A Magical Place

There is this magical place...in this tiny little town...where the most wonderful people come.  The name of this place is Gypsum Creek Middle School.

I was driving back tonight from seeing another movie based on a popular teen book and thinking about how much I am going to miss Gypsum Creek.  It is March 28th and I don't plan on posting this until the end of school, but I've made my decision and  wanted to get my thoughts out...well bc I have them right now and my brain isn't working at normal capacity these days.

As we walked into the theater, I know the kid selling me my ticket, and popcorn, and cleaning the bathroom, and as I enter the actual theater I hear a chorus of Mrs. Thomason, Mrs. Thomason!  Current students, past students, students I didn't even have:)  I'm really going to miss that.  I'm also going to miss the teachers who read the books and argue about characters and wear homemade t-shirts (TEAM PETA!) and sit and talk to students about the books and movies before it starts.

I don't know if it is the nature of teachers, the kind of people who move to work in tiny mountain towns..I don't know how it happens, but we have the best staff and on that staff I work on the best team.  People come from all over and end up at this middle school whether that was their plan or not and magic happens.  We work hard together and we play hard together.  I can count on a single hand the amount of friends I have that are not tied to GCMS in some way.  These are the people that introduced me to the mountain life, spent countless holidays with, developed quite the champagne habit with, saw me every day while I was pregnant with Carter, brought me Costco cupcakes when I needed them, learned to snowboard with, taught my son to ski, ran/trained for half marathons and triatholons with, went to concerts in the park with, and lately have cooked me dinner and cleaned my house, and stacked my wood, and shoveled and plowed my driveway.  The list goes on. 

I am a different person than I was 7 years ago when I came here.  Personally, but definitely professionally.  Now I'm not going to say I haven't griped about it the whole way, but Eagle County pushes their teachers and I am leaving here a better educator.  I have grown so much that I can say now, before I have even put my application in that I will have no problem getting another job.  I don't mean that to brag, and Oklahoma may have jobs that weren't even filled last year, but I say that because my work and experience here has made me a top notch educator with a resume that can't not get a job.  (I'm going to be really embarrassed if I read this in two months and don't have a job:) Update as of May...I did get a job so whew!) I owe Eagle County and my peers a big thank you for helping me learn and grow so much.

There just isn't a better place in the world to work.  I know I've made the right decision, but when Mockingjay and The Giver and Insurgent come to the silver screen I'm going to feel a little disappointed when I walk into the theater and no one shouts my name and I'm the only one rocking the nerdy t-shirt!

May Update:  Ahh today was the last day of school.  Lots of emotion and fun and goodbyes.  I have to share another most favorite GCMS tradition....

Thanks for a great 7 years, here's to new middle school adventures!