It's Back

It's that time of the year again y'all. A glorious time of year. While going back to school kinda stinks, the next 4 months are about to make it all worth it. I'm talking about football. It's back. Finally.

There are so many things to love about this time of the year and I'm very excited for each one of them. Football, tailgating, College Gameday, pumpkin beer, pumpkin flavored everything for that matter, and just fall in general. Wishing each and everyone one of you a fabulous fall and football season!

Happy first week of college football! It's back. Get excited.

A college football kick-off post from me is not complete without a little FSU pump up video clip :)

 

Go Noles!

Birthday Weekend

This is a very important weekend in the Adams-Roche family, as we are celebrating two special birthdays back to back. Today is my brother's birthday and tomorrow is my sister-in-law's birthday. I can't wait to celebrate all weekend with my amazing siblings!

Happy Birthday Chris and Erika!

First Week

I survived the first week of school. Barely. Hardly. I'm exhausted. But I survived. Only 35 more weeks to go. It went pretty well, but I'm already over working an insane amount of hours again.

On the first day of school Monday. I look pretty excited, huh? 

My prayer buddy from church brought me a little gift to help me get through the week :)

I already got a picture from a student. Apparently, I'm her favorite teacher "so far". I guess I better work hard to keep this title before another teacher swoops in and takes my place in this little girl's #1 spot. Wish me luck. 

Throwback Thursday

Every year, the first week of the new school year for me always coincides with Panhellenic Recruitment at Florida State. This makes me sad because I wish I could make the trip back to Tallahassee to help out with the events. Trust me, I would much rather be spending time with my Phi Mu sisters than going back to work. So in honor of this occasion, this week's Throwback Thursday is all about Recruitment!

Throwback Thursday: Panhellenic Recruitment

 My beautiful Phi Mu family at my senior recruitment back when there were only 3 of us. 

My Bid Day in 2005 after running to the house in the pouring rain. 

Bid Day Senior Year

Yes, laying on the sidewalk is as comfortable as it looks. The sacrifices we make as President. 

Good Luck to my Phi Mu sisters at FSU this week!

Back to School

Another school year is upon us. I can't believe how fast summer went by. But now it is time for fall and football season, which totally makes having to go back to school worth it. Today, I begin my 5th year of teaching. Woah. It seems like only yesterday I was spending these August days in the Phi Mu house at Recruitment, not teaching 6th graders. I have a lot of goals for myself this school year and I just want to take things one day at a time.

I am still teaching 6th graders for reading and language arts. However, our curriculum has changed a lot so I am going to get to try some cool new things with my kids this year. I am also going to be coaching volleyball again this year which I am really excited about. Unfortunately, my co-worker who was the head coach last year has left our school which means I am officially the head coach this year. While this is an exciting opportunity, I am mildly terrified of being head coach because that means I have to actually figure out how to do all the paperwork and make important decisions during the game. Scary. Luckily, I have a rockin' assistant coach who is going to help make my life a lot easier :)

My favorite part of starting a new school year is getting to decorate my classroom. I put so much time and effort into decorating my classroom. I am so OCD about it and I have to make sure it is 100% perfect before the first day of school. Yes, I am a little insane about my classroom but I spend 8 hours a day trapped in there so I want it to be a place that I actually don't mind spending so much time in. Plus, I get to put fun, crazy stuff in my classroom that I would never actually put in my real house.

I present my classroom for the 2013-2014 school year...

 In my classroom, not a single window or ounce of wall space is without decoration. 

Since my school is an IB school, every year each team has to choose a country to represent. 

My team is representing Germany this year and I am pretty excited about it since I've been there. 

Best wishes to all the students and teachers going back to school today!

Tragic Update

On Monday, I posted about a former student of mine who was critically injured last weekend in a drive-by shooting. You can read my initial post here: A Teacher's Worst Nightmare

Today was 8th grade orientation at my school. Friends and classmates of my former student, Megan, returned to school today to find something at their orientation that you don't find at a normal 8th grade orientation. Grief counselors.

Megan had been in critical condition due to the life-threatening injuries she sustained during the shooting since Saturday morning when the incident occurred. She was taken off of life support yesterday evening and late last night she passed away. So this morning as students and teachers were gearing up for orientation, we learned of Megan's passing. I can imagine that returning to school today was probably very difficult for some of those students and I know that beginning their 8th grade year on Monday without Megan will be heartbreaking as well.

