We’re one quarter down and I PROMISED myself that one thing I would accomplish during October break was a new post. I had an idea that I might make it a vlog because I get that video is more engaging than photos, but, listen, sometimes my ideas are bigger than my capacity and YOU GUYS, going back to work, in person, SO.MANY.HOURS.A.DAY is no joke… I legitimately forgot what it was like to keep 10+ hour days and the toll it takes.
I am going to hit the hightlights and once again I’ll give the disclaimer that if you’re reading this post in your email and it looks some kind of way, try it on my website instead and I guarantee you’ll find it a more pleasant experience.
Goodbye Party
This was the first time we were all together in a VERY long time. It was the very best. Saying goodbye was the very worst, but them was some good eats!
Into the Sky
Although Sam was delayed in JFK and had to run to meet me in DTW, our trip was otherwise uneventful. Some water from condensation dripped from overhead onto the people in the middle section before our long flight took off and they moved them. So I scooched over to the middle, then the guy who was supposed to be between us moved over to the end. I asked him to switch so I could be back with Sam and BAM row to ourselves. YUSSS. Made it home just after midnight July 20.
Drowning in stuff
Moving is not fun. It’s even less fun when you didn’t pack your own things and you don’t know where anything is (however, I am eternally grateful to my friends who did). Much laundry was done. The first week was more than a little overwhelming.
Retreating?
Why do they call them retreats if they are all about working and learning?? We met with our 11 student leaders for 3 days of planning High School Retreat. Kaio only has 2 because that’s all that ran.
Me and Jon, Tharseo (wolf) plus one student who had to meet us online, Anastasis (aka flaming chicken), Kaio (fire), Machaira (sword).
The seniors were only freshmen when the pandemic started and they only got half a year at that. Jumping into planning something with people you barely know and very little experience is a challenge. But by the end of the retreat we could see a solid team starting to form and a new understanding of what it takes to pull off these kinds of events.
After this Jon and I followed right into 5 days of All Staff Retreat and staff work days.
School Begins
The first day starts by sorting the new students and freshmen into their houses, followed by scavenger hunting, chapel, house games, and ending with an org fair.
Online shopping begins
Listen, when you come here and you see what it’s like to go shopping AFTER working, then you can judge me for my habits. I’m literally never leaving my house again. Well, except for work. And, no, I did not explicitly search for sheep on Shopee. Ok, yes I did and I’m not even sorry!
Flag Raising Ceremony
The school year is officially kicked off during our traditional flag ceremony with the help of the 5th grade class sporting flags of every country represented in our community.
High School Retreat
If you read about the ExCo planning retreat, you know it was already a challenge. It was also a week earlier than usual. We only had an additional 4 hours of class time to finish plans once school started. We survived (quite successfully, I might add)! We were exhausted but the word on the street is that it was one of the best.
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever begins... again.
The BCPE is the first show I ever directed at Faith Academy. That’s Jennie making them sing gooder. There will be plenty more content of this coming in November.
Finally clear
Ber Months = Christmas
I am not lying when I say I literally woke up to “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” playing outside my window on Sept 1. Then, like crazy people, we went to the mall on a Saturday night. We got our pizza, drank our Koomi (which they had to milk the cow, turn into yogurt, and the freeze for us to have), waited in line to buy a few school supplies and skipped all the other planned errands. This is why we shop online and pay the delivery. #worthit
Tech Team begins again!
Life in the tech booths has not been the same without techies. A whopping 27 kids showed up for our first meeting and still almost that many are coming regularly. 7:10am is very early for chapel but they are still up for the challenge. I love tech team and it’s been really fun to get it going again!
(One of the houses got a non-uniform day for winning a competition.)
Theater Workshop
When your class is one of only 2 offered which fulfill the school’s “practical” art requirement you might wind up with kids who get more than they bargained for. Costume quick changes, stage makeup, the boys were super excited! I told them it’s character building! Badumtsss…get it? HA. They enjoyed the sawing and the rigging far more, I just don’t have any photos of that.
More than 3 years after installing new dimmers in the drama room we are FINALLY getting to use them. Be still my techie heart! Both TW and Tech Team around 16-20 kids and being able to set up stations so they can participate in small groups has worked out beautifully.
Next quarter we are staging a mini-show so they can further explore theater crafts in a practical way. This will be the first attempt at this idea so we’ll see how it goes!
MSD/HSD Spirit Week
Since the houses are now K-12, High and Middle School had their Spirit Week at the same time. We ended the week with a combined activity on Friday. Go Tharseo!!
Opening Concerts
By the time we got to the opening concerts we had some techies eager to take their place in the big booth. We were able to find time between rehearsals for a tech call to re-focus lights in the correct areas of the stage. Lighting tech calls are my jam. One of the lights was even in the area known to techies as the “pit of death” iykyk.
Rigging Maintenance Begins
Immediately following the concerts we cleared the stage. You would be surprised the amount of things in disrepair from the facility being dark for more than 2 years. Rigging maintenance, projector replacement, sound upgrades, thousands of dead UPSs and then some. Okay maybe not thousands but ALL of them.
After break we will load in BCPE and start rehearsing on stage. YAY.
Finally (mostly) settled
I’m finally no longer drowning in my belongings and feeling a bit more settled. The clutter near the door is the beginnings of Christmas shopping. What? I told you Christmas started over a month ago!
The second quarter starts Monday and holds our production of the Best Christmas Pageant Ever, our Theater Workshop show, a regular concert, a PRISM concert, the Elementary Christmas program, an Exco event, early Grad, and multiple other Christmas related events… to name a few things. I also bought a ticket back to Ohio for Christmas break which flies out just before midnight on Dec 16 which is also the last day of the semester… I’ll see you in 2023. Kidding, I’ll post again before then. Yeah, you’re right, I probably won’t. See ya when I see ya!
Maligayang Pasko!
