I am sitting here in the early hours what is officially the first day of school for staff and students. As part of an admin team we've been in schools already looking over the documents, immersed in conversations, planning, re-evaluating our school processes and thinking about our staff and communities. This year the traditional "back to school" looks and feels different. There is still an excitement in seeing my colleagues, meeting my students, and thinking about all the possibilities. But there is no denying that it's also laced with worry, angst, trepidation. People have been asking me how I feel about the return to school. I've chosen mostly not get into the details on social media because it's hard to be clear and difficult to not be mis-understood, but I'll try to take a stab at it. - Grateful and excited that I am going back. Honestly, although I think online was a great alternative and I gained a lot of new skills, I love being with my humans. Big and small, tough and easy, children are just my jam. If I've discovered anything in the past year it's that I still get so much joy from teaching in the classroom.
- Keeping judgement at bay and checking myself. Parents need to make the best decision possible for their own families. We are all working from a place of some knowledge, limited information, anxiety and fear. We don't know how it's going to work out and that's scary. I trust that parents are experts on their own families and they will choose an option that is best for them for the right now. Thankfully we here have the option to go in person, have a teacher online, or in some cases home school. The decision we make right now is not forever and we can all change our minds if need be.
- My kids need school and their friends. Education is more than academics. It's connection. It's social education. It's citizen education. It's learning that you have blind spots and biases. It's looking at the same thing from multiple angles. My children need this. Right now our province has relatively low numbers, around five a day for the past few weeks, with outbreaks here and there that have been dealt with in a fairly organized manner. After weighing the risks vs. alternatives we've decided at this point the risk is worth taking. Just for the record we do in fact have immune-compromised family that we had to consider in this decision. My husband and I both work and online schooling just doesn't seem like the right choice for us or the children right now. This doesn't have to be our choice forever. It's our choice for now and we feel very confident with the plan schools are putting together. We will watch and reevaluate as needed.
- Funding. I can't say that the government doesn't have lots of holes in their plan. I also don't want to get into a debate about it to be honest. It's exhaustive and somewhat unproductive. I'll say this. I wasn't surprised by the lack of planning and actual input into the education plan. Our government doesn't put education first and as far as I am concerned that's old news. We, the public, can fix this with the way we vote. We don't necessarily even have to jump ship and change our vote, but we can demand that education, class sizes, supports and optimized learning for our children be part of their platforms with clear deliverables and not wishy-washy language. We have a right as tax payers to say this is important and this is what we want to see our money invested in. Honestly, if you don't want them to spend more of our money on education, I am not sure you have a right to complain about the current state of things. That sounds really harsh but we can't change how classrooms and children are supported without addressing class size and complex classroom needs.
- Promise. With 1000% certainty, I know that we at school will do our absolute best to keep your children safe. To love them. To provide them social and educational opportunities in a new way. To lower their anxiety and yours. Just because our doors aren't as open physically, we are still here to support you. Write us an email. Send us a note. Call us. We still want to hear from you and we still want to work with you for your children. We will succeed and struggle with them.
And so on my first day off work, I am excited to see my staff. I am excited to hear their summer stories. I am ready to hear their anxieties. I am ready to be part of the solution. I am ready to take lean into our current reality. I am ready to gain new skills. I am going to try to lean into the unknown so that new learning opportunities can come into my view.
Tell me how you are feeling. Our feelings might be different. That's okay. Tell me your story so I can listen and learn and reflect. There is no right answer, just the right answer for you and your family.
On another note, since it is my Friday fashion post, this jumpsuit was a Winners purchase in July and I immediately knew I would be wearing it on the first day of school. If it's hot, then the sleeveless look is perfect, and if it's chilly, I have my trusted denim jacket to throw over. Some things even COVID can't change, and that's the excitement of picking out the first day of school outfit! Make sure to follow me on IG to see all my outfits from the first week of school.
