Much Ado About Nothing

Well I haven't posted much about stuff other than my travels lately so I might as well talk about the other stuff going on.

School is going well. I just starting taking on Reading Aloud and Language Arts this week. I am reading the book The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau. The students seem to like it so far and I'm integrating in literary concepts that the students need to know as well as "Think Alouds" that the school has to do. These consist of making inferences and thinking aloud while you read--does this make sense? What will happen next? Stuff like that. For Language Arts we are working on Author's Purpose and how to distinguish what the author wants us to get out of us reading. We have the word PIES to remember (Persuade, Inform, Entertain, and Share Feelings). Right now the students are working on a skit in groups of three. There group picked an author's purpose out of a hat and they have to create a quick skit to perform in front of the class. Within ten minutes almost every group was ready to go. My students LOVE to talk so this was a great activity for them to do; it also really helped with teamwork and collaboration skills. I will have the students perform their skits next week as we don't have school this Friday and Thursday is a very crammed day.

I also got to sit in on an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) meeting today. This is my second meeting that I have been a part of and it went really well. It was nice for me to be there and to hear about all of the intervention strategies that are currently being used for this student to succeed and things that we will change that affect what I do in the classroom. After the meeting, one of the resource teachers was really impressed that I know all about RTI (Response to Intervention). DODEA is fairly behind in the states as far as intervention stuff so almost all of the teachers have no idea about some of the stuff that I have learned in my schooling.

We also had the new Superintendent visit our school today. She seems like a really friendly person who really enjoys her job. She has been working for DODDs since 1987 and has acted as principle and assistant superintendent before. I think that the schools will really benefit from her there.

School has overall been very crazy and we have been playing a lot of catch up. In the States, we would combine as many things into days off as we can. We really don't like to take off of school. Well in DODDs we had off for MLK day, Teacher Work Day, Inservice and Parent-Teacher Conferences, and upcoming President's Day. So the kids have had a 4 day week, followed by a 3 day week, followed by another 4 day week, and finally next week we will have two 5 day weeks in a row. I don't know what I'm going to do having a normal schedule!!! It's crazy, but I'm loving it!

My roommate Sunshine is here! It's been so nice to have some company around the apartment and someone to talk to in the evenings. We have been getting along really well and planning our travels together for the rest of my time here. This Saturday we are planning on going to Neushwanstein Castle (Cinderella's Castle)! I hope that the weather holds up and that we can get a good picturesque view of the castle. I love fairy tales so I'm really looking forward to this trip. Next weekend we are trying to find somewhere to go that celebrates Fasching (Germany's own Mardi Gras). People dress up in customs and have big parades and such. It looks like a lot of fun and there are a couple of city options for us to go to. We are also planning on going to visit Munich and Dachau (Concentration Camp) in one weekend. As well as Rotenburg, Bamberg, and of course Prague! I found a bus line that will take me to Prague from Nuremberg round trip for 48 Euro!!! That's super exciting!

Other than that, I have been working out via Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I just started Level 2 today and it's definitely a good workout and it gives me something to do in the evenings that isn't school related.

Tomorrow the teachers have their weekly dinner and we are going to a pizza and pasta restaurant. I'm so excited because I haven't had pizza since probably December and I am craving some! We are also going to see the movie Argo at the theater on base. I'll let you know if it's Oscar worthy ;)

Trier and Luxembourg

So this Saturday my roommate, Sunshine, and I woke up at 4am to join the Outdoor Recreation Department on their trip to Trier, Germany and Luxembourg City, Luxembourg. The bus ride took about 4 1/2 hours and then we were finally there. We stopped in Trier first and then we were allowed to roam the city for 3 hours. Trier was pretty easy to navigate and it was my favorite of the two cities we visited for the day. Trier was a residence for many Roman emperors and was sometimes called the second Rome.

 Constantine Basilica was constructed in 310 during the reign of Constantine the Great

City street leading up to the main market 

Cute little bread and bakery shops lined the streets 

St. Peter's Fountain 

Cool scenery 

The Hauptmarkt or Main Market of Trier. Located in the left of the picture is the Steipe and Red House that was bombed in 1944 but then rebuilt in the 70's it functioned as a meeting center.

Porta Nigra--Old Roman city gate and fortifications that are left in Trier. Built between 180-200 AD. The biggest block weighs 6 tons!

Neat artwork

Saint Peter's Cathedral--Oldest Church in Germany

Our Lady's Church next to the Cathedral

Funny knocker to the entrance of the Cathedral 

Me sitting in a cut out of the church wall 

Very impressive ceilings 

By far the most impressive organ I've seen here 

Up close of the ceiling 

Römer Express, the little tourist train

Cool statue at the intersection of two streets 

Karl Marx's House. Birthplace of the famous philosopher  and creator of Marxism

Thermen (Baths). They had a glass building around them to protect them from harm.

The smaller of the Roman Baths in Trier 

Another Fountain 

The House of the Three Kings

Rokoko-Palais der Kurfursten (Electoral Palace)

Palace Gardens. I went on the Pond turned into an Ice Rink. The Statues on both sides reminded me of Weeping Angels from Doctor Who. 

We then found an icy walkway that led to the Kaisertherman Ancient Imperial Roman Baths.  They are one of the largest baths built in the Roman Empire. 

Ruins of the Roman baths from a distance. They were closed for entrance because of the snow

Full shot of the Vineyards that Trier is famous for and the Imperial Roman Baths 

A cool picture of a city street in Trier 

At 1pm we hopped back onto the bus and drove about 45 minutes to an hour to Luxembourg. Our first stop was to the American Cemetery and Memorial Grounds where the unnamed soldiers are buried who gave their lives in WWII. Also, this is the burial site of General George S. Patton. It was a very powerful place to visit with rows and rows of white crosses and Stars of David. 

Memorial Statue at the entrance 

One set of names of the soldiers who died

Statue at an angle 

'Merica 

The statue also serves as a prayer room and this is the entrance 

Map of the invasions of Europe 

Second set of names 

And now the burial grounds with all of the crosses

A few Stars of David can be seen. A picture with information is later 

General George S Patton is buried here. He is "overlooking" his soldiers' graves

Enjoy all of the artsy pictures of the crosses and the amount that are there. 

I personally thought this was beautiful with the sun hitting the grounds 

So many rows of crosses 

Beautiful stain glass window 

Prayer alter area 

Ceiling of the prayer room 

Information about the Star of David and the stones that can be placed there 

Me standing at the gate entrance to the Memorial 

After that, we took a quick 5 minute drive into the main City Center of Luxembourg City 

Grand view from off of the bus. Includes the State Saving Bank, the Bank Museum, and the Adolphe Bridge 

Adolphe Bridge in Luxembourg

View from the bridge of the garden walls 

Then we decided to walk down to the lower ground where a lot of the ruins are located and to get a better shot of some of the bridges that surround the boarder of the city. 

The Viaduct

Ruins 

View of the main ground 

There were a lot of these archways 

Walking back up to the main ground

Fortress Wall 

More ruins 

View of the City 

Dent Creuse

Cool fountain

Coo Coo Clocks are very popular here. 

Statue 

The Gëlle Fra monument commemorates those who volunteered for service in the armed forces of the Allies of World War I

Then we got back on the bus for the 5 1/2 hour bus ride back to Ansbach. It was a good day and I definitely enjoyed my time. I wish it was a bit warmer and sunnier, but hopefully the weather will get better for my next trip. Sunshine and I are going to plan out our next adventures sometime today.

First Roommate picture! :)