Week 1 of school, plus Florida!

Since I have no classes on Wednesdays or Fridays, & because Monday was a holiday & Tuesday a faculty furlough day at CSUSM, I had only one day of school this week. I definitely got into the Global Modern Dance class & it looks like I'll probably get into the Computers & Music class, but Oral Communication is iffy.

For Computers and Music, the school registration system says that the class has a 26-student capacity (except on some days when it says 30). There are 30 workstations in the room, and 28 people showed up on Thursday. If it remains that way on Tuesday (or improves), then I'll get into the class

For Oral Communication, the prof said the class is fully registered, but 2 of those students didn't show up on Thursday. 2 students "crashed" the course (including me), and if the 2 absentees don't show up on Tuesday, the prof will drop them & we're in. (Likewise if others drop.)

Meanwhile, I have to continue as if I'm in the classes & prepare my work for Tuesday. My homework includes:

Global Modern Dance: write a 2-page paper describing a memorable dance experience. Oy! Do I write about my one Tap Dance lesson at the age of 5 (shuff-le step!) , or my one semester of ballet taken for Phys Ed credit 20 years ago (and in which I got a WF)? Maybe I'll take a chance and instead of writing about my past "dance" experience, I'll write about how many people tell me how my handbell playing looks like a dance, plus what I hope to "take away" from this class. Or maybe all of it. We'll see.

Computers and Music: no homework! In fact, if I understand correctly, there will be no homework all semester. Instead, we'll have lab assignments which we'll complete during our lab time each week.

Oral Communication: give a 2-minute introductory speech about myself, including a visual aid. If I had my bells, I would bring some of them, but Lois has them now for cleaning & repair (I'll get them back after the Sonos rehearsals Feb 6/7), so I think I'll bring in a Sonos DVD and/or my own CD instead.

I'll have to prepare all of that on Monday because I am right now on a plane to Florida. Tomorrow morning, I'll be conducting a workshop for the bell program of the West Palm Beach school district. Every elementary & middle school in the district has one (or more) bell groups & each year in May they (along with all the other music groups in the district such as bands, orchestras, and choirs) present a big concert in the city's beautiful Performing Arts Center. In Jan or Feb they have a clinician come in to work with the kids on the music they will present. I did this a couple of years ago (maybe 3?) and have been invited back again this year. I'm happy to go back because this is one of my all-time favorite events! These kids are fabulous - so energetic & enthusiastic - and so *into* the music. I know it's because they have fabulous teachers!!

Anyway, I fly home to San Diego on Sunday. On Monday, I have to "crash" Vocal Ensemble & see if I get in. Tuesday night after Oral Communication, I have to "crash" Intro to Acting -- but I might not. Tuesday is a very long day for me, and I may decide that 4 classes in one day is too many.

Oh yeah, the picture of me in this post is me on my flight from Denver to Miami - I'm flying with frequent flyer miles & couldn't go directly to West Palm Beach (nor fly out of Carlsbad). There are still a couple of hours left in the flight (though of course, I won't actually get to send this until we land), so I think I might nap.

TTFN!

-Michèle (from my mobile phone)

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