So much has happened.

We had a holiday party at Mitchell a week ago: City Year worked 13 hours, about 700 people attended, and I ate one amazing red velvet cupcake.

In our after-school program this week, we've held "Santa's Workshop", crafts (ornaments and potholders) the students made and then can give to their families.

Class attendance is falling in everyone's classes. Apparently the cold (albeit frigid, icy cold) is enough of a reason to stay at home all day. Not in my house...

Honestly, the past few weeks have been stressful. My roommate Andrew has struggled with depression on and off for years and a few weeks before Thanksgiving it took over again. The week after Thanksgiving found a very depressed Andrew curled up in his bed where, after talking with me, his teammates, and his father, he decided to check himself into Rogers Memorial Hospital, a mental health facility. This was so scary for us all on Cramer Street. After four days in the hospital and a week and a half of intense therapy and counseling, Andrew has decided he is not going to finish the City Year program and is moving home to Kentucky. And Heather and I begin the search (again) for a roommate. So if anyone knows anyone in Milwaukee that needs a place to live...

In school we've gotten some frustrating news too: a middle school student was intensely bullied, resulting in her parents getting involved with our administration. The parents want the media to get involved too, in order to show the public how "bad" Mitchell is at handling bullying. Ohhh boy. And today in particular, one of my student's was crying hysterically because of the hurtful names her friends were calling her. How do I say "Middle school girls are some of the cattiest, meanest girls ever" to a middle school girl?? Parents? Any advice??

On a positive note, our Thanksgiving in Virginia was wonderful and delicious. I get to see my family again in less than a week for Christmas...hurray!

And I wanted to share this:

http://www.cbs58.com/index.php?aid=15221&mid=Making-Milw-Great2

City Year at Mitchell was highlighted by the news last week and my classroom got a lot of face-time. Check it out if you can.

And of course, happy holidays my friends!