Long Overdue

Long overdue should be the title to every blog update, apparently I'm semi slacking completely on this blog.. To sum up this past month, it has been one of the most hectic enjoyable, and some not so enjoyable, times of my life. To catch everyone up to speed, the Govenor of WA mandated that all state agencies cut 6.5% of their budget. Washington School for the Deaf is considered a state agency so here is where the stress began. 6.5% of the schools budget was cut! for this already small tight nit community that means they were watching friends and family be laid off one by one. As well as the possibly closure of the Elementary school all together. YEA, you should of seen my jaw drop when my supervisor brought me in to tell me this. I was just absolutely speechless. I mean working at this school, and serving this community is why I came out here. So I talked to my boss and he said that if the school did close I'd have two options. To leave my term of service or to take a placement else where. (Read my blog post from Oct. 7th for more info)...

Last week we were at SERVES all week, a required week of workshops for those of us serving in the Washington State Service Corps. Although it wasn't the most exciting workshops in the world, I do have to say that I received a few good tips on things to work with. It was alot of fun being able to be with team members we never actually see anymore, since we all serve so far away from each other.

After Serves I decided to get a new piercing (see picture in the right hand side of the blog). It was a piercing I had been wanting for a while but just hadn't gotten yet. So while out trying to find places to fix my windshield I randomly mentioned to Katie that I wanted a piercing, thus started our adventure to getting pierced. We searched a few locations and then found one that was highly recommended. Katie came away with her nose pierced and I came away with my Forward Helix pierced. Fun random times :)... the story of my life ;)...

Other things that have been going on.. I've gotten a total of 300+ dollars worth of book donations for WSD thus far!! :) so excited about that.. since sept. 1st I've served close to 500hrs (I cant remember the exact number, its in the high 400's) but after this month it will be well over 600hrs! yay for being almost half way to my 1700hr goal!! I've also lined up a Graphic novel illistrator who is willing to come and talk to the kids at WSD for free!!! as well as get a bunch of artists involved to donate art to an art fundraiser, all of this was the illistrators idea, which will raise money for books and then Jonathan Hill, the illistrator, is going to take the money to Powell's bookstore and pick out as many graphic novels as he can for WSD!!!! I'm absolutely thrilled, this is a huge offer and I'm floored sometimes by how generous and kind people can be! I'm working on a press release for the event currently. As well as working on an event called "Milk + Bookies" its a non-profit organization that helps promote literacy and service! It's going to be awesome!

on another note we just finished a FAN, family accademy night, at WSD's elementary school! It's been a long day (13hr day to be exact), while my teammate went on a field trip with half of our classes, I chose to stay behind and plan the FAN parent portion of the event. Where we teach parents basic signs and normally help teach them how to read to kids in ASL. So i came up with an idea with the help of our wonderful principal. I took an ASL dictionary(with pictures along side the signs) and copied the definitions of the difficult words in the book. I put them on a ring, and put them in the bag along with the book. So then they had a miniture dictionary for the story!! :).. As well as took paper plates and copied each character from the book cut it out and pasted it on to the plate(My teammate arrived in time to help me with this part). I had already taped the animal definition/sign to the opposite side of the plate. so then we were ready to go!! They had a book, their dictionary, and their props for the story. And not only could the kids read it themselves, because if they didnt know a sign they could use thier little dictionary, but they could also act it out. As well as for the parents of Deaf children that don't know many signs, they could also use it to learn from and then read the story aloud to their child :).. anyway we hid the masks throughout the hall so that they had to try and match the picture to the sign I was using.. Midway through the event the superintendent of the school stopped in.. I was expecting her to show up... After the event was over she came up to my WRC teammate and I's office to tell us what an awesome idea the activity was and how amazing the event was. :).. I gotta say after 13hrs of running around putting it altogether between tutoring kids and various other task, I was quiet tired, so it was nice to hear positive things, especially from someone so high up.

This week end should be interesting as well, I'm going to stay the week in portland with some family members, whom I don't think I've ever met. Though I must say I've very excited to be meeting them, and very thankful their allowing me to stay with them for the week. WSD has to completely close the campus next week due to the budget cuts and no one is allowed on campus incase they get audited. So i'm very thankful and blessed that they are allowing me to come stay with them. As well as thankful for all the other wonderful teammates, and co-workers here at WSD, that offered to allow me to come stay with them.

One month in counting and I'll be back in TN! how crazy is that?! It seems like time has just been flying by! :)

Lots more to update on but for now I'm exhausted!! hopefully it won't be another month again before I can post again.