THE Assembly.

Ok, here we go. The story! 

A few weeks ago we had our Staff Appreciation Week at work. Which ever since last year, I have been dying for this week! We get treated so well at work and it includes the best and biggest assembly of the year. The Builder of the Year Assembly. Which I love!

Our school's theme is "being a builder" by being kind, gracious, helpful, and serving others. We have an assembly where the school awards a student from each grade, as well as, an elementary teacher, aide, jr. high teacher and support staff {I like to compare it to the Student/Teacher of the Year award, but builder is just APA lingo.} The awards for the students are voted on by the staff and the staff awards are awarded by the other staff members. The best part of the awards is that it is kept a complete secret from the recipient students and staff members. It makes the assembly so thrilling to see the expressions and excitement of the students and staff members. 

Now, the morning of the Assembly.
 I was so excited because its such a great assembly. My role at the assembly was to meet and greet the winners afterwards to congratulate them. That being said, I wanted to look nice! My plan was to get there early but I had MAJOR outfit problems which made me super late for work and in a real bad mood about it. 

I got to work and immediately was given orders by Brad {the Principal}. I was given strict instructions to not let anyone in the gym until the students were. To make sure all the students are in before I go in. To sit in the back corner section of the gym to chaperone those students, even though there were already like four teachers sitting there. All things I wasn't worried about leading up the assembly--I mean, its the biggest assembly of the year! So stress is high and listening to directions was ok. 

We start the assembly with student awards and making the way up to staff awards. 

We got to the Support Staff category {which I am under} and just got a bit nervous. I saw Brad make eye contact with me but really figured it was going to be our secretary. I spotted her in the audience to watch her reaction and low and behold...they announce my name.
I was the Builder of the Year.

I was in shock. 

I made my way to the front of the gym and felt nervous with the whole school, parents and the administration in the room. I also felt a like anxious as I knew none of my family was in attendance. 

They always have spouses, family or even roommates there to congratulate the winner. 

I never spotted my sister and it never even dawned on me that Rudy would be there, so I figured I would stand at the front with no one there to hug me. 

As soon as I get to the podium, I turn and I see Rudy walking towards me. 

And I was floored. 

I was so happy that he was there. That he could enjoy that moment with me and be by my side.

Brad presents me with my award and then continues to read it to me. 

Again, I was so surprised. It contained the nicest and sweetest comments, something I never would have imagined. I feel so humbled by receiving this award and appreciate it so much that my co-workers think so well of me. If the day had ended on that note, I would have still been so happy, but I had no idea it was about to get any better or exciting! 

Brad finished my award by saying "Leigh, you really are amazing, but I am not the only one who thinks that. Rudy, I will let you take it from here."

WHAT!?

It was that moment.
Finally that moment you have though about, wished for and waited for.
 And it was finally happening.
In front of 600 people at school. 

I was in such shock. 

And if that wasn't enough, Rudy took the mic and said, "I know how much Ms. Robins loves this school and loves the students and so I've asked the students to help me with something"

He points...

and four students stand with signs…

It was shock, after shock, after shock. 

And so incredibly exciting!

He got down on one knee, I didn't really say anything until Brad forced the mic in my face to answer. 

He put the ring on and I felt like the crowd went crazy.

After the assembly, I had so many parents tell me they were crying and how excited they were!

The students made me feel like a celebrity! They rushed me afterwards and I am pretty sure every girl told they cried. 

I had elementary students all day gawk at me and tell me "You are the one that got married!" 

haha. not exactly kiddo. 

That night I even had two 5th grader girls email me a slide show with congratulations on it and slides telling me I was going to be a princess. 

It was the sweetest and so kind and just made me feel even more happy.
The next day, the congratulations continued and it was all the talk. The Drama students even recreated the whole thing for me and acted it out. Signs and all! I was almost more happy in that moment, then the real thing!
We are really happy and really excited.
Mark your calendar…June 14th!!

its all worth it.

I have come to realize that work is a lot of...work. 

It is time consuming, demanding, stressful and hard. 

I have definitely learned this at my first {almost} year at my job. 

I didn't realize that party planning at a school could be that stressful! 

But it has been, especially this summer. A lot more work than I wanted to sign up for. 

The demands of my summer job were really stressful and hard and most days I absolutely hated it. 

I think a big part of that was because the kids were missing. 

I do so much every day to help the kids, and without them, I was real annoyed in Draper most days. 

I realized this one day last week when I got the best compliment I could have ever dreamed of...

We just hired a new lady to be apart of our team and one day she excitedly told me that her best friend had a student that was in the 7th grade at my school last year. 

This was exciting to hear because this 7th grade boy was just my absolute favorite. 

