First Day Fun

 

Well, school is officially back in session. In fact, our school started a week and a half ago. 

 

The first day excitement never gets old, even when experiencing it for the twenty-sixth time. 

 

Highlights From The First Day 

 

The kids were thrilled that Copy Cat grew a mustache over the summer. 

 

"He's growing up," I told my students. 

 

We call him "Mustached Copy Cat" now.

 

 

The best statement I heard all day was made by a first grade teacher to her students.

 

"We're not going to have a potty party. That's just gross."

 

  

Last year, the kindergartners sang a song at graduation which involved holding up the number one, shaking their hips, and singing, "We're ready for first grade, first grade!" 

 

This year on the first day of school, one of last year's kindergartners, now a first grader, danced by me in the hall, shaking her hips and holding up the number one. The kids were supposed to be silent in the hall, but she was obviously singing the song in her head.

 

These kindergartners are now 1st graders!

The sixth graders applauded for me when I said, "I'm Mrs. Duggan, and I'm your music teacher."

 

In twenty-six years of teaching, a class has never applauded for me!

 

They must be campaigning for leading roles in this year's spring musical. 

 

 

At the end of the school day, the sixth grade patrol captain for the day, was standing at the front door, dressed in her special safety vest, holding a clipboard.

 

I overheard her say to her friends, "You don't know, bro, how much work I've done. And I'm not even paid!"

 

 

Every year, Dan sends me an album or two for the first day of school. This is the married, adulting version of sending your girlfriend a mixtape. 

 

"What was this year's selection?" I can hear my faithful readers ask . . . 

 

A Binding Life by Home Star and Bleeds by Wednesday.  

 

 

For the latest blog updates, visit and "like" Rebecca Turner-Duggan.

Summer Is Almost Over, But I'm Not Quite Ready

The summer is coming to a close. In the Boise District, school has been in session since last Wednesday. But I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to the summer, especially considering the last two weeks of my break were engulfed in flames. (Or smoke. Literally.) 

 

We are surrounded by major wildfires, and that has caused our air quality to plummet, making it difficult (hazardous some days) to go outside. 

 

However, I did have some summer fun before living inside a campfire. 

 

1. Solo Hiking: When my husband, Dan, was out of town, I explored new trails in the foothills. You might remember, I went into more detail on my adventures in solo hiking a couple of weeks ago.

 

  

 

2. Theater: I performed the role of Mrs. Bucket in Roald Dahl's Willy Wonka at the beginning of the summer. I will miss being on stage, but I decided to take a break for a while to concentrate on my job. It was getting difficult to juggle both schedules. But Willy Wonka was a great show to go out on.

 

Photo Credit: Keri Messina, Music Theatre of Idaho

Photo Credit: Keri Messina, Music Theatre of Idaho

Photo Credit: Keri Messina, Music Theatre of Idaho

Photo Credit: Keri Messina, Music Theatre of Idaho

 

3. Road Trip: We visited Banff and Jasper National Parks this summer. I provided more detail in a previous blog post about our Canadian travels.

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

4. America 250: The City of Boise had an America 250 celebration on the 4th of July. Hot Take: It was WAY classier than anything that happened in the nation's capital. Just sayin' . . . 

  

Jeff Crosby and Josh Ritter concert downtown

 

 

Boise Philharmonic concert prior to the fireworks

 

 

Fireworks and a Drone Show!

 

5. Baseball: Once my little brother reached a certain age, our summers were filled with following him around the state to various All-Star Baseball tournaments. 

 

Now his son, my nephew, is on a 9-year-old All-Star team. We were able to see him play in a tournament in Meridian, and, man, this kid is good! 

 

Watching him play brought back so many fond memories of being a part of an extended baseball family. I wish my mom could see him play. She would have been so proud that the Turner baseball legacy lives on. 

 

Of course, she might have been pacing in circles when the games got exciting. I'm not sure how much baseball she watched my brother play . . . 😂 

 

 

6. Mountain Biking & More Hiking: We did do some of our summer favorites before everything went up in smoke.

 

Bear Basin

 

 

Mountain biking in Montana!

 

 

 

 

Mores Mountain

7. The Idaho Shakespeare Festival: This is one of our favorite summer traditions. Lucky us, it's not quite over. We still have one more production left this season!

 

For the latest blog updates, visit and "like" Rebecca Turner-Duggan.

Now You See Me . . . Now You Don't!

 

 

One summer day, a colleague of mine texted me about a former student. It was apparent from the text that she was teaching summer school.  

 

"Are you at my school this summer? You're kind of making me miss my kiddos!"

 

"I love to see my students in the summer," she responded. "And then I like to walk or bike away after a few minutes."

 

 

 

It's a strange thing, seeing my elementary students over the summer. They are usually surprised to see me in public because I most definitely live in my classroom. They are 99% certain that I sleep on the floor under my desk. 

 

My students react in different ways. Sometimes they freeze, like a deer in headlights. 

 

Other times, they act like they don't know me, and maybe they don't since I'm not living in my classroom and sleeping on the floor under my desk at that moment.  

 

Or they totally recognize me, and they let everyone else know it. 

 

One morning, I was jogging on the city greenbelt, passing by one of the many Boise parks that I had gone by a hundred times before. 

 

I noticed a group of kids across the road between the greenbelt path and the park, but it didn't register until I heard, "MRS. DUGGAN!!!!"

 

Apparently, I was passing a Cheer Camp. The camp came to a complete stop and went silent as all of the small attendees and their coaches stared at me. 

 

One of my fourth graders was racing across the grass, yelling, "IT'S MRS. DUGGAN!" 

 

My student's first grade twin siblings followed after their sister, also running toward me and calling my name. I managed to stop the three of them before they blindly ran across the street and jogged over to them (after looking both ways, of course). 

 

I sheepishly explained who I was to their cheer coach, "Sorry I interrupted your camp." 

 

 

 

A few minutes later, I was on the greenbelt path again, and I happened to run into one of my teacher friends. He was headed toward the park I had just extricated myself from. 

 

"If you don't want to stop the cheer camp for the second time, you might want to disguise yourself," I warned him, "or just run really fast." 

  

 

There is a slight danger when seeing your students in public over the summer. 

 

The other evening, my husband, Dan, and I went on a walk around the neighborhood. Our neighborhood is located near a park, but it's a pretty safe distance from my school. 

 

“Oh hey, Mrs. Duggan!" one of my sixth graders called as Dan and I walked through the park's parking lot. "I rode my bike over here from my house! What are you doing over here?” 

 

“I live here, in this neighborhood,” I told him.

 

Now he knows where I live.

 

According to his mother, they have family near my neighborhood. They spend quite a bit of time here, which is not on the same side of town as my school. 

 

So . . . great . . . 

 

For the latest blog updates, visit and "like" Rebecca Turner-Duggan.