Hello friends! I am back with my first day of school outfit. I figured those signs that the kids have make them look so darn cute so I thought maybe it would help me out too. Hahaha. #itsnotjustforkids
Speaking of being/acting like a child. Did you do a back to school clothing shopping adventure? We did not and actually I don't make it a big thing for my girls either. If they need clothes we buy them, if they don't we just wait until they do. This is probably because it wasn't a part of my childhood so to be honest it's not something that dawns on me as a thing to do. This year I did take the girls shopping but it was mostly because they were going to visit my sister and they needed new clothes as they just grew and grew and grew over the summer. My Halie, my first born, my 12 year old is wearing size 8.5 and 9 women's shoes!!!!! STOP growing!!!! (for the record I wear a 7.5 or 8)
Anyway, even though I didn't have this back to school clothing adventure, I love picking out what I am going to wear to school. It's the anticipation of seeing everyone for the first time in a couple of months and truly wanting to put my best foot forward. This year I am at a brand new school, in a new position, so I really wanted to dress nicely but also not overly dressy. Most people in the last four years have seen me presenting, so heels, pencil skirts, blazers, etc. I love all of those things, but I am in a school that requires me to be on the move, where families aren't necessarily walking through the doors wanting to see someone who they can't relate to, so I wanted to showcase my more casual, daily lifestyle wear, while also staying professional. I am actually really huge on professional dress codes, and though you can be more casual at times you still need to present yourself as a well put together, professional person. Since the first day was just our staff, doing some team building, professional learning, and since summer is still here, I decided to layer one of my favorite jumpsuits. I love how a classic white tee looks layered under a jumpsuit, and I added some fun boho jewelry to my look. These earrings have been on repeat ALL summer long. They are lightweight and just make a statement on their own. I also traded in my heels for some flats so that I can put on lots of miles during the day.
Don't forget a healthy snack to keep me going. My favorite is a good old green smoothie to get me from lunch to supper.
It's been a fantastic first week but it's been busy. Through that busyness it's easy to lose sight of things that are truly important. I was so glad that I put a visit to my grandma's as a priority in my life this week. I hadn't seen them through the summer much because we were at the lake, and so going into this week of work I knew that if I truly wanted to make that happen, I would have to write it down and make it a non-negotiable. That day it trumped by workout and you know what, I am glad it did.
How did you get ready for the first day of school as a child? If you have children, do you have any special traditions with them?
I don't know about you but when the weather starts to grow colder and the days get shorter, I gravitate towards dark colors such as gray, black, white & black, brown, burgundy, etc. Here in Saskatchewan the cold days come faster and stronger than most other places and I have to make two conscious decisions:
#1 To keep moving/exercising even though it's dark when I get up
#2 To keep color in my wardrobe
Today I am going to share how I am wearing these bright, mustard yellow pants that I recently purchased at Banana Republic. I love the color but I am not crazy about how tight they are. The girl at the store assured me that these would stretch a full size and not to go with the size larger but that hasn't happened and I often feel self conscious in them. I just might go back this week to see if they still have some and pick them up in a larger size, because you know winter weight is coming my way and I'd like to been comfortable in them.
#1 Cozy Style: This is my favorite outfit because it's totally mommy/playground functional, as well as work appropriate without the puffer vest. I've had this vest for probably close to 10 years now. I LOVE it in the fall while the evenings are still warm enough to layer it over a long sleeved shirt. Give me a cup of coffee and off we go to the park!
#2 Work Attire: Business casual is the way to go around the office most days. A simple white tea with a navy blazer was a perfect balance to these bring pants in the office. To add just a little more spunk to the outfit, I pulled out my leopard print booties; it's been way too long!
#3 Polka dots and riding boots. This was the first way I styled the pants while out doing errands in the city in early September. Looking back, it just might be a bit too much color for me.
#4 Simply Everyday: I would wear this for work, errands, coffee with friends or going to the park with the kids. What makes this outfit is the beautiful beading on the sweater and the simple, neutral flats. This sweater is an oldie but a goodie. The day I wore it I just wasn't feel my best self and I needed something a little less fitted was the way to go.
