I will miss you

I just found out that one of my colleagues lost her fight with breast cancer this morning.

It isn't a big surprise, that came on Friday when we found out that she had only days to live but it still makes me angry, sad, and numb.

Becky was the kind of woman who always said what she thought, as much as I like her she scared the heck out of me even through her last days. She was a woman that you never wanted to let down. She was a woman full of insight and ideas. She would push you to be a better educator but would also take the time to show you how.

I will miss her quick wit, her sense of humor, her smile, and her insight. I will miss her laugh during lunch and her sarcasm.

Becky is now added to the list of those I walk in memory of instead of in support of in Cleveland. It kills me that this wicked disease continues to take wonderful women and men.

Thank you Becky for your guidance this year. I will miss you in the years to come but your life has made a remarkable impact on mine even for the short time our paths crossed.

I believe I must date it from my first seeing his beautiful grounds at Pemberley

My seniors continue to work their way through Pride and Prejudice, and today we got to watch tape 4 of the BBC series. I love this part, I used to watch from the part where Lizzie arrives at Pemberley till Lydia's letter arrived just when I needed a pick me up. Well to help them through it I have been buying candy or having food lessons that add a bit of spice to the story. The other day they had to compare the novel to a Tootsie Pop. The answers gave me a good chuckle and I now share some of the best with you:

(Oh and I kept all the original spelling and grammar!)

Tootsie Pops are old candy, but still taste good; like how in Pn'P is an old book, but still contains a story (like sugar) that we can relate to enough in human nature that is enjoyable to read.

The Indian guy on the wrapper looks scary with his bow and arrow but he's actually way awesome cuz with him on the wrapper you win! Like Darcy...seems scary jerk, but actually he's a winner!

A tootsie pop is enjoyable, and gets even better the farther you get, where as pride and prejudice gets worse the deeper you get.

There is a wonderful facade that is the outside and the chocolate on the inside is the inner evil. There is a facade to every character and they have a core that is something different. The lies are masked their truths are masked or vise versa.

The tootsie pop is like the characters in the book. If you hold it right side up it is Wickham cause he is very big headed. If you turn it upside down it is Darcy because he has a firm stances and a strong base of what he knows.

The characters who are said to be hard-heartedness (Lizzie) because the outside represents the hard heart of her and the tootsie roll represents the soft heart she has underneath the hard part.

If it takes 1,000 licks to get to the center of a tootise pop, how many insults will it take to get through Mrs. Bennet's head?

If I have my lollipop and no one else does then they are going to have prejudice towards me. I myself will have pride for my tootsie pop!

The sucker is like Wickham it may be colorful and beautiful on the outside, but on the inside poop brown.

The whole book is sugary and bad for you. The cover wrapper is colorful. Seems like a good idea, but the text is hard and crunchy and the inner meaning is gross and ugly. All in all, a bad idea that gives you a stomach ache. When you're done, the stick is all gross and you feel dirty. You end up throwing it away when you're done.

I picked the violet colored toostie pop because it reminds me so much of Lizzy. I look for every reason not to like the violet colored tootsie pop, and try and cover it uglier so I can hold bigger grudges against it like Lizzy does to Darcy the first half or so of the book. But in the end we find out that everyone is the same.

This one was prefaced with: Think of this in a metaphorical sense. How many licks does it take to get to the center of a Mr. Darcy?!
(B's 3rd period may never know)

And lest anyone think that my seniors are getting all the fun, my sophomores got to play Hollywood Squares today!

Why I love sophomores

Q: Who is the historical person you would like to spend time with?

A: Oprah Winfrey is a historical person. She has been around for like 20 years.


I love journal grading time.

What? It has really been a month?

I just noticed that it has been over a month since I last update here. I could give you all the excuses but really it just comes down to school is kicking my behind, and keeping me busier than I imagined. I am left wondering how I survived school, teaching and work earlier this year. The Lord truly blessed me then as he continues to bless me now.

Let's see if I can recap the last month for you:

1- Had to buy a new computer, the space bar fell off the old one.
2- Survived Parent Teacher Conferences and got one kid grounded.
3- I switched wards, so I am no longer the choir director.
4- I am the English Tech girl now, it is kinda fun really.
5- I am also the co-advisor of the academic team
6- The three day is in 3 weeks. Ack! But I am only 150 dollars short.

The faculty is awesome (I might also bribe them with weekly treats), I have taken on a ton of responsibilities which I find to be challenging and exhausting, the kids and I are finally getting used to each other. My 8th period are still hellions, but they finally know Ms. Bellamy means business. I have some cute kids, some who I just adore. They drive me batty, but they also remind me how much fun teaching can be and help remind me that I am there for far more then teaching English Lit.

