Blogging in 2019

A Writing Routine

Dear Readers,

I am an avid reader, I read almost every day and usually carry a book with me. However, I run very hot and cold in the writing department. It is not always as enjoyable to me as reading so if it feels like something I have to do, I can fall away from it.

Recently, on the #PD4uandme chat, blogging has been a topic of interest. It could not come at a better time as we approach the new year and I am once again trying to find that love of writing. Hopefully some of you will find the following "tips and tricks" useful. They serve as not only a reminder to myself, but encouragement for others as well.

• The first thing I did was read blogs! There are not specific blogs that I follow on a regular basis, I seem to just read what looks appealing to me. Develop your own "reading inventory" of blog posts. Seek out topics, people or hashtags that you enjoy and grow from. 
• Next, I chose a format. Your PLN can be a treasure chest of recommendations! I went with Blogger in Google because it was easy for me.
• Then, start writing! Write for YOU and make it your own! It can be personal or professional. I reflect a lot on instructional practices, both what went well and what did not. We can learn and grow from one another when we are honest and transparent.
• Don't be afraid to hit the publish button. I was terrified the first few times and kept reading and rereading. I wanted it to be perfect. We can be our own worst enemy. Be kind to yourself! You can always go back and edit.
• Finally, believe in yourself. People want to hear what you have to say. 

We will be talking about Blogging on Saturday January 12th on #PD4uandme from 8:30-9:00 AM EST. I hope you will join us!

Until then, happy writing!

Warmly,

Teresa

Building Relationships Through Sketchnoting

"My Pencil Made Me Do It!"

Dear Readers,

One of my favorite youtube videos is My Pencil Made Me Do It by @HeckAwesome also known as Carrie Baughcum. She does a wonderful job introducing sketchnoting with this short video.

This year, I decided to incorporate sketchnoting into my getting to know you activities with students. 

• First, I created my own get to know Ms. Gross sketchnote. In real time, it took me about 10-15 minutes.
• As the students came in, I did a formative assessment. I made a sketchnote and asked them to tally if they had ever heard the word sketchnote, if they had ever created one and how they would describe it to someone. (None of them had heard of it or created one.)
• I used my anchor charts I had created last year. With permission from Carrie, I asked to recreate one of her slides from her video. It is a fantastic model of icons, containers and topics. 

• Then I played the video for them. We discussed how it is a way to make your thinking visible. 
• Afterward, we talked about the icon library. I explained to them that I think in words and language. When I first started sketchnoting I lacked icons and pictures. However, Carrie challenged me to add 5 icons, then 10, etc.
• One way I used the sketchnote was to practice making inferences about me based on what they saw. 
• Before allowing them to get started, I explained the steps I went through in creating mine. (Started with my name using my favorite color, thought about hobbies, important people, favorite words and then added flowers and doodles.)
• I also commended them on being willing to take a risk and try something they have never done before!
• Finally, we have a beautiful hall display for open house!

Are you willing to take a risk with your students and put your creative hand to work?

Happy sketching!

Warmly,

Teresa

The EduNinja Mindset

11 Habits for Building a Stronger Mind and Body

Dear Readers,

If you are like me and love The Zen Teacher by Dan Tricarico (@thezenteacher) then I strongly encourage you to read The EduNinja Mindset by Jennifer Burdis (@jennifer_burdis). Both books are published by Dave Burgess Consulting Inc. (@dbc_inc).

"What activities or restorative practices refuel you?" (pg. 26)

When the end of the school year rolled around on June 22nd, I admit that I was excited for some time to recharge, relax and step away for the summer. I knew that I needed to plan some uninterrupted "me time" and really get refueled for the upcoming year. 

I spent the month of July and now August....

• walking
• reading
• listening to music
• sleeping
• meeting friends including my #CoffeeEDU Group
• swimming
• sketchnoting
• spending time with a very special person in my life (and his family) 

 

 

As far as professional learning, I moderated/co-moderated #PD4uandme, responded to Paul O'Neill's (@PaulONeill1971) daily reflections and occasionally participated in his weekly #PLN365 chat, jumped in #LeadLAP after reading Talk to Me by Kim Bearden (@kimbearden) and connected with my PLN through voxer, to name a few. 

My main focus was on my personal life.