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Any suggestions of what else I can pair with these bright, bold pants?
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The other day was my first day of school/work for the 2016-17 school year. Here are my educator stats to date:
🍎 Starting year #9
🍎 3 Schools: Buena Vista, Queen Elizabeth, Lakeview, and now I work in a variety of schools supporting teachers in Prek-Gr. 8
🍎 1 School Divisions
🍎 Grades taught: PreK-Gr.4
🍎 Most experience in: Early Years (K-Gr.2)
🍎 Students taught: ~250 +
🍎 Principals: 4
🍎 Provinces taught in: Saskatchewan, Canada
Many teachers prepare their first day of school outfits in the same fashion as students :) For me it wasn't so much the first day but the second, when all the teachers in our school division get together for a beginning of a new school year celebration. I knew that I wanted to wear these culotte pants that I snagged while doing a little bit of shopping in London this past summer. You could say it was love at first sight with the cut/style and even more so with the color; I was super pumped to see the potter's clay color in the pantone fall 2016 color palette. The other color I am super excited to wear this fall is the spicy mustard!
I paired these sweet pants up with my new crop top from Top Shop, which I will wear all winter long under a blazer, and it pairs nicely with my circle skirt that I wore last week and heels. And this year I was able to snag my very own back to school backpack from Zara.
Shop the Look:
Backpack (similar): Simons
Happy back to school everyone!!!
I am so excited for this prompt from the ladies over at the Blended Blog today. I adore wearing dresses, mainly because I feel like a good dress can make a statement all on it's own and there is minimal work involved. I also live in skirts and dresses during the spring/summer as much as I can.
Today I am going to feature two dresses that I have been wearing to work and are prefect for drinks, date night, a baptism, wedding, etc. Both of these dresses have been staples in my closet for the past two summers and the best part is they were FREE!!!! Yes you read that right, FREE. My wonderful sister loves to shop and generally after one season she passes pieces from her closet down to me, who eagerly awaits like it's Christmas morning. Just last week I sent her a text to see what she had for me for my summer wardrobe and I can't wait for my grandma, who is out in BC visiting her, to bring it to me next Monday. I am a lucky,and spoiled, girl.
Look #1 is pleats, pleats, pleats!!! This dress is so lightweight and flowy. It is extremely versatile and I wear it to work, both in the classroom and for meetings, for lunch/dinner dates, and any events that we have throughout the spring/summer season.
Look #2 I wear this work often in the spring and also love it paired up with brown boots & my mustard cardigan in the fall. Recently I purchased these lace-up flats from the Bay, and they are on sale for $39.99 right now. They are extremely comfortable and will be a staple in my wardrobe for our trip to London/Paris at the beginning of July.
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| Fall/Winter Look |
WISH LIST DRESS: chambray, off the shoulder dress from Chicwish (below) and a new Maxi dress that I am hoping I will find through some of the other Link Ups via the Blended Blog.
Also linking up with Threads for Thomas, weekend addition. Great looks by Rachel herself and many others.
Last week the temperature took a dip back down in e and it was cooler than we had been experiencing, but this week its full on summer weather!!! Anyway due to the chill, my body kind of aching and a lack of time/desire to shave my legs I spent a lot of time in pants. Some weeks you just want to live in your jeans, but due to work office dress code these two simply casual outfits were a perfect match.
#1 Leggings, tunic, a lovely spring floral scarf I picked up at Reitman's for $5 and I added some bling with a new/borrowed from my mom H & B bracelet. Click on over to the Blended Blog to check out how other ladies are styling this prompt.
#2 Linen pants, printed top, blush purse (by far my favorite color this season) and nautical wedges. Oh, and this is my old hair that desperately needed a makeover which it got over the weekend :)
Here are the Polyvore I looks created for week 4 utilizing my capsule wardrobe.