And I bring pictures-
I have to explain one thing about this before I post them. After I read one to many papers using words such as bcuz I decided it was time to change this I have started Bellamy's Bootcamp. So in the spirit of this, my room is currently decorated in Army style.

Yeah, I told you I was freaking amazing (well, at least I am having fun with this unit- better than grading worksheets).


This is the South Wall of my class. It has the monthly calendars, the Hogwarts crest, and the posters for figurative language.


This is the first half of the East wall. The posters with yellow sticky notes are where we are keeping track of my 'platoons' points


They took out the tvs last year, so now I use mine as a shelf.


The rest of the wall, displaying students art work. This is going to be changed next week to show their picture sonnets. It is also the home of my six foot shakespeare.


My North wall. Displaying David Tennant and Brian Vaughn. Along with articles about the school.


The West wall with my shelves, mugs, and pictures.


The rest of the west wall, with the get to know Ms. Bellamy poster. Allison, Rishi, Erin, E, and Patty are all featured on this wall. (The Atlanta group will be featured soon)


Yes, I killed that many trees. It is a sad, sad thing. Someday I will figure out how to teach without worksheets. Basically, kids all need a lap top.


Finally, my desk. it is before school so it is still organized. And proudly displayed over my computer- The Doctor and Rose and Harry Potter!


So there you go, I am going to try to be around more this month, but it is another busy month.

Living up to my nick name

So my oldest youngest brother Adam has called me Hermione for several years now. I am an insufferable know it all, I will throw the rules out for a good reason, and I do read more than is healthy. Well today I am living up to my nickname-

I just finished my thesis, 26 days before it was due and 5 days before my own personal deadline.

I can't believe. The paper that has given me headaches, panic attacks, and heart burn for weeks and months now is done. There will be a few changes and nips and tucks that will need to be done over the next three weeks, but it is smooth sailing.

Ack I finished my thesis!!!!

*runs off to celebrate*

*anyone want to join*

It is my day of Jubliee

Not so very long ago there was a girl who felt stuck in her life. She had a decent job, a great apartment, a wonderful family, and great friends. Something just felt off though. After a lot of late night chats, soul searching, and pondering she made the decision to go back to school and get her masters degree and teaching certificate. She was scared. Worried that she would fail. But this girl had the best support system in the world. She had her family who always believed in her. Her friends (both in Utah and online) who held her hand when she was ready to throw in the towel and pushed her to write one more paper or finish one more presentation. She had the best coworkers any person could ever ask for who would listen to her cry about an assignment or the way a class had behaved, who gave her the time off she needed and who gave her a place to bring the treats she was endlessly baking to combat the stress. She had a trainer who pushed her to work harder and showed her that there were better ways to take out stress then diving into a carton of ice cream. And she had a wonderful school to work with where they accepted her as a family and did everything they could to show her the potential that she carried.

Well, yesterday this girl graduated with her masters and the mega watt grin she wore the second she woke up that morning never left her face.

So to all of you who helped me get to this day. Thank you. I couldn't have done it without anyone of you. You have stood by me every step of the way and I appreciate it so much.

Now without further ado- Graduation Pic Spam!

With my class. I dont know where my little purple thing went. It wasn't in my packet on Friday night so I went without. Of course my hood wouldnt stay properly on either. Oh well. Aren't we the proud bunch of graduates?


With Alie I would not have made it through this program without her. She kept me sane the last nine months or so and added the need voice of reason that our group needed.

I wish I had pictures with my parents and grandma to post her. But they are all on my dad's camera. so let's go to the Party!!!!

My parents went all out assuming the world was coming. I kept trying to tell them that despite the number of invites and announcements I sent out there would not be any there. We had about 40 people which was good enough for me. Of course my dad made an excellent observation last night when we cleaning up, "We are just lucky all her internet friends didn't come, then we really would have gone through all the food."

With my parents best friends.


Not sure why we kept taking pictures in front of the garage. *shrugs*


With my friend Mandy and her son!


With the infamous Katie and Jason- two of the best friends a girl could ever ask for.


With Ruthie, my cooperating teacher. She has been amazing.


With Gayle. This is the woman who gave me the push I needed to become a teacher. She is amazing and has made an impact in my life since I was a 14 year old freshman sitting in her English class.


With my adopted family. I adore these guys.

So there you have it. Wish I had the pictures with my parents, or one with the chocolate lei some of my students made me. But according to the school I have graduated. There is that little pesky thing of 8 more weeks of class and three more weeks of student teaching, but nothing is taking this smile off my face.