We bonded over BYU Basketball and I think I cared for him a little extra because he was just so sweet and unfortunately he has had a pretty rough life growing up. 

He lives with his grandparents and the grandma is the best friend to my new coworker. 

 This student ended up having a rough year too and decided not to return to APA. 

However, the coworker relayed to me that the grandma had inquired about me, wondering if she had met me yet. 

She explained how her grandson had a hard time at APA and yet the only person at the school to make a difference for him was me. 

That I was one of the only ones who acted like I cared about him and really helped him make it through the year. 

It was such a humbling experience and immediately made me get teary eyed. 

And in that moment I realized that its all worth it. 

Everything I do at school, the stress and the sometimes annoyance of my job, all went away knowing that I do make a difference. 

Its a really odd feeling but I know that I love these kids. 

I love that I have 165 kids that I feel like are mine. 

School starts on Monday and I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little excited. 

the STG.

Oh spring break. 

How I have missed thee. 

Having days of during the year is always the plus for working at a school. And spring break could not have been more anticipated. 

I went down to St. George with Auby and Chelsey for a few days. Our only escape from some cold weather of the wasatch front. 

We hiked Zions. What!? I hiked! Getting outdoorsy only has its moments. 

We hiked Angel's landed. Which I didnt know that it took four hours long (which I compared to a marathon) nor that fatalities have occurred here when I agreed to it. 

But it was fun and adventurous and I had my camelback so I felt pretty legit. 

Other activities in STG included Dixie Rock to talk about feelings and breaking down Aubry's walls. 

We hit up the St. George Temple, had a little photo shoot (pics to come!) and talked about wanting Chick-fil-A ... a lot.  Laid by the pool at the attempt to get some rays and ate a lot of Easter candy. 

Oh and stopped to get graham canyon from the creamery on the way back..

When we got back Aub dawg and I continued to do fun things everyday for the rest of our break. Including going running together (or longs walks...), getting a pedicure, and finding the best quesadilla cart SLC has to offer. 

Needless to say it was a great spring break. 

Now only 7 more weeks till my next day off. I dont know if I can handle that.

be a builder in every way

The last couple of weeks have been really hard and yet very rewarding at APA.
My job is starting to get really busy. I had to lay everything out in an attempt to get organized.

But I do love that everything I do is really fun, like our Sock Hop.

 

 However, I forget that working at a school brings a lot of challenges.

We strive so hard to uplift our students and engrain in them that they are capable, smart and have the capacity to change the world.

We openly focus on how much we love the students so they know that we are there each day to support them and help them.

But of course they still live in the harsh world, with all of its challenges and no matter what we do at APA they are still able to make their own choices.
 

A few weeks ago we expelled one of our 9th grade students.

She was 6 months pregnant. And fourteen.

On Tuesday we discovered one of the 8th graders had brought marijuana to the school.

Slowly throughout the day, as we called in more students about it, we discovered 5 others that were directly involved. They are all indefinitely suspended until they go before a board of parents to decide their fate at our school.

I cried going home that day. I have come to love each of these students.

And the child that brought in the drugs was one of my favorites. He is a pretty sweet boy and I have also come to know his mom who I know works so hard to help her children despite her lack of education. And lets not forget about her fight against cancer.

It's so rough and breaks my heart.

I hate watching them make poor choices which basically dooms them.

 

On the flip side, we still had some amazing moments at work this week.

It was kicked off by Staff Appreciation Week.

 

Full of breakfast and lunch each day, free massages, door decorations and an auction with our staff bucks.

We also had the annual Caring and Sharing Assembly.
We have an assembly at the Jr High almost once a week. At these assemblies we say the Pledge, sing the 1st and 4th verse of the National Anthem, repeat the Builders Poem and sing the Builders Song.
This is our Builders Poem:

I saw them tearing a building down, A gang of men in a busy town.

With a yo heave ho and a lusty yell, They swung a beam and the sidewall fell.

I asked the foreman if these men were as skilled, As those he would hire if he were to build.

He laughed and said, “Oh, no indeed, common labor is all I need,

For they can wreck in a day or two, what builders have taken years to do.”

So I asked myself, as I went my way, Which of these roles am I to play?

Am I the builder, who works with care, Measuring life by the rule and square;

Or am I the wrecker who walks the town, Content in the role of tearing down?

I’ve made my decision; I’ll start today,
I’ll be a builder in every way.

 

And so, a "Builder" is the schools theme--again focusing on bring others up, working hard and building others. We have these monthly awards, but our Caring and Sharing Assembly was awarding students from each grade on being the "Builder of the Year"

It was such an incredible assembly that again, made me so grateful to work at this school. I loved that this assembly focuses on awarding those students that strive each and everyday to be a builder. And that the school takes time to recognize their accomplishements and achievements in front of everyone.

