Email from Erin

Hi everyone! I just wanted to give you a little update as to what's going on with the Freedom Writer teacher stuff and me.

We received an email from Erin this weekend. The FW teacher's guide went to print last week and will be released in October! How exciting. I have a lot of the stuff already that's in it since we got it at the institute. There's a third group going through the institute right now too. It's really cool being a part of this group, but I sometimes struggle with a comment that one of you made to me when the documentarians were in our classroom...I don't really know what I did to deserve any of this. I feel so honored to be able to do all of this, but I feel like all I did was bring a book into your lives that I felt would touch many of you and hopefully help light a fire to want to read. Now, I understand that many of you read already, but believe it or not, a lot of kids, even in ACC classes, don't enjoy reading and feel like no book they are ever given to read for school in HS is something that will actually stay with them...I felt that would be different with the FW diary!

Anyway, back to what's up. Also in her email, Erin mentioned that she's meeting with her publishers about a possible FW Teacher's Diary that would chronicle the 150 of us that there will be at the end of this year (and no more...). Also, we're having a reunion in April, probably in DC! I can't wait for all that. I miss my FW teacher friends so much!

As for me and school and the book and everything else. Well, I just got word that there aren't enough kids enrolled in the school in 11th grade for me to teach that class and they lost their Spanish teacher, so they need me to teach French I! YEAH! I love French! (even though I know Spanish would be better for the kids). Also, I plan on using the FW diary, but maybe in 9th grade...not sure yet. Still finalizing my curriculum. I am planning a program with some of my FW teachers in some of the other eastern states (Ohio, Penn, NY and NJ and even Kentucky) We're planning on doing some common projects, being pen pals, inviting Freedom Writers to join us and meet in Cincinnati to go to the Underground Railroad museum together!

Well, I have tons of wedding stuff to do today, but just wanted to pop in and tell you all that, as school draws closer, I am having an even harder time knowing that I am not going to be seeing all of you...but I am still exciting for the new challenges! And, I am so excited to meet my new kids!