I've been working at Roosevelt Middle School for nearly a semester now, so I though it would be a good time to reflect. It seems like just the right amount of time in that I don't totally miss my old digs and I'm also not completely settled. I have to say, though, that I went from a near perfect situation into a very, very good situation; and while very, very good is outstanding, it still does not compare to near perfect. The main thing that makes my experience at Roosevelt not as enjoyable as I would like it to be is something that would make it less favorable at any middle school... I no longer teach a self-contained class. With that being said, here is a list of my likes and dislikes about Roosevelt.

Likes
* The students are very well-behaved.
* The staff is friendly and professional.
* There is a staffed computer lab.
* There are funds for field trips and supplies.
* The hallways are quiet.
* Copy paper and other supplies are always in stock.
* The library is well-organized and functional.
* The school culture is very diverse.
* There is a music program.
* Ms. Sanchez, the secretary, is extremely efficient.
* The administrators are cooperative and friendly.
* There is an extensive after school program.


Dislikes
* The commute is farther and the day starts earlier.
* There is no before or after school prep time.
* There are way too many meetings.
* Prep periods are often used for things other than prepping.
* My room is too small and I cannot look out the windows. I feel boxed in.
* Don't get me started on the heating situation.
* My nearest restroom is on the polar opposite side of the building.

While the list is far from comprehensive, I hope it gives a decent overview of my experience thus far. You can take a look at the official Roosevelt Middle School Webpage by clicking here.

As many of you may have noticed, redkid.net has a had a serious makeover. Once I moved my site to its own server, instead of using space on OUSD's, I had the opportunity to incorporate many more things into my website that were just not possible before. One of those things was to have all redkid.net pages be located on my sercer so as to have a seamless appearance. Before, the messageboard, blog, and search functions were farmed out to companies who offered free services which used their own page designs and contained advertising. Now, everything is contained on my server and is free of all ads and pop-ups. Anyhow, in order to keep my old blog entries, I had to copy and paste all of them, along with their comments. They are copied word for word, but their dates are off.

It's been forever since I've posted to this blog, so I thought I would update by revealing myself as the true nerd that I am. Revenge of the Sith was fantatsic. Not only does it answer all the questions created in Episode 4-6, but it is an amazing film to behold. It had awesome new characters, plot development, and of course visual effects. Unfortunately, it is the last Star Wars film Lucas plans to make, and is therefore somewhat of a bittersweet event. Anyhow, if you have not gotten a chance to see the film yet, and you are of age, do so. It is well worth the price of admission.

It's hard to believe that it was over a year ago that I left work during second period in anticipation of the arrival of my new son. I remember going to work thinking, "Is this the day?" It actually wasn't, but almost. Riley waited until a few minutes after midnight before deciding to come out. The doctors were preparing Linda for the C-section and were not able to get the poor guy out until the early minutes of the 7th. Anyhow, it was a great day (albeit a long one) that I I will always remember with fondness. I'm so pleased with my little Riley Guy. Happy Birthday Buddy!!

Hello everybody. I just got back from taking Killian to see his first movie in the theatre. Although, he tried to see Brother Bear with his grandparents when it came out, he was too scared. Apparently, loud noises and big images freak 3-year-olds out. Before the previews were over, grandma and grandpa were at the ticket counter asking for their money back. So, technically that didn't count.

This time, however, we tried a different approach. We showed up late, so as skipping the previews, we picked a movie with characters he was familiar with, and we accompanied him. Killian was a little bit scared at first, but after 2 minutes he was hooked. At the end of the movie he was talking about going to another movie and how much enjoyed this one.

By the way, SpongeBob was a fun movie. If you like the TV show, the movie does not disappoint.