my sistah from another mistah

I made a lot of good friends this year in Cyprus.  With my buddy Dina, I shared countless laughs, concerns about shared students, many cups of coffee, personal drama, many meals, and a great adventure in Barcelona.  She is the brains behind our Leslie Knope inspired Galentine's Day, a tradition which I will carry on.  I'm going to miss her a lot as she moves on to the next adventure, but hey, Dubai is only a short flight away;  we will have a lot of laughs in the future.

Love is love is love

My heart is breaking.  So many steps forward towards equality, and then a tragedy like this happens. As an ally, I am heartbroken for the community, and heartbroken for the victims and their families- both their blood relatives and the families they created.  As an ally, I've double-dated with same sex couples, volunteered with homeless LGBT kids, marched with the Coalition of Welcoming Churches in the Chicago Pride Parade, danced in many gay clubs, banned the "f" word from my classrooms, and done everything else I can to embrace the community.  

We will keep welcoming those who need to be unconditionally accepted.  We will keep marching. We will continue petitioning the government to protect fundamental rights.  We will continue celebrating the big and the small.  We will keep dancing.

Coffee morning hosting duties at Lakeview Presbyterian Church

Laughing and dancing with the fabulous
Dixie Lynn Cartwright at Berlin

Lin-Manuel Miranda said it best:

My wife’s the reason anything gets done
She nudges me towards promise by degrees
She is a perfect symphony of one
Our son is her most beautiful reprise.
We chase the melodies that seem to find us
Until they’re finished songs and start to play
When senseless acts of tragedy remind us
That nothing here is promised, not one day.
This show is proof that history remembers
We lived through times when hate and fear seemed stronger;
We rise and fall and light from dying embers, remembrances that hope and love last longer
And love is love is love is love is love is love is love is love cannot be killed or swept aside.
I sing Vanessa’s symphony, Eliza tells her story
Now fill the world with music, love and pride.

AISC graduation 2016

One of the biggest adjustments this year was working in such a small school. From Lincoln Park HS, where we had 2400 kids 9-12 to ISP, with 1400 kids K-12, to AISC, with 220 kids K-12.  We have tiny classes, amazing teachers, and everyone wears 12 hats b/c we are such a small staff.

AISC graduation, with 18 graduates, was a very nice event.  The US Ambassador to Cyprus was the key note speaker.  With only 18 names to read, and 5 speeches, it was a short but sweet event.  And then we headed poolside for appetizers and mocktails.  Congratulations class of 2016.  

Class of 2016

Amanda's Cyprus visit

My good friend Amanda came to Cyprus for two weeks to decompress, to warm up a long chicago winter, and to visit me.  We started in Paphos, a lovely beach town in the Greek side of Cyprus.

Welcome to Pahpos

we even made time for high tea

No a bad way to spend a Saturday

In, what was described as the hippest restaurant in Paphos, which
was more like a Jetsons reject.  

After a great long weekend, I had to go back to work. Amanda headed to the Turkish side of Cyprus on her to explore.  I met her there for the second weekend of the trip.  We had a great time, met some fun people, and spent all of our time outside in the lovely Mediterranean sun.  

Great day in Kyrenia!  Boat, music, swimming, sunshine!

The Norwegians on the trip with us knew how to party.

Sunset in Kyrenia