"How do you want to live? What does the best version of you look like?" (pg. 41)

I often tell people I love "slow starts" to the day. When I am on vacation or it's the weekend, I enjoy getting up late, having coffee, checking twitter and voxer, and then settling down with my latest read. One of my favorite fitness activities is walking. Heading out for a 2-4 mile walk with my music and no distractions is definitely a priority when I have (make) time.

Now that summer is drawing to a close, I have started to think about heading back to school. How am I going to "balance" (I know some prefer other vocabulary, but when I think of my personal, professional, health, etc. lives I do think in terms of a balance.) the back to school craziness with my summer calm?

My main focus is to be thoughtful and purposeful about how I spend my time.

"Surround yourself with people who make you hungry for life, touch your heart, and nourish your soul." (pg. 66)

Life is so short. We have to make the most of the time we have. Over the years I have made some difficult decisions about who to keep in my life and who to distance myself from. As I have gotten older and gained more life experience, my perspectives have also evolved and matured.

It seems as though people who are unhappy in their own lives sometimes work so hard at trying to infiltrate others' joy. In order for us to maintain healthy relationships, we have to be able to identify those who do not wish the best for us and establish clear boundaries. This is not an easy task and sometimes it can be hurtful. The goal is not to hurt others, but to protect ourselves.

My main focus is surrounding myself with people who uplift me, support me, encourage me and sincerely care about me.

"I'm a teacher, but will forever be a student-learning, growing, and refining." (pg. 163) 

As a former speech therapist and current literacy teacher, I teach my students that knowledge is power. As Steve Wyborney (@SteveWyborney) reminds us in his book The Writing on the Classroom Wall, there are the same number of students and teachers in the classroom.

Have a wonderful start to the 2018-2019 school year! Thank you Jennifer Burdis for a fantastic read!

Warmly,

Teresa

Building Our Reading Lives: Sharing What We Are Reading

Dear Readers, 

There are a few ways that our classroom community shares what we read throughout the school year.

Graffiti Walls

A couple of years ago I hung up a piece of chart paper in the book corner. We kept track of anything we read including independent reading books, whole class novels, articles, picture books, etc. As we filled it, we started a new one.

Our Reading Lives Chart

Another format we used was to organize the graffiti wall idea and create a chart of what we read.

What Are You Reading.....

Beth Houf (@BethHouf) gave me a fantastic idea! Post "What ______ is reading......." outside the classroom door. Her example was of staff members, but I thought it would be fun to have students do it too!

Class W.I.G. (Wildly Important Goal)

As a Leader in Me and Lighthouse School, we incorporate the Habits into our school community, including creating personal, classroom and schoolwide goals. We decided we were going to challenge ourselves to read a certain number of books, as a class, each quarter. It was wonderful to not only keep track of our reading lives, but to encourage others to read so we could meet our goal. 

Happy Reading!

Warmly,

Teresa

Building Reading Lives: Speed Book Browsing

Dear Readers,

As I think about heading back to school and planning for the first few weeks, one of my top priorities is how we will build our reading lives as a classroom community. Instead of writing one blog with many activities, I thought I would break it up and offer some of my favorites throughout the week. 

Speed Book Browsing

In the past, I have done a speed book browsing activity that I had seen many of my PLN members do. 

• I take all the books (or as many as I can) from the book corner and put them in baskets according to genre. 
• Then I label the baskets and set them up in different areas of the room.
• The students are divided into small groups and rotate from section to section. I put a timer on the board and play music. I use approximately one song per "round". Of course this can be adjusted if they need more or less time.
• As they browse the books, they take their notebook with them and start to create a list of "Books I Would Like to Read". The idea is they will have some ideas for when they choose independent books.
• At the end of class, they choose an independent reading book to begin the year.

 

Book Tastings

I have also seen Book Tastings where the room is set up like a restaurant. At the tables are books for the students to have a little "taste". This is a fantastic activity as you move through the school year because students can recommend books to one another.

Happy New School!

Warmly,

Teresa

Getting Lost in Books

End of the Year "Pick Me Up"

Dear Readers,

It is that time of year..... we still have six weeks left of school, it has been a tough winter and both staff and students are tired. In addition, there are students who are not embracing the thought of a long summer vacation without the routine and structure of school, so behaviors have increased and patience is all the more important. 

