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First Session: Remembering Forward

Today's first session of the community arts program for seniors and young women had the beginnings of most failed operations. Transportation--which was my greatest obstacle in outreach, and program design--presented itself as a dilemma today as I was at the grocery store picking up items for the first day of program. The girls called to tell me that they had missed their bus. I immediately called the Board of Education, Transportation department. I will have a conversation with them tomorrow morning. It was quite a fiasco. The students did not know what time the bus left--no one had asked me that. I should have found out what time, and where the bus would be so I could tell the girls. I was just busy trying to get in touch with the girls, to see if they had even received their passes!

I will need a new approach. I will need to send each student permission slips acknowledging how they will get home. I do not understand why I hadn't thought of that before.

The session was great. The participants were great. I will need to readjust the seating arrangement, and snacks options for students. Otherwise, I think the women liked learning about each other. The sharing aspect of it was difficult.

I think that it should be an option that if you dont want to share, you don't have to share.

There were natural conversations. But I think they would like to do more art next time as well. The sessions will be over like that! So I need to revise my curriculum to reflect the changes as I see fit. I do not think stereotypes are important to talk about.

HEARING is important. And also visual impairment is clearly an issue. However, there are other strengths and wisdoms and talents I can capitalize on in the group.

Overall, my husband was the superstar of the whole evening. WIthout his direction and guidance, I would have given up on the girls. I would not have been able to pick them up from school because I am not an experienced driver yet, and I immediately was trying to figure out how to get the girls back home safely. I will also need to take Dad's car next time to pick up all the girls. It was pretty insane day all in all. Alhamdullilah. Two of the girls who came arrived without any issues! The girls from Piscataway HS would probably arrive by 2:30. Goodness. I am writing in a stream of conscious style today just so I get everything down in print. I baked brownies, and had a splitting headache afterwards.

I have to make sure all the students fill out the HIPPA forms also. It is crrrrrrrrrazy how much paperwork is involved.

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