my current system.

That's about all the news we have from TX for now. I'll post more in a few days!