Here is the most recent news update: Police plead for help finding killers

Please pray for both of the families of these girls. Pray for my school family, as many of us have taught and loved Megan over the past two years. Pray that we as teachers will know how to comfort our students who show up hurting on the first day of school next week. Pray for all of the students at my school who were friends or classmates of Megan, as well as the students that will be joining us in 6th grade who attended elementary school with Jazmine. I can't imagine having to deal with the loss of a friend or classmate at such a young age. Pray that the authorities can find out who is responsible for this tragedy and bring them to justice for these girls and their families. Thank you for your prayers.

A Teacher's Worst Nightmare

I don't have any children of my own, but every school year I inherit 100 new students who soon become like an extension of my family. While we might not be biologically related, they are my children. Every day for an entire year, I teach them, care for them, discipline them, console them, help them with their problems and celebrate their successes. Sometimes they irritate me or make me upset, but I always love them as my own. And at the end of the school year when they leave me for the 7th grade, they take a part of me with them and they leave a little piece of themselves with me. Even years after they leave my classroom, each one of them is still an important part of my life. They never stop being "my kids". 

Just like any parent out there, I do whatever I can to protect my kids. I worry about them constantly. I worry about their grades, their home life, their safety and their general well being. So when something bad happens to one of my students, I take it personally and straight to heart. I worry about my students when they leave me every afternoon because I know what they are going home to. Rough neighborhoods, full of scary grown-up experiences that no child should be exposed to at this age. I pray for my students and their safety every day. 

Today, I return to work for our first pre-planning day of the school year. However, my colleagues and I return to school today with heavy hearts.  

In the early morning hours on Saturday, one of my former students suffered life-threatening injuries due to a drive by shooting. Megan was in my class two years ago and is going into the 8th grade at my school this year. She was at a friend's house when the shooting occurred. Dozens of shots were fired through the side of the mobile home while the two girls sat in the living room. Megan's friend was killed instantly. This young lady would have been entering the 6th grade next week at my school, which means that she could have possibly been in my class this year.

The police believe that the shooting is drug related, but has nothing to do with Megan or her friend. They were simply innocent bystanders. I absolutely hate that this is the kind of world we live in now. A young girl is dead and another fighting for her life because of drugs and violence. It breaks my heart. 

You can read about the incident here: 1 teenage girl dead, 2nd critical after overnight drive-by shooting.

Please pray for my student Megan and for both of the families involved in this tragedy.

Biloxi

Last weekend, we drove to Biloxi, Mississippi for a family friend's wedding. We had an amazing time visiting with life-long friends while celebrating Stephen and Lauren! 

Things I learned while in Biloxi...

1. I-10 is officially that most boring road to travel ever. I already knew this thanks to driving the 3 hour Jacksonville-Tallahassee leg of it during college regularly. However, in case you were wondering, it still doesn't get anymore exciting once you get west of Tallahassee either. You literally drive straight on I-10 for 7 hours west of Jacksonville and poof, you are in Biloxi. 

2. Southern Mississippi is hotter than Florida. I've only been to Mississippi two other times in my life and those were to visit Oxford, MS while my brother was attending Ole Miss for college. However, Biloxi in August. Oh my. 

3. If you just stand really close to the tables in the casino while someone you know is gambling and you pretend like you are gambling too, the cocktail waitress will still bring you free drinks all night. I gambled in the casino for a total of probably 20 minutes the entire time we were there. The rest of the time I just stood next to my mom or Jared at the roulette table, pretended to be "helping" them place bets and collected my free beverages. Haha, I'm such a rebel.

4. My brother can rap every lyric to "Baby Got Back" by Sir Mix A Lot. And he did. On the microphone. At the wedding reception. And I'm pretty sure that no one on Stephen's side of the wedding was even remotely shocked by this. That is what happens when you invite the Adams clan to your wedding :)   

 Welcome to Biloxi!

 Post-Rehearsal dinner adventures at the local bar

 Family photo

We stayed at the Beau Rivage Hotel & Casino on the waterfront. The only other time I have ever been in a casino was at Atlantis in the Bahamas when I was in 8th grade. Obviously, I wasn't gambling or drinking then, so this was my first real casino experience! 

 

 Before the wedding. 

I know my brother and Jared love it when I make them pose for photos in the hotel lobby. 

 We had to get one more wear out of our bright summer colors and seersucker before Labor Day!

 With my favorite girlies...I stick out like a sore thumb in my florescent dress. Thanks Lilly Pulitzer :)

My Lindsay...can't wait to watch this girl walk down the aisle next May!