There are days where I have to check myself throughout the day and remind myself to be calm, cool and collected. On top of all that, our 8th graders are getting ready to transition to the high school. Although they are ready, many of them say how they cannot wait to go to high school, there is also an underlying nervousness. 

As Dan Tricarico (@thezenteacher) reminds us, we have to find those moments where we can take a breath and find that inner balance. Dave Burgess (@burgessdave) recently published a post in his blog, Surviving the Home Stretch, where Dan offered 5 possibilities for coping with end of the year stress. 

Dave's Blog 

One of the recommendations is to find that "One Good Thing". One of mine is reading. I recently read two books that really helped me escape the stress the end of the years brings and also remind me why I walk into my classroom every day.

I had been waiting for this book to come out! Rarely do I find books that I read every single word, but this was one of them. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Ryan Sheehy's personal stories and inspirational messages. It reminded me to "Be the One for Kids" both as a teacher, a learner, a reader and a writer. It really was a joy to get lost in this book. I would highly recommend it to any educator. 

 

Not only did I find one book that I could not put down, but I found two! I also read every page of this book! This collection of stories was just what I needed. I loved reading the different perspectives from staff in the building. It reminded me that we all have challenging days and wonderful days. We all have professional and personal lives that need our attention. It was a fantastic read.

Of course if you have not read this gem, you really should! I read it for the 2nd time this past winter as a Voxer book study and we were blessed to have Dan join us and offer his advice, insights and positive attitude. It reminded me how important it is to take care of ourselves and be in a good place both mentally and physically. Our Voxer group still exists and it has become a great community full of love and support!

I wish you all a fantastic end to the school year and remind you to find that "One Good Thing" that takes you away, even if only for a little bit!

Warmly,

Teresa

Pirate Themed Teacher Appreciation Week

AHOY MATEYS! Day 1!

Dear Learner,

As a "pirate-educator" I was absolutely thrilled when I learned the theme for teacher appreciation week!

With permission from my principal, Dr. Darcy Smith, this is her Friday email sent May 4th.

Dear Faculty and Staff,

Dave Burgess, teacher and author, wrote a book where he encouraged fellow educators to "teach like pirates." Teach like a pirate, you may wonder?????... No, he doesn't mean to steal materials from neighboring teachers' classrooms or to have naughty students walk the plank. His message centers on taking instructional risks in the classroom to engage and motivate students by being bold and fearless in the work of teaching and learning.

Nationally recognized Teacher Appreciation Day is next week. Because Pal-Mac Middle School Faculty and staff members are extra special, and in honor of the work of Mr. Burgess, at PMMS we will celebrate with a week of pirate-inspired fun and treats. Attached you will find the treasure map of plans made with you in mind, so you will know what you can expect.

Yo-ho-ho-ho a pirate's life for you in on the way.

Enjoy the weekend.

Darcy

Dave Burgess has certainly inspired me as an educator and my 8th grade class was thrilled when he visited with us this past December via GHO! Although he had so many fantastic messages, the following really stuck with us and made an impact....

Our week started today with a fun pirate message on everyone's door and a pirate themed faculty meeting complete with snacks and a treasure hunt. I cannot wait to see what else is in store for us!

 

HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK!!!!!!

Warmly,

Teresa

Life is Not Always What It Seems

Seeing the World Through a Different Lens

Dear Readers,

As children, the environment we grow up in and the people we are surrounded by is our reality and truth. We don't know any different. 

The way we are treated, the words that are spoken to us, the actions that people take against us is the norm. It seems like that is how everyone grows up. Why would other households be any different? Aren't they all the same?

But then we do grow up and we realize this is not necessarily the norm. Actually, it might be very outside the norm. There is a period of time when we go from being children in a very controlled and isolated environment to adults living in an extremely large world. We begin to see our childhood through a completely different lens.

Part of that lens includes looking at people from a different perspective. People can hurt others in so many different ways. The easiest scars seen by most people are the visible ones. The marks that leave an imprint on the body. But what about the invisible ones? The ones that are just as damaging, but hide in the brain, the thoughts, the self-esteem?

My principal and I were talking recently about something we had read. That when you are out in the woods and a bear chases you you have that fight or flight instinct. You run. Your adrenaline is high, your anxiety is high and you literally are in a state of panic and fear. However, once you are safe again, your body "resets" itself and you return to a "normal" state.

