Heading South . . .

The rumors are true. I am moving to Florida. Both my husband and I accepted positions to work in the Tampa area. It was a great opportunity that we just couldn't pass up. This was an incredibly hard decision considering how much I love HAA and that all of our family is in the Chicagoland area. In fact, my history with HAA is 30 years long. I was a student here from 1st - 10th grade and have taught for a total of eight years. I continued to be a part of this community throughout all the years in between. To say that I will miss my HAA family immensely is an understatement. However, Mr. U and I know in our hearts that God has called us down to continue our work for Him there, and it is a calling we just can't ignore. 

Thank you so much to my wonderful colleagues for your friendship and prayers. Thank you to the families who supported me throughout the years. Most of all, thanks to all my students who taught and inspired me to keep pushing myself to be the best teacher that I can possibly be. Thank you HAA for all the wonderful memories. You will always hold a special place in my heart!

Here is this year's class saying goodbye to our class mascot, Coco.

Smile!

Dear Students,

Thank you for a fabulous year! I am incredibly proud of each and every one of you. As you go on to third grade, always remember to do your best in everything that you do. More importantly, have JOY in your hearts. Jesus first. Others next. Yourself last.

Love,
Mrs. U

Date with Mrs. U.

Each year I have taught, I have had a year-long reading incentive for my 2nd graders. The top three students who not only read the most books in the classroom but also complete reading responses (a.k.a. book reports) for each of the books they have read earns a date with me at the end of the school year. In years past I invited these students to my house for a pizza party since I lived down the street from the school. Now that I live many, many miles away out in the middle of the cornfields the date now takes place at the local Barnes & Noble followed by dinner at a restaurant that the top readers select.

Introducing this year's top three classroom readers . . .

Congratulations, girls!

Since my regular babysitters (a.k.a. Grandma & Grandpa) were unavailable, I had to bring my two sons along. Thankfully, they love books and I didn't have to worry about them because this is what they did the whole time we were at the bookstore . . .