We have a cheerleader in the house & this year's CT Scholarship Winner $1,000 Seneca East

I'm thrilled to report we have a middle school cheerleader in the house! Shayla told me over Christmas break she wanted to try out for cheerleading. I told her it sounded like a lot of drama to me, but if she was serious she would need to let me know in a week and I'd set up a training program for her and she would have to work hard because this school's very, very competitive and you don't just show up and make the team. She came the next day and said, "When can we start?" Having coached a jr. high school squad at Seneca East for 14 years, I think Shayla knew that I knew what I was talking about and trusted me. Beginning January 1st, that amazing child, I do not deserved, worked four or five days a week with me for an hour. She could not do the splits, a cartwheel or a bridge in January. At her tryouts on Friday, she nailed her back walkover, her left and right splits, held both heel stretches for a good length of time and her dance, cheers and cartwheels/roundoffs and jumps all went great she said. I was thrilled, yet not surprised, when we learned on Saturday she made it. I know she will have a great year! They've got a wonderful coach, and a lot of talent and nice girls on the squad. I've ordered a trampoline and put her in tumbling lessons.

I didn't think I would tear up this year, but darn it, I did it again. I basically wanted to apologize to this year's Senior class. I was their 7th grade English teacher the year Christi died and I know I was not as good as I could have been. I always put on a smile and truly did my best, but I was hurting terribly inside and also a full time PhD student at Ohio State and teaching one night a week at Heidelberg. Yikes! I think I went through that year in a fog or a daze. (Actually, they were 7th graders and I think some of them spent that year in a daze too, hee hee.) Thankfully, it appears, in spite of their 7th grade English teacher this year's Seneca East graduating class turned out just fine! Praise God and may God richly bless them all and keep them safe!

This year's awesome book scholarship winners: Marissa, Jennifer & Jessica

This year's $1,000 Christi Thomas Memorial Scholarship Winner, Brooke! Congratulations! Shayla and I had a blast visiting with so many this morning at Seneca East. I wish we could have stayed longer. It was great to be back with my awesome colleagues at a wonderful school district. What fun! Go, Tigers!