What if you brought that feeling home with you every day? What if you lived in a constant state of anxiety and panic? What if that feeling never went away?

Sometimes when people suffer from an addiction, such as alcoholism, their words, actions and behavior can overshadow what else is happening in a household. You see the person drinking, you hear the person being argumentative, you can smell it on them.

But what about the person who is quiet about being abusive? The person who manipulates and plays mind games? The person who appears to be the victim, but is actually causing turmoil and anxiety in someone else's life? 

Sometimes when people are separated (just like with our students) you see them in a different light. You see their true self because there is nothing to hide behind.

What about the victims in these situations? We keep quiet because that's what we are taught to do. We are ashamed, embarrassed, scared and isolated. We feel like we have nobody to turn to. We are scared. We think nobody will believe us. So we hide it. We learn coping strategies. We move through life.

But then one day we grow up. We realize the way we were treated was not okay. We learn to speak up and speak out. We seek friendships and relationships outside that toxic circle that was our life. 

In the process we distance ourselves from people we love and care about, but know our health and well being is essential. We make decisions others may not understand or agree with.

But we become healthier individuals in the process. We find ourselves outside of that circle of conflict. We learn that we have no reason to be embarrassed or feel ashamed or fear. We find amazing people to surround ourselves with. We build a life with loving, caring and supportive people who accept us for who we are. 

To anyone who knows exactly what I am talking about......

You are special.

You are loved.

You are cared about.

It's not your fault.

Warmly,

Teresa

March Book Madness

Sweet 16, Elite 8, Final 4......

Dear Readers,

My dear reading buddy, @kathyiwanicki, introduced me to March Book Madness this year and I have loved every minute of it!

Since we did not have time to read the books when I discovered this, we decided to have a little friendly class competition. I created the "rounds" on the wall with each participant's name on an index card. I then printed off brackets from the website (March Book Madness MG Novels ) and everyone filled out a bracket.

I also created a poster size bracket. A student wrote the names of all the titles on Post-Its so we could move them around. I wrote down the number of people who voted for each book as the tournament went on so we could see if the majority of us voted for the winners.

Additionally, we kept individual scores with the index cards. For each correct title, the participant received a point. On Wednesdays, we check the website to see what titles have moved on.

Even though we started a little late and did not read all the books (although some students had read a couple of titles or had heard of the books), it has still been a fantastic way to continue building our reading lives as an 8th grade Language & Literature Class. Now we are down to the final two!!!!!

I am so happy Kathy introduced this to me! I definitely plan on continuing this in the future! Happy reading everyone!

Warmly,

Teresa

#PD4uandme

A New Learning Community!

Dear Readers,

My PLN sincerely means the world to me. I honestly do not know what I would do without these amazing people! I am so incredibly excited to announce a new learning community!

Katie (@Katiemc827) and I met about a year ago at our local CoffeeEDU and became fast friends. Since then, not only do we meet with our CoffeeEDU group, but I have attended an EdCamp she organizes and we meet virtually and in person to discuss one of our passions-professional learning. Her ideas, energy and love for education is infectious! We have shared many conversations about how to provide professional learning opportunities to meet different needs and learning styles. In fact, Katie even utilized our snow days and offered #PolarPD options. 

Matt (@mlarson_nj) and I met about 6 months ago when we decided to develop a Voxer group as an extension of a professional reading hashtag. His ability to read, take notes and post them is truly inspiring! In addition, Matt and I have become book buddies and share our resources through good old-fashioned snail mail. Recently, him and I discussed the need to evolve and broaden the Voxer group to encompass more professional learning options and hopefully meet the need of more educators.

Who better to develop a professional learning community than with Katie and Matt? We are so excited to announce our new hashtag

#PD4uandme

While it is definitely in the beginning stages of development, we would love for people to start posting, visiting and engaging in conversation using it! Please feel free to share professional resources such as books, podcasts, Youtube Channels, blogs, articles, anything you can think of!

• Are you someone who uses mentor texts in the classroom? We would love to see what is available to complement our current instruction!
• Do you sketchnote? Please share your learning with us!
• Are you a blogger? Post the link to your blog or tag specific posts you would like to share!
• Have a professional learning podcast you enjoy listening to? Post the link so we can all enjoy!
• Is there a Youtube channel you think people could benefit from? Share out the link so we can all learn!
• Do you have a favorite journal? Are there articles that are relevant to education today? Post them so people can build their toolbox!
• What technology do you love to learn or collaborate with? Flipgrid? Google? Voxer? Twitter? Ideas are welcome!

