Journaling...

So, for those of you who don't know, I have been teaching in the inner city since the beginning of last summer. I'm teaching 6th grade and I HATE it!! I LOVE the children, just hate the person I have had to become. I've had a really hard time dealing with all the stress and emotional burden that this job has put on me. My husband says I'm a different person and I think my kids miss me. So... I've decided to start journaling my time while teaching inner city kids. This might help relieve some stress and tension- and give you some entertainment.

So, I started in August with 30 students and now I'm down to 16 students. Needless to say, I had some serious pistols! Some left b/c the parents felt that they were getting into too much trouble at our school (and their child has never gotten into trouble)! This is the mindset of some of these parents! GEEZ. And others were asked to leave. I had kids throwing chairs, cursing at me, starting fights, planting cocaine on my desk (so I would get fired), and gang activity. ALL in 6th grade! Oh and the parents are the worst of them all! Parents randomly come sneaking into my classroom, starting fights with other children about their own child! I swear, the just hate the world and they think the world is out to get them!! Oh, and they don't just come picking fights with other kids, they also come to fight me!!! B/c I guess, I'm out to get their child too!!! One parent, had to be taken off of me by our asst. principal. Needless to say, all of this makes me physically exhausted.

So, Yes, I have the naughty kids, but I also have the children that are being raped by their brothers, mentally and physically abused by their parents, and children who watch their parents do drugs and get drunk daily. All of this makes me emotionally exhausted. We have no counselor or anyone for these kids to talk to. So, I'm not only their teacher, I'm their mom, counselor, nurse, etc. The kids come in mal-nurouished and tired, with brown circles under their eyes.

One of the journal entries for the day, a few months ago, was something like: When was a time you have shown honesty and what was the outcome? (The purpose of this entry was to show that usually honesty brings good things! ) Well, one of my kids wrote that she told on her brother for raping her from ages 9-11. When she told, her mom got mad at her and yelled at her brother. Her brother then threatened her to never tell again, and if she did, he would kill her. When I received this journal, I was in shock, nervous, sad, angry, and didn't know what to do. I knew I had to call CPS, so I did. A long story short, I have been to the detective with my sweet student several times, helped her deal with her angry mom, and recently the brother confessed. He also confessed that he raped his 2 month old daughter. He is now going to prison. I will be helping my student get through speaking at his trial and her dealing with her "still" angry mom!

Another student, has been kicked out of schools her whole life. She is very angry and all the teachers hate her! I however really LOVE her. I teach the kids daily about integrity and building character skills with them. We were talking about peace seeking in all situations. She was very vocal during this discussion (which is very rare b/c she hates school), and she was getting so angry at anything I said about peace seeking. I took her in the hall later and asked her why she was sooo angry at everyone all the time. She said, b/c I ususally just don't like the way they look, or the some of the things people say! I said, there is no way that you are mad at someone just b/c of the way he/she looks!!! There must be something more, where does this anger come from? Out of no where, she opened up- crying to me, saying it comes from home. Her mom is terribly mean to her, never talks to her, never comes to anything for her, and lives with her boyfriend who beats her mom. I told her that I truly love her and care for her. I asked her, if I could find someone to talk with her about things, would she be willing, and she said YES! I was floored! So, bringing you up to date, she is getting counseling once/week through medicare. The counselor comes to our school each week and meets with her for an hour. You have no idea how shocking this was to the other teachers in our building when I told them about this student! She has been a completely different student since then. She is getting A's and B's, from straight F's before! This girl has kept me going each day!! I think she might be the only reason that I am teaching there this year!!

So, now, I have caught you up to date on some of the issues I'm dealing with at school. Stay tuned for more. Next semester starts at the beginning of January! Loving this Christmas break right now!! Please pray for my students and for me, if you think about it. I'm just having a super hard time.
Love,
Court

Playdate w/ Ethan & Eli

Jackson had a day off school, so we set up a playdate w/ his cousins! We went to the Children's Museum! It was too cute!! Jack liked the "toddler/baby" area (the playscape) better than Ethan and Eli did! Go figure! Anyways, it was fun! So glad they live close enough now to hang!!

Grace turns 8!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow! I can't believe Grace is 8 years old! Amazing how time flies! We are crazy parents- b/c we had her b-day party at Jillians, downtown Indy. It was LOUD, wild, and very busy, but the kids had a riot!! Grace is the one in the middle with black pants and pink shirt on! The kids went bowling there and had pizza and cake! Wow, it feels like yesterday we were leaving the hospital with our lil' muffin!

Randomness

Grace- 1st day of 2nd grade....Ethan & Eli (my nephews)...Jackson playing tennis!

Can you believe Gracie is in the 2nd grade? YIKES! It's crazy! She is now almost as tall as me! She LOVES school! She is very artsy. She loves to write, make art, and has now started acting classes. Grace is in the Young Actors Theatre downtown. She absolutely LOVES it! Who would've known, our precious, shy, lil' Grace would love to be on stage! WOW! She has really grown up! She loves her school, teachers, and friends! She is quite the social butterfly now!

My sister's kiddos, Ethan and Eli, are the newest loves of my life! They are just simply precious and have the cutest faces! They are sitting up, crawling, pulling up on things, and getting teeth! 9 Months old already! Where does time go!?????

