No June-Gloom in Chicago!

Yesterday was my last official day of the 2012-2013 school year!  It also marked my last day of teaching ELL (English Language Learners) to third, fourth, and fifth graders at the amazing school I’ve taught at for the past five years.  Although I will definitely miss my kiddeos and many of the teachers who I