We thank you in advance for your support and helping us grow! Have a wonderful week!

Warmly,

Teresa

Suffering in Silence

A Trying 2018 So Far!

Dear Readers,

I think one of my favorite qualities about myself is I am a good listener. I sincerely listen to understand and not to problem solve, unless asked. In fact, it makes some people uncomfortable. The silence is not something they are accustomed to and they will often pause and say, are you there? (if on the phone) Are you okay? (if we are face to face) My response is, I am listening. 

In social gatherings and situations, I tend to sit back and observe and listen. The introverted part of me has to take in my surroundings and process everything. I tend to read people very well. In fact a friend and I joke that I would make an excellent FBI Profiler. 

People have told me that I give off "good energy" or they like being around me. I am incredibly empathetic to those going through tough times and do not often find myself in a conversation I feel anxious talking about. Pretty much any topic is within my comfort zone. 

I wonder why....when I am facing particular difficult times, I always choose to go it alone. There are plenty of people in my life who would support me, listen to me and be there for me. However it seems the more serious the situation, the more I retreat into myself.

About two weeks ago, I faced one of the scariest moments I have dealt with. I had to have an MRI done on my head. Not only did that terrify me, but I am also incredibly claustrophobic. It was a trying week to say the least. I honestly did not know how I was going to get through it.

Sometimes I think we keep things to ourselves in order to protect ourselves and those around us. If I did not talk about it, then it did not seem so real. If I did not dwell on the what ifs, then it did not seem so real. If I passed it off as everything is going to be fine, then I hopefully would not worry others.

Walking into that room and seeing that machine literally took my breath away. I was trembling, I was freezing and my eyes were welling up. It did not get better as I was asked to lay down, then the tears started to fall.

But the people were so good with me and helped ease my fears. They talked to me, worked with me and celebrated with me for making it through. I can never thank them enough nor will they ever know how much their kindness meant to me that day.

Even better news came the next day when the office called and told me all was well.

We can never truly know what is happening in someone else's life. People go through things every day we know nothing about. Sometimes we are living with a potentially life-altering "secret". Like me, sometimes people need time to think and process while others feel comfortable sharing right away.

A sincere thank you to those who knew and were with me every step of the way and those that found out right after and have sent their love and good wishes since. We deal with life in different ways and I am so thankful I am surrounded by people that understand and accept me for who I am. They give me space when I need it and listen when I am ready to talk.

The next time someone is having an "off day" or seems distracted, have patience and remember they might be going through something we know nothing about.

Warmly,

Teresa

Tomorrow's Classrooms Today 2018

Honored to Present

Dear Readers,

I received an email last summer from Evolving Educators requesting proposals for their 2018 4th Annual Tomorrow's Classrooms Today Conference.

Although I have been a teacher leader in many capacities, I had never submitted a proposal to present at a conference outside my home district.

In fact, the 1st proposal I submitted had a glitch and I received a request to resubmit it.

I wondered if it was a sign or foreshadowing that it was not to be.

I was wrong. 

It was accepted! 

When I received confirmation that my proposal had in fact been chosen I was stunned. 

Out of all the submissions from exceptional educators throughout the country, I was given the opportunity to talk about one of my passions! 

I believe in the power of the written word.

I believe that we can make a difference through writing.

I believe that blogging gives us the chance to reach a worldwide audience.

I believe that students have a voice.

I believe that all students are writers.

I believe in teaching them various formats to share their thinking, including blogging.

A sincere thank you to Brad Currie, Billy Krakower and Scott Rocco for the opportunity to share my passion with other educators.

If you would like information on the conference, please click the links below:

4th Annual Tomorrow's Classrooms Today Conference

Session Descriptions

Keynote Speakers

Registration

I hope to see you there!

Warmly,

Teresa

POWER

What does the word POWER mean to you?

Dear Readers,

It seems as though the concept of "power" is entering my world at every turn lately......discussions with students, curriculum writing, reading and interactions with others. 

Power....

