Spelling Bee & Other Thoughts

Dear Friends, Family, and Readers:

After celebrating Chinese New Year in style with friends I thought I'd share some random thoughts and photos with you. The thoughts and pictures are on God's creation, school, and Chinese New Year celebration with friends. I'd like to start with how this school year has been going as we have hit the home stretch.

As the year is almost complete (or at least the 3rd quarter...) I have had some time to reflect. I just finished working on the spelling bee at school, which wasn't as difficult as I thought it was going to be. I have attached a short video I took of the spelling bee for your enjoyment. The final result was that one of my seventh grade girls won the competition at our school. She will now compete in Guam in March. I may or may not be going as both of the students parents are hoping to go and I told the principal it really did not matter to me whether I go or not. I was glad that he asked me. I simply replied that if the parents were o.k. acting as her coach at the Bee, I was fine with that. I also feel like it would save the school a little money. I will let you know what happens when it gets to that point.

As for the rest of my school year. I am working on teaching the students the writing process and MLA format as we near the end of the year. I could have included writing throughout the year, but I feel as though this is a good way to finish up the year...a culmination so to speak of all the information they have assimilated this year from their grammar books.

As for the rest of what I've been thinking about...well, I can't help but think about how great God is to have brought us to Saipan. I don't say that to upset those of you in the middle of winter, but in all honesty when I was in middle school I never imagined that I would be on a tropical island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. I am also astounded by God's beautiful creation. I have attached a few pictures of the sunset tonight on Saipan. I will at some point get a more beautiful sunset picture as there are often purple and pink sunsets, I just have to get out on the right day and capture it. I'm sure I will post many more sunset pictures later in the year.

I hope you enjoy everything. Enjoy! Ciao,
Grant