It was a little cheesy with Josh Groban "You Raise Me Up" playing in the background after each name was read. But it was also so humbling to see these children recognized--that had no idea--and then to have their families there, in tears, to congratulate them.

I noticed that not one single student called was white. Rather a whole slew of different races and most of them you could tell didn't have a ton of money, the parents didn't seem to know English and they seemed so humble and beaming with joy. It was very inspiring to see and frankly, made me cry.

I loved seeing these students awarded and having a bright future ahead of them for working hard and making good choices. And I loved being a part of it in a very small way.

 



I got me an award!

Do I blog too much about my job? 

I don't care, cause in case you haven't gotten the memo...

i LOVE my job. 

I am always excited to come to work. It might get a tad stressful every once in awhile {like today since the Principal is gone and I am in charge!!} but I dont ever have a bad day. It doesnt matter what else is going on--a blizzard and freezing cold weather--it doesnt affect me {too much} cause I am really happy to be at an amazing school with such awesome students. 

Yesterday, I wasnt able to attend a staff meeting because I was running one of our events for the 5th and 6th graders. But halfway through our Principal pulled me inside for what I thought was just to give an update on my events. 

But it was just in time to be presented this from our 9th grade leadership council. 

It got me all teary eyed! 

I was so surprised to get this little award and it meant the world to me.

Just add it to another reason why I love this place. 

{however, spelling my name wrong...dampened it just a bit :) }

mi new trabajo

Sometimes when I am at my job, I think I am at church.

Not because Im surrounded by that many Mormons or white people.

But because at my school there are so many dang acronyms!

I work as the CDD at SNA of APA.

{I cant wait for my head shot to go up on the bulletin board}

 

Sheesh!

I guess my school was founded by members of the church.

I usually always get a little annoyed when people brag about their jobs, but I feel like its finally my time to brag about my job.

I freaking love my job.

I know I blogged about it before, but I am seriously so happy with my new position as the Character Development Director at my school.

I basically get to do all of the fun things at school. Help plan the 9th grade bake sale and winter dance, take the leadership students to see A Christmas Carol at the U, go on field trips to the Capitol, make the morning announcements {which is secretly my favorite part} and the best part...I dont have to do any prep or grade papers!

And to top all of that off, I now work with one of my best friends, Mo Milla! Monica got a job at SNA about three weeks ago and we love it! We sit in the office together and try our best to get our work down while chatting the day away.

 

However, the hard {slash, also really awesome}part of this new position, is that I am also the Assistant Principal. Since the school is founded on both Academic Development and Character Development {which is me!} I am the number two in command at school.

This means I sometimes have to put on a mean face and handle some discipline.

Don't get me wrong, sometimes its easy to yell at the students to get to class and be strict when they have to call home for the 50th time that day for not doing there homework.

But then there are the tough times, like what happened to my last week.

 

One of our students, who kinda has an anger problem, was sent to the office for stealing pliers.

I brought him into my office and tried my best to explain why stealing is bad {especially pliers by a kid who threw desks last year!!} and then told him he was going to be suspended.

He bursts into tears!

Yikes.

After giving him time to compose himself, I bring him into the hall to call home about his suspension.

Before I know it, my angry and suspended student is running and flailing down the hallway!

He is running away!!!!

I dont know what to do but follow after him trying not to distrurb classes as I am trying my best to yell "Stop running! Come back here right now!"

But he didnt listen.

 He rounds the corner and runs outside!

Looks both ways as he is trying to plan his best escape route and then runs some more.

So I continue to follow!

 Running after him, and yet also scared to actually catch up to him (since lets be real, he wasnt running all that fast) but I didnt really know what to do if I caught up to him!

What would I say to him? What if he tries to kick me?

Once I see him turn around one part of the school, I went back inside for some back up.

Luckily, our Guidance Counselor was there ready to deal with him, so I turned it over to her.

Its always an exciting day at SNA!

 

When I am not doing the Assistant Principal role of my job, my favorite thing has always been trying to help and support the students as best possible.

Like when I helped a crying 9th grade girl work and comfort her when he friends were being mean to her.

I got a note in return for that one. And many more. Stuff like this always brightens my day and makes me absolutely love working at a school.

I want to try my best to blog about funny things that happen at school.

Cause you know there is never a boring day with these kids!

 

 

Also, I know I havent been the best at blogging lately, but the other day I went through my google reader and noticed soooo many of my friends that havent updated their blogs in months {some even years!}. And to do some "spring cleaning", I unsubscribed from many blogs. But did I miss a memo here? Is blogging all of a sudden uncool? lame? I guess replaced with instagram....It made me a little sad. I dont want blogging to be uncool!