• Is a theme rooted deep within our Language & Literature units. 
• Is something that people can use in a positive or negative way. 
• Can be obvious or subtle. 
• Can be used to make people feel empowered or dismissed.
• Is standing up for what you believe in.
• Is having a voice for those who are unable to.
• Is maintaining your identity when others try to take it away.
• Is having an open mind and being non-judgemental.
• Is forgiveness.
• Is living your life with grace.
• Is reading.
• Is writing.
• Is speaking.
• Is listening. 

I asked myself today........ 

Does power=control?

Some might think so.

For instance:

• People think if they have the last word, they have control over a situation. Power is the ability to have the second to last word.
• People think if they twist words around, they can manipulate and take advantage. Power is knowing what you believe to be true and believing in your words and actions.
• People think they can say whatever they want and call it being "transparent". Power is knowing the different between "transparency" and "bullying".

I am heading into a unit where POWER will surface as a main theme. 

Students will have to decide who has power and who doesn't, who seeks it and who resists it. (concept from TCRWP Dystopian Book Clubs Reading Units of Study Grades 6-8)

Students will have to decide what roles characters play in society such as upstander, bystander, perpetrator or victim. (vocabulary from Upstanders)

As humans we encounter POWER on a daily basis. How often do we reflect and look in the mirror. How often do we ask ourselves.....

What does POWER mean to me?

Warmly,

Teresa

Lightsaber Fight Scares Therapy Dog From Room

Lightsabers, Lucy, Yoda.....

Dear Readers,

It was an ordinary day in my Language & Literature Class ( as ordinary as my class can be). Monday morning, AP coming in for an observation and a live newscast ready to go! To add to the excitement, I even had Lucy the therapy dog. I was ready.

Prior to the observation, I had a brief moment where I thought to myself, "Perhaps I should put Lucy on her leash and have a student hold on to her so she doesn't run away."

That thought came and went.

Observation time.

My students came in and got settled. They discovered we had leveled up in GoNoodle so we printed out the certificate. I started to explain what would be happening. They were to take notes on the live news event that would be happening with Mrs. Alexander and Mr. Scoppa. I also told them I would record it so we could go back and watch it later.

My AP came in, got comfortable. I gave her my Chromebook so she could look on with the lesson in Schoology. Then the phone rang. (I should have known this was foreshadowing.)

I was handling the phone call, knowing a live newscast was about to happen and I was not finished explaining the note taking. 

All was going smoothly again. I saw my colleagues come to the door, a student was ready to open it, I started recording and yelled, "Let them in!"

Visualize the following events......

• Mrs. Alexander ran in the room carrying a very cute, plush Yoda while waving a red lightsaber.
• Lucy got up and looked like, "Oh! This seems interesting, maybe we're going to play."
• Mr. Scoppa then followed screaming that Mrs. Alexander stole his Yoda while waving a green lightsaber.
• Lucy decided, "I'm out!" and headed straight for the open door.
• I ran behind the science lab table yelling, "Get her, Lucy!" and chased her into the hall.
• I yelled to the kids in the hall, "Grab her, grab her!" Everyone just looked at me.
• Meanwhile, a lightsaber fight was happening in my room and all of this was being recorded.
• Mrs, Alexander and Mr. Scoppa finished their lightsaber fight, resolved their conflict over Yoda and I informed them Lucy took as as they were leaving.
• Mr. Scoppa very kindly went looking for her and found her in her owner's room.

Meanwhile, back in my room, we were laughing so hard and the kids did not know what to write about because so much had just happened. We brainstormed, shared and created an anchor chart.

All of a sudden, Mrs. Baehr knocked on my door and had Lucy with her. She asked if I wanted her back. I explained what had happened. Mrs. Baehr said Lucy ran into her room like someone was chasing her.

Now let's visualize......

• Mrs. Baehr's room is on the other side of the building, pretty much directly across from mine.
• Lucy barrelled out of my room.
• Flew down the stairs.
• Ran down the main hallway.
• Hit the stairs on the other end.
• Ended up in Mrs. Baehr's room.

She was a bit wiped out after all the excitement.

It was one of the BEST classes I have ever had.

It was the MOST memorable live newscast I have ever had.

I could NEVER have planned that.

It was a moment I HOPE my students will remember.

That's what it's all about. The unexpected. The laughter. The collaboration. The fun. The shared experiences.

May all your observations go well this year.

Warmly,

Teresa