My Jack bear! My free entertainment, Jackson David Spear! He is absolutely the funniest person I know! Seriously, he is a hoot! He makes everyone laugh! He just says the funniest things! Jackson has a super imagination. He loves life! Jack is in preschool and loves it! He still is much more interested in playing rather than learning- but that's cool! He's still has time. Jackson just started taking tennis lessons at the Indianapolis Tennis Center at IUPUI. It's the cutest thing seeing all these lil' ones hold rackets bigger than them and play tennis. Jackson really loves it. I hope he sticks w/ it! I played tennis for years and simply love that sport. I just think it is a great sport! And could be played forever! So far, he really likes it and is pretty good! So proud of my baby.

Michael is doing great at Schwab. He loves what he does! He also is involved in our Church's men's Bible Study. He has great friends within that group. Our good friends, the Hufford's, let us borrow their jeep. It's really cool- yellow with the doors and roof that come off! This has become Mike's therapy! He just loves driving around downtown in that thing! It's cute!

Then there's me... oh my! My world has been turned upside down. I teach at a charter school in downtown Indy. I teach 6th grade and have 30 students. The Lord is really STRETCHING me with this new job. I've never been tested so much! The kids are really hard to control and manage. I try to get help from the parents, but they are even worse. Lately I have been crying all the way home after work. Actually, last week I was crying before school, in the middle of school, and after school. This has been the biggest challenge so far in my life. I'm determined more than ever to learn how to teach these kiddos. Last Friday, 6 of my students were suspended, needless to say, I had a wonderful day teaching! Tomorrow, they all come back! UGH! Many are in gangs, live in homeless shelters, have been raped or molested, and are very low academically. Pray for me. I've become physically ill from this class and have zero energy for my hubby and kids when I get home. I know I can do this- I just might need a lil' help and encouragement! YIKES!

Gatlinburg Family Trip

Gatlinburg was a blast! We stayed in a cabin up in the mountains! It was awesome! Plus I gave the rental place a grocery list and they got out groceries for us before we got there and put them in the fridge and pantry for us!! You have to check this place out it's www.cobbly.com - It's awesome! Great family vacation! We went white water rafting, hiking, and horseback riding! So fun! The kids had a riot! We also had a hot tub on our deck- the kids spent most of the time in there or playing on the pool table in our family room! Gatlinburg was gorgeous! The mountains were simply beautiful! Looking at and driving through those mountains, I couldn't help but be in complete awe of how powerful and amazing our Lord is!!! WOW!

July 09

Conner Prairie- Symphony on the Prairie- July 2, 2009

We had a riot! The whole D'Onofrio fam was there, Grandma and Grandpa Bowman, Ali, Quinn, and babies, Amy, Jeff, and kids, and some of my dad's clients. We had a super time! The kids were absolutely hysterical! They were doing interpretive dancing to the symphony music! It was hilarious! Jackson was, like always, our lil' comedian! We found out Gracie has so moves when she dances! Just a great night to remember! I love my family sooo much!!!

Papa's Birthday

Happy Birthday Papa! We had a great time at Papa's birthday! The cousins played, ate cake, and hit a pinata!! Jackson and Liam were wild animals, while Grace and Madi were princesses!!

THE INDY 500!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WOOHOO! Michael and I love going to the 500 every year! This year we went w/ Dad and Nicky John!! Nicky always knows how to have a good time! (You can see by his attire)!! We had a great day and had super seats on the 1st turn!

Indy 500 Parade

INDY 500 Parade!! We had a blast at the parade!! The parade was really neat and we had great seats!!! (Thanks to one of my dad's clients!) The girl from the TV show 24 was in it, Chloe! (That is Michael and my favorite show)!! Very HOT day though!!! The kids loved it!

NO WAY- I graduated!!!

It was one of the best days of my life! I graduated from Saint Mary of-the-Woods College with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education! I also passed all my teaching licensing exams! So excited! WOOO HOO! I'm done! All my loved ones came down to watch the ceremony, then all headed back up to Indianapolis for a lovely dinner, ending with cake and icecream at mom's! It was so perfect! I'm so blessed!

Our New Home!

Ok- it will be our home for at least 5 years! Our landlord on our last new home foreclosed and went bankrupt! (Please don't rent from Derrek Danks- he will screw you)! Anyways, we moved just north 5 blocks from where we were. We LOVE it!! HUGE front porch, fenced-in backyard, basement, and close to downtown Indy! We just love it! And we are finishing the attic this week to add a cute, doll-like bonus room!!! Can't wait for you all to see it! We have had a lot of special friends and family help w/ this unexpected move!! We can't thank these people enough! THANK YOU! AJ, my father-in-law, has helped out bunches! He has cleaned our gutters, put the knobs on our cabinets, hung our towel rods, and much more!! We can't thank him enough!! :)

My Precious 5th and 6th Graders!!

Igot to student teach a 5/6 split class in IPS. I LOVED it! I had a super great student teacher and loved every student!! It was awesome! I really like teaching the upper elementary grades!! Here are some pics! I also organized and planned a Professional Day. We were teaching the kids about interviewing and I thought it would be fun to have my grandpa ( a retired dentist) to come in and the kids could interview him about his profession. However, turns out, grandpa couldn't come, and I ended up being able to get 18 different professionals in to my school for the kids to interview!! It was so amazing! The kids loved it and totally exceeded my expectations! I was so proud of them! I just really want to be the kind of teacher that helps students dream BIG! And I believe this Professional Day allowed for that!