Dinner with SLP at Yenching

Every Monday after our School Leadership Class, we go out to dinner. Sometimes 20 people come, other times a smaller group shows up. Last night we went to a Chinese restaurant. Here is a picture of Josh, Sam, and Rafiq...

This is Jessica, Kate, and Chris:

And here are Ellen, Becky, and Jesse:

This was my first time eating Chinese food (except for dim sum in Boston) since I got up here to Cambridge! It was yummy!!

Lighting of the Tree at the Charles Hotel

I was telling my friends last week that it didn't feel like Christmas in Cambridge. I think back home the kids are excited, Christmas Chapel rehearsals start, there are winter concerts, and the mall is decked in holiday decorations in early November. Here in Cambridge, even though it is getting colder, I just wasn't feeling the holiday spirit yet.

So tonight I went to the lighting of the Christmas tree at the Charles Hotel in Harvard Square. They even have an outdoor ice skating rink next to the hotel!!


Before the tree was lit, Kath and I pretended to turn on the switch. When it came time to light the tree, they had Santa push the switch to "on." I don't know if you can tell, but we are totally bundled up. Even though they had hot cider and hot chocolate, I still felt cold!

There was a raffle for Kevin Youkilis' charity so we bought a few tickets. Kath ended up winning a gift certificate for dinner at the restaurant in the Charles so she treated us to dinner!! I had the pot roast...yum! It was a wonderful way to start off the holiday season!

Dinner with Anne and Dave

Last night I caught the T (the subway) into Boston to meet Anne and Dave. They were here for a fashion show and fundraiser for Harvard China Care, which raises money for orphaned children in China. I couldn't go to the fundraiser because I had class (and you can't miss classes here!!) so I met them for dinner instead. Anne did a trunk show and she has the most beautiful outfits. I love her new umbrella print and the ribbon top. After they packed up, we walked a few blocks from the hotel--it felt like it was freezing but it was actually about 40 degrees. If there is anything that is going to keep me from living on the East Coast, it is the weather. It's just too cold for me!

Tucked behind a little doorway was a beautiful restaurant called Mistral. I think it is French inspired cooking, and everything we had was delicious. Caesar salad, scallops, duck, short ribs...the food was perfect. The company was the best, as I got to catch up on everything going on at home. Thanks Anne and Dave!!

Mike Walker Visits

Mike Walker came up to Cambridge for the Independent School Principals' Conference. We got together for lunch (yes, I made him eat in the cafeteria!) with some of my classmates.
Front left: Eli, then Kris, then Monica.
On right from back: Mike, then Krissy, and Laurie Ann.
People are always asking what my friends are like, so here goes:
Eli is in the school leadership program, in the school developer strand. He went to Princeton and his roommate there was from Punahou! He teaches Latin and he lives in Somerville (next to Cambridge) with his wife who is an art teacher. He's my study and lunch buddy. He reminds me of Todd Chow-Hoy. Very smart, nice, and fun to talk to. Sometimes we talk about nothing, and sometimes he'll ask serious questions about alternative funding for private schools like corporations sponsoring students. He once told me about an idea where a student would go through school for free, but then after graduating from college, the student would give back 10% of his salary to the school. The idea has its merits and drawbacks, but nevertheless, I like Eli's way of thinking outside the box. Eli's favorite thing to say is "Nice."

Kris is a scientist and mathematician who went to MIT. He was a founding teacher of a charter school in Framingham and his favorite holiday is Halloween because he gets to throw pumpkins out of windows at school. Kris also has a patent. Don't ask me, because I don't understand what it is. Kris's parents just returned from a trip to Hawaii! Kris's favorite thing to say is, "Have you heard?"

Monica is my shopping buddy! She is a fellow teacher leader, and will most likely go back to her Quaker school in California. She teaches third grade. The best thing about Monica is that she tells it like it is. She is also hilarious, as Rafiq says. I could write more, but then I wouldn't be able to stop...

I see Eli, Kris, and Monica practically everyday...sometimes more than once a day!!!

Krissy and Laurie Ann aren't in our program. They just came by because I told them Mike would be in town. Krissy is in Learning and Teaching, and Laurie Ann is in Arts in Education so she and Mike talked a little about the K-1 master plan and how the arts are integrated into the curriculum. Both of them went to Punahou! Krissy graduated in '03 and Laurie Ann graduated in '99. Her brother Greg is my classmate.

Farmers Market

I LOVE Farmers Markets. I love the ones at home, I loved going to the one in Boulder near Pearl Street Mall. One weekend Catherine went to the Boston Farmers Market and came home with food galore. From fruits to salmon, she raved about the experience. So on Saturday, I decided to join her along with Michelle, Kris, and Monica. We went crazy! Strawberries were 2 for $1.50, lemons and limes were 8 for $1.00, and there was also bread, cheese, seafood, and fresh veggies. I bought 7 pears from this guy!

I didn't buy too many veggies...but I did buy some corn!! It's been awhile since I've peeled cornstalks...

