Thankfully I'm only playing ten Masses during these two weeks, which when you factor in the fact that it's three weekends, Christmas, and a holy day, it's not half bad. Although the funerals I will play have yet to be scheduled...
I'll be in school all day tomorrow cleaning out all of the many drama closets and reorganizing all of it. Just another day of vacation. I'll also be practicing for Midnight Mass for a couple of hours (hey, we start singing 30 minutes before). I also have to copy the psalm sheets for the next two months (there's no copyright infringement here before the lawyers start emailing me). Of course, there are two choir rehearsals during my vacation and I've set about to plan both the winter Ordinary Time period and the entire season of Lent as well. If I don't do it now, when will I have the time? Unfortunately, I need to write my own arrangement of four or five pieces. Just another thing to do!
Also during my vacation, I'll be planning lessons and reading papers from my job as a Confirmation Director. I also need to write my "Annual Report" to be provided for all the parishioners.
Of course, I'll have to drive two hours to visit family for Christmas and hopefully stay with them and rest for two and a half days.
Then I'll work on this website and update it!
As far as school work goes, the list is manageable:
- Prepare quotes, sayings, and factoids for my quote board for the months of January and February.
- Review and revise mid-term exams for both courses.
- Plan, outline, and prepare two chapters of material for the juniors.
- Plan, outline, and prepare four chapters of material for the seniors.
- Prepare (and make) wall decorations for my classroom for the months of January and February.
- Work on compiling an email list of every parent in our school, sort them by class, and find and upload them into a respectable (and cheap) piece of email software or online service.
- Choose, compile, and edit daily prayer for the entire school for the months of January and February.
- Grade papers and post grades online from the past two weeks.
- Thoroughly clean classroom.
- Create a new vocation project for the seniors.
- Write a set of five short assignments on Catholic culture for the seniors.
I think I'll beat the next person who says to me, "Wow! Two weeks of vacation!" as though I'll be sitting around watching movies, reading books, playing online, and hanging out with friends!
Thanks be to God that I love my work... in fact, this weekend I finished my daily quote board material into March, finished all but two days of school prayer for the next two months, and nearly finished planning winter Ordinary Time music! Not to mention choosing an online email service for the school and compiling and uploading over 50 addresses!
Of course, it's only 6pm here... enough time to finish winter Ordinary Time, practice for Midnight Mass, and write Christmas cards for the choir members!
Oh and I'll probably pray at some point too. And shovel snow.
GOD IS GOOD!
