Wow! What a Week!!!

WOW!  What a week!  I am still trying to recover (on Sunday morning!).

First, I would like to thank Mrs. Harwood, Mrs. Hearns, and Mrs. Oswald for making my school year!  The three of you and your families could not be more special to me.  Words cannot even begin to express how much this day or this award, or knowing all of you, means to me.

Mrs. Hearns, me, Mrs. Oswald, Mrs. Harwood

Imagine this. It's Thursday afternoon and I have gotten out of the LAMP training, at BW, early.  I am sitting in my sister's office at Berea high school with my best friend, Miss K.  Mr. Martin sends a text, "We are having a staff meeting at 4:10 today.  You and Effie need to come back."

What?  Are you joking?  What's going on?  Is someone sick?  Is someone pregnant?  Is Mr. Martin leaving Hilton?  Are there going to be more cuts?  Dave was at a meeting this morning, I wonder what happened?

Then I get texts from Mrs. Robinson and Mrs. Vajda telling me about this mystery staff meeting too!  And no one knows what's going on!

A few hours later, Miss K and I were on our way back to Hilton School.

"No one else would ever have to come back!  I can't believe Dave is making us come back!  This must be really important," I said to Effie.

In the car, Miss K told me to try this new lip gloss she had, said it tasted so good.  I put it on. "Tastes like lip gloss," I said. Then she sprayed me with perfume.  Strange enough, this is not out of the ordinary for us.

When we get to Hilton School, Mr. Martin is waiting for us at the front door tapping his wrist.
"It's not 4:10 yet," I said. "You're waiting for us?"

That's when I looked at Effie. She was smiling.  Dave was smiling.  Weird big smiles.

"What's going on?" I said, as we walked quickly to the Media Center and Mr. Martin pushed Miss K in first.

"No, seriously, what's going on?" I asked.

And then I looked in the room, and everyone was staring at me at the door. And I immediately saw Adam, Marina, and Alex.  And Adam came right up to give me a hug.

And the next thing I know, two women from the Plain Dealer are announcing to the group that I am the winner of the Crystal Apple nominated by Mrs. Harwood, but also nominated by Mrs. Hearns, and Mrs. Oswald.

The next ten minutes are somewhat of a blur as Mrs. Harwood read her nomination letter.  I was crying and, Thank God I have a copy now to reread.

The new Superintendent, Mr. Prebles, was there and our curriculum director, Ms. Calevich, our teachers, all my special education aides, The Harwood Family, the Hearns Family, and the Oswald Family.

We found out that Mrs. Harwood, Mr. Martin, and I get to go to a special banquet in May and that's when they present the actual Crystal Apple.  Only 12 teachers a year receive this special honor and the applications go through quite a process before a teacher is chosen.  A story will run in the Plain Dealer on December 19th!  And Mr. Jansik from the Brecksville Magazine and Broadview Journal was there too!

Wow. What a week!