Good News!

1. State speech was this past Saturday. I had one student take 3rd place in Extemporaneous Speaking, and one take 11th place in Great Speeches. This is very exciting for us, as it's our highest finish yet (we are a young school, after all :-)). I'm very proud, and it couldn't have happened to a better student.

2. Last week, our literary arts magazine debuted its third issue (the first one under my supervision). Because our budget was cut, we gave free copies only to the authors/artists in the magazine, the communication and arts teachers, and the administration (including the superintendent and school board...gotta get that funding back :-)). The rest we are selling for $1 (it cost .84 to print each one). In only 2 days of selling, we have already sold over 50 (and we only printed 125!). We are very pleased. We will be selling them during the intermissions of the play this weekend as well, so we hope to sell out.

3. Because of my affiliation with speech and lit mag, and because earlier this year I attempted (unsuccessfully) to get a Poetry Out Loud! competition going at our school, I have become known as the "poetry person" at school. When a rep from Barnes and Noble came to school a couple of weeks ago to talk about a poetry contest they were having, the principal sent her right to me. They are of course celebrating National Poetry Month (April...what are YOU doing to celebrate today?), and are having a big poetry night. WELL, out of nearly 300 submissions, one of our five entries won! And another got honorable mention! They get to read them aloud next week with the poet who judged them. Very cool.

I'm so proud of my students today. You don't get this feeling from many jobs :-).