I love red and yellow peppers, but I didn't have room to carry anything else! And yes, you read that sign right, they are 3 for $1.00!!!

Here we are after buying enough food for weeks! We had to bring backpacks and tote bags to carry it all home. It was a really cold and windy day, but it was worth it!

On Sunday, Monica took all her fruits and veggies to Kris's house and cooked! Kris's parents sent him some steaks so we had steak and pesto penne pasta. Monica also made salsa with the tomatoes she bought on Saturday, and she and Kris were excited to show me their special pineapple drink. Kris has a pineapple corer, so he was able to save the outside of the pineapple and made Rafiq a drink!

Rafiq is also in the Teacher Leadership Strand of School Leadership. He went to the Murphy School where he is now an intern, and they were so proud to find out that he was a graduate!! He is really devoted to the kids, in fact he still coaches football and works with a step team. Rafiq is really fun to talk to and his favorite thing to say is "Hilarious!"
We ate our delicious dinner and then watched "The Prestige" which is a really confusing but awesome movie about two magicians...it's a definite must-put-on-your-Netflix-queue!

Lunch with Dori

Today I had lunch with Dori at Z Square Cafe! We actually ate breakfast. My favorite thing to eat at Z Square is the crepe with Nutella, bananas, and strawberries. I usually treat myself to that after I finish a paper!



Dori lives here with her husband Alan who teaches Chemistry at Harvard. I've actually known Dori since 6th grade or so, when we both took sewing in summer school. She is also Shelley Enoka's sister! Dori's niece, Jenna, was in my summer math class last year. When I first arrived in Cambridge, Dori took me to Target so I could get the basics for my apartment...she was a lifesaver!

Studying at the Law Library

When we need to get a lot of work done, the best place to go is the Law School Library! It is quiet, open late (2am), and best of all, there is free coffee!!! You can pick a flavor like vanilla or hazelnut, put it in the coffee maker, and you're set for another couple of hours!



There are comfy chairs to read in, everyone is really focused on their work, and it's the best place to get papers done.
If you really need to get a lot done, you can go to Lamont Library which is open 24 hours!! It's usually full of undergrads studying furiously until the wee hours of the morning. I've left Lamont around 1:00am and there were still hundreds of students there!

Apple Picking!

We went apple picking at Honey Pot Hill Orchards! It was the first time I've ever eaten apples off of a tree! Here are Zeynep and Monica in front of the check-in area. The orchards are in the background. Zeynep drove--it was about half an hour from school.
We had to use a ladder sometimes to get to the apples!

Other times the apples just surrounded us--we had to resist picking too many!!

When we arrived, we heard the pears had been picked out so I was really disappointed. I made it my mission to find a pear and we did! There was a lone pear way high up in a tree so I put the apple I was eating in my mouth, and jumped up high to get the pear! Monica got this picture of me with the pear and apple still in my mouth. Later on, we found lots of pears in a different section of the orchard!We also went on a hayride to the pumpkin area where we bought apple cider donuts, hot dogs, and some peach jam to take home with us! Zeynep bought a pumpkin!
Here we are at the end of a long day of picking (okay about one hour). If you click on the picture above, you can see just how many apples are all around us! We picked about 20 pounds of apples and pears!! Monica made poached pears, Zeynep made apple crisp, and I made sliced apples. ha! It was a wonderful way to experience the East Coast and to support local farmers! Buy local, eat local...be sustainable!

School Leadership Program

These are pictures from the HGSE (pronounced "hugsee") Back-To-School BBQ!
I'm in the School Leadership Program, and within that program are three strands: Principal Licensure, School Developer, and Teacher Leader. Above are the teacher leaders: back row: Rafiq, Tom (Director of Program and Professor), and Kitty (Advisor and Professor). Front row: Kris, me, and Monica. Monica is a teacher from California, and Rafiq and Kris have been teaching in the Boston area. Tom's area of expertise is in Special Education, in fact he co-wrote the IDEA Special Education law. Kitty's specialty is teacher leadership--how to recruit and retain teachers, and how to lead from within the classroom. A lot of people believe that distributive leadership is the way to school reform. We've got to get teachers to lead the change...through mentoring new teachers, collaboration, and effective professional development.

Above are some other SLPers: Kate (in pink), Catherine (white top, with glasses), Monica, and then front row left to right: Ellen, Sam, Rafiq, and TJ. SLPers come with a wealth of experience and wisdom...charter schools, public schools, Teach for America, independent schools...TJ has passed the bar exam and is a Jesuit priest! Catherine wants to work with immigrant children and eventually would like to open schools in Korea. Monica has most recently worked in a Quaker school in San Francisco.Just what are these huge stacks of paper? Our coursepacks!! Yes, this is what I'll be reading for the next three months. Monica was smart--she got a box. I have never read so much in my life--although all of the readings are carefully selected and relevant so I am actually learning a lot. I've always wanted to get back into reading--I think I've reached that goal!