Leave of Absence

My surgery is on Friday, December 14.  These are my last few days with the children for eight weeks.  I appreciate all the well wishes and generous Christmas gifts.  They are helping to keep my spirits up.
Mrs. Brenda Boatright is my substitute.  She spent the day with us Friday.  She has worked in Catholic schools for many years and most recently has been a missionary for the last ten years in Colombia, Nicaragua and Mexico.  She will be with us again this week on Thursday before she takes over on Friday.  We will both be checking my emails, so if you have a communication continue to use my same email address.  blauf@stpeterjc.org.
This is a busy week.  We made Christmas presents for our parents yesterday.  We will work on wrapping them on Wednesday.  Be on the look out for them in the book bags this week.
Today was short and sweet with the 1:30 dismissal and dress down day.
We have been busy practicing for Our Lady of Guadalupe Mass on Wednesday.  Many of the students have parts and are excited to participate.
This is the final week of testing for report cards.  I have sent notes home in the FISH Folders if you child needs some extra practice at home.
This week and next week there are new lists of Word Journal vocabulary.  As usual, have your child read them to you, sign and return when they know them without hesitation.
I am planning on having math homework every night.  Wednesday is the only we may not get to all of the lesson because of having the Mass.
I will also keep up the Blog while I am off.  I will be coming in on the weekends after Christmas break to look at the students work and do the lesson plans.  So you might not see me, but I will be around. The main reason I can't come back sooner is because of having to supervise the students while we travel in the school on the steps.  Evidently, I won't be able to do steps until around week eight post operation.  But I am going to show the doctor and climb those steps anyway, maybe. Actually, I hoping I can come in part time at six weeks.  It just depends on how stable I am as I walk. 
This is so hard for me to leave the children in the middle of the year.  I have never take a long term leave in the thirty-two years of teaching.  So I ask for your prayers.  I feel confident Mrs. Boatright and I can work as a team until I am back full time.   
Merry Christmas