Lemonade 10 cents!

I need to get some feelings out.  I normally don't 'vent' or 'rant' on my blog, but I just wanted to write about something that has happened to me lately.  I am not going to 'vent' right now, just express some feelings I've had the past several days.  Last week, I guess you could say I was handed a few lemons.  Maybe even the whole tree?  Jake and I were down in California last week.  We were driving back to my aunts house after going to the San Diego temple that day.  I received a phone call.  My caller I.D. said 'Hillside' (that's the name of my elementary).  The first thought that went through my head was "oh it's probably just someone needing a sub and they called me since I'm off track. Well joke's on them, I'm partying in Cali with my husband!  Well, I really wish that was the case, but it wasn't.  Joke was on me actually.  It was my principal calling to tell me I was going to be surplussed to another school because our enrollment was too low.  I think my heart skipped a few beets.  It was like my worst nightmare called me up on the phone and said, "Hey, I know you're already well into the school year and have worked countless hours on work and setting up your classroom, but we don't care.  You have to switch jobs.  We have no idea where you'll be going, but you'll have a job.  Good luck!"  I was devastated.  Mostly for the kids I have become attached to in the past few months.  It was like someone was taking my kids away from me.  I started crying, was this actually happening?  So my principal said "I talked to another principal and I put in a really good word for you".  Well to make a long story short, I don't have to switch schools and I will be staying at my same school as a reading specialist in K and 1st in the morning and teaching a half day of kindergarten in the afternoon.  My principal didn't know I was certified to teach kindergarten.  This changed a few things.  After some discussion, it was decided that the current kindergarten teacher would be moved to a different school.  I'm sure this happened because a new charter school opened up down the street.  So, I'm not really a big fan of charter schools.  I'll just put that out there. The charter school isn't even done and the kids have to pack their own lunch because there is no cafeteria.  I thought, do you think parents will pack lunches?  No. They won't even pay lunch money!  And they have to walk down the street for recess because they have no playground.  Charter schools also don't have a basal reading program, you don't have to be a certified teacher to teach there, they have no common assessments and most of the kids that start off there end up back in the public schools anyway because they aren't getting the experience they had hoped for.  (This is my two cents on that.  I'm sorry if you disagree)  I felt so horrible about this whole situation that the kindergarten teacher had to move all her stuff to a different school, but in this I'm sure there is a silver lining somewhere?  I am off track right now and still had one more week of my break.  I had to go in to work yesterday to start planning and moving my stuff.  I was there ALL day until 6 doing more planning and moving my room again-still not done.  Good thing our trip was planned the first part of my break!  I still have a lot more to do, but at least I'm making lemonade now.  By Monday, my lemonade stand will be open for business!  I have tried to stay positive in this whole thing.  I was so sad to be leaving the most incredible 1st grade team that ever walked this planet but lucky to have a great kindergarten team as well.  I observed the kindergarten class yesterday and they are very well behaved and as adorable as ever!  I'm excited for this new chapter in my life.  This quote by Elder Wirthlin has been running through my head a lot, 'Come what may and love it'.  What good words to live by because you never know when you'll get a few lemons thrown your way!