Week 1

All that work this summer, and we finally opened. I have been joking for the last month that I couldn't wait until school opens so we can all relax. That actually held true this week. The anticipation was crazy, and finally this past week we all started to settle into our daily tasks.

I feel like Vin Diesel: days are flying fast and furiously!

The Preview: The Grand Opening was awesome! We had over 250 people show to help celebrate the school's opening. Mayor Bateman, Councilman Maldonado, Yvonne Knowles, Robert Barnes, Stanley Levine, and any number of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, Montessori directors, friends, family, and neighbors showed up in support. There was a lot of laughter and a lot of tears (the good kind). Even the artist Romero Britto sent a congratulatory note and donated three of his new children's books! I've invited him down to campus in the spring--it would be wonderful for him to meet our children.

Day 1: the rain clouds opened and it poured 10 minutes before the children and parents were supposed to arrive. And then as if by some divine intervention, the clouds broke, the rain ceased, and we started school with only a handful of soggy feet.

The children are so happy they are chanting "Atala" and waking up early to get to school. Seriously, I know this sounds absurd, but I have had several parents tell me that their kids love school. Even my daughter Livya (age 4) is making up songs with lyrics like "Atala is a rock and roll school, it's so cool." Can't beat that!

We also have been recognized in the Miami Herald. The mention may be small, but we are very happy to have been one of two schools that represented Homestead: New school year means several new schools in Miami-Dade.

Week 2 is abuzz with fixing little things we didn't have time to do before we opened: hooking up the computer lab, downloading software, organizing pizza Fridays, and beginning the day-to-day activities in the classroom. The Labor Day three-day weekend was certainly a huge help. We all needed a little rest after working out tails off this summer!

Final note, I promise. In the last three weeks I have heard from any number of former students, colleagues, and friends all congratulating me on the new gig. I am speechless that there is so much support for leaving academia, jumping off, and taking a stand. I am so very, very happy to have made that decision and have had the love and support of Colby through it all. I'm sure it sounds cheezy, but it's true.

Spread your wings!