Charter School

Well, finally...the news many have perhaps been waiting for...I got a job! This is definitely a big stepping stone on this little adventure. I start tomorrow and though a little nervous, I'm very excited.

The school is a charter school. I'll try to keep this short as not to bore you but just a quick summary...

I'll be working in a very non-traditional setting with 6th-12th graders. The school offers an independent learning program for children that either don't fit into a traditional setting or are just seeking something different. Each student has his/her own individualized curriculum plan taking one course at a time until they've achieved enough credits for promotion and eventually either graduation or re-admittance into a traditional setting. Now, I know what many of you are thinking...and its true that I'll work with a lot of at-risk kids, but I have to be honest, this place seems like its taking a really solid approach to education. I feel like they've addressed a lot of the frustrations I've faced in a traditional public school. For example, having to teach a classroom full of students while "teaching" little Billy up front who is demanding every minute and more with his behavior. This program allows the teacher to really focus on each "Billy". Not to mention...they have RESOURCES! In my experience, many of the frustrations have often come from a lack of resources and support. It appears, we have both where I'll be going.

I know the grass is always greener and truthfully I haven't started yet, but if nothing else, this new opportunity will be a great change of pace and a mode of survival to reduce the stresses of the bill collectors.

Hope everyone is well!

Take care and talk soon...

roben

A Little Support...Pleeeeeeease!

Hey everyone...this will be a quick one...just for those of you who don't know yet, I found a job teaching for Audeo Charter School. I haven't started yet but will in the next week or two. I'll let you know how it goes.

This blog is to invite you to check out a couple of sites that my pictures are on. I'm trying to add at least one a day on the flickr page. While you're there, you may want to take a meander. There are a lot of great photographs at both. As always, we appreciate your support and will send a more entertaining update soon. Don't forget to call and write!

http://www.flickr.com/people/robenbellomo/

http://www.jpgmag.com/people/rbellomo

Take Care,

roben

Trip to LA

Our buddy Randy was kind enough to buy us a couple of tickets to see the LA Galaxy play as our welcome to California/Happy Engagement gift. For those of you who aren't keeping up with the soccer scene, the LA Galaxy is Los Angeles' Professional MLS Soccer Team (yes, we have a professional soccer league in the states). Hard to believe its been around for several years now to be noticed finally with the introduction of the one guy known for soccer that most of you have heard of, David Beckham. Either you've heard of him through his recent multi-million dollar deal with the Galaxy or through the drooling lips of some young female acquaintance...and if you hadn't heard of him prior to now, consider yourself informed.

Anyhow, just a week after arriving, we mounted up in the Mazda for an easy drive to LA (yeah right!). We left early to have lunch with a friend of mine from teaching, Ksymena, who is visiting a friend for the summer. We had a nice visit, a bite to eat, and with our destination to the field only 10 short miles away, figured we'd have to leave a good half hour before gametime (and again...yeah right!) An hour and ten minutes later, a little blood pressure, and a touch of fear for our lives later, we found the Colisseum. Unable to find (afraid) other parking, we reluctantly paid our $25 parking fee and rolled into friendly territory...so we thought. This is a home game so we should have mostly home fans...right? Well, yeah...right....when they aren't playing Chivas perhaps. About 90% of the fans were Mexican and much more ready than we were. We were feeling very white. Of course this isn't a big problem for us, so we grabbed ourselves a beer, popped ourselves in our seats, and enjoyed watching Chivas toy with LA for the first half...waiting for Beckham and unable to decide who we should cheer for. So, we were relaxed and having fun...finally......well.....until a roudy group in the nosebleeds dedided it was time to light the fireworks. Yes, fireworks...oh, and the banner that could have covered at least two football fields. There were smoke bombs and streamers on the field and a lot of loud tooting horns...oh and Chivas had now scored. We were patiently awaiting to see Beckham, but I'm afraid the closest we got was to see him across the field sitting on the bench...supposedly a bum ankle...but, he did his job and brought in a couple more fans and left us disappointed surely to return to see him the next time...maybe.

Anyway, this is getting long, but suffice it to say, we had a really fun time despite the overdramatization and the only real bad part was having to drive home afterward.

Cheers Randy for the great gift and giving us another great adventure (and my first to LA)!

that's all for now....take care everyone...

talk soon,

roben