There's a special magic in hearing the words, "SNOW DAY"! As our holiday break was coming to an end this past week we noticed that the weather report was indicating snow in the forecast. In Southern Oregon, snow is rare. We get it, but it is not often and it rarely sticks. However, this forecast was different. It was indicating snow 5 days in a row! This is when the anticipation set in. What if, this weather forecast stayed true? Would they call a snow day? Would we be gifted another day of Winter Break. As the snow started falling we all watched with wonder in hopes we would see it start to accumulate. We waited... and waited... and waited....dreaming about how we would use our extra day. Then, after much anticipation the magical text arrived: Due to inclement weather, all Medford School District schools are closed tomorrow. SNOW DAY!!! You have to understand this is uncommon in our neck of the woods. Snow doesn't stick often and to call a "Snow Day" the night before had never happened as long as I'd been in the district. Our snow day was truly magical. It was a free day to do whatever we wanted. I watched a movie, finished a book, crocheted, added a recipe collection to this site, all while I continued to look out the window watching the snow fall and STICK! Not only did it stick, but it didn't stop....it kept falling and falling and falling until we soon realized that not only would we be gifted one snow day, but it may be two! Sure enough, the second text arrived. Due to inclement weather, all Medford School District schools are closed tomorrow. What?! Pure craziness. Could this really be happening? When we looked out the window on this second snow day we were in complete amazement. Never had we had so much snow. It measured 1 foot deep which is the second heaviest snowfall in Rogue Valley history! The last time our valley saw this much snow was in 1919! Filled with joy, our family bundled up and walked down to our favorite diner for breakfast and marveled at the wonder of this magical day. We are now heading into our 3rd...yes, 3rd snow day. We will paying back these days in June, but for now I am enjoying this gift of time. Only four days into this new year and already I've experienced moments to savor and memories I'll hold onto for years to come. 20 years from now we will be talking about what some have named the Snowpacolypse of 2017.
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I've never been great at New Year's resolutions. In fact, I'm really bad at them. Instead of picking a resolution or "one word" at the beginning of 2016, I chose it on the last day. If you read my last post you know that word is "leap". So here I am on the 1st day of 2017 thinking about the year ahead. It's going to be a big one. I'm scheduled to facilitate at many conferences, my daughter is going on two trips overseas and she is graduating from high school. This year will be full of adventure and many experiences to "SAVOR and SHARE". This school year is a unique one for me in that all four members of our family spend our weekdays at the same high school. My husband teaches Ceramics, my son is a Freshman and my daughter is a Senior. I've been looking forward to this year for a long time and I can't believe it is already half over. My lunches are spent with our son and his "squad". I clearly have the best classroom in the school with access to every possible piece of equipment needed to prepare the perfect lunch. Let me tell you, it's loud and distracting and I can't hear myself think. However, I have chosen to savor. Savor the noise, savor the laughter, savor the fact that my son is proud to bring his friends into my space. Time is fleeting, and I want to remember these moments vividly. As my daughter spends her last semester as a high school student, I want to savor. When I go to new places to speak about that which I'm passionate and connect with my PLN, I want to savor. When I joined the Twittersphere 3 years ago, I had no idea the impact it would have on my growth as an educator. Because others shared their ideas, thoughts, failures, successes with the world, I grew. I realized so many of my fears and questions were shared with others coming from a vast array of educational settings. I also realized I was not alone in my struggles and that others shared my passion for teaching. I felt connected in a way that I didn't know existed. So now it's my turn to share my story. I want to give back to so many that have given to me. That means sharing my failures, my successes, my struggles, my ideas. It means being okay with others seeing that I am far from perfect. I will continue to share on Twitter, at conferences, in my district, and I will blog REGULARLY. So here's to a new year full of promise and adventure. Maybe putting my words out there for the world to see will help me keep them in focus. Savor and share. Bring on 2017...I am ready! Happy New Year! |
Tisha RichmondStudent Engagement & PD Specialist in Southern Oregon, Canva Learning Consultant, Canva Education Creator, and author of Make Learning Magical. I'm passionate about finding innovative ways to transform teaching and create unforgettable experiences in the classroom. |