Happy New Year! - Thoughtful Thursday

It is the first day of the "regular" school year, so this is my New Year. I tend to be a bit more likely to establish quests and the like at this time of year than I do in January. This may be my last school year start - I know it will be my last at this school - so my quests are a bit more nostalgic than anything else. Here are my quests for the 2025-2026 school year:

  • Bring lunches to work
  • Move more
  • Enjoy the year
  • Read 200 books
  • Make 12 book units
  • Bring my things home from work
  • Rip CDs to the computer
I have not counted any reading before this time, so the book I read yesterday does not count, but any other reading from now on does count. I have started the CD project already and have been through one large CD case for about 90+ CDs into my computer. I am using Windows Media Player because iTunes just stopped working. I really do not like iThings, and they do not like me, either. I will make a lunch today, and I intend on getting into a Sunday routine of making lunch parts for use during the week. Of course, I have intended things like this before that have not happened...

I am hoping that today will, indeed, be the work day that we have been promised. I have had no communication with anyone at work, so I have no idea what has gone on in the past five weeks. There is nothing on my district email about what we will be doing today, but that means little to nothing. We tend to rely more on facility email, and I refuse to look at that at home. I will find out what we are going to be doing as I end up looking at the collection of unread emails that are waiting for me this morning.

So, now it is time to head back to work. I am both looking forward to and dreading this experience. The past month "off" has not been restful. It has been full of medical procedures, lots of uncertainty, changes in routines, schedules, and medicines, old doctors, new doctors, and it has been hard on my entire family. None of us feel like we had a summer break. My sister had to travel and then keep my mother's cat calm while Mom had to travel back to take care of me right after my surgery. It has been rough on us all.

My sister meets her new students today. She has a crop of six and seven year olds who will be entering her magical classroom to learn. Tonight is her back to school night. She will then be out of the classroom until Monday. I will meet my new clients and try to reestablish therapeutic relationships with my familiar students on Monday because today and tomorrow are non-contact days at my school. The rest of the district does not start anything until Monday, and town kids don't start until next Thursday.

I have resisted most of the call of the school supplies, but not all. I have some new file folders to contemplate using (but I will probably keep them to myself as they do not really match the age or developmental levels of my current clients) in music therapy sessions. I have more storage things to help me in my quest to clean out my stuff from the music therapy clinic before the end of this school year.

It is time to start bringing things home from work. I plan on starting with my manipulatives and materials cabinet. I know what students use and what they do not use, so it is time to start bringing things here. To do this, I will need to give away things that I don't use to get some valuable space here at home. Anyone want any sort of materials or manipulatives? I have some to give away. I will be more specific when I bring things back here...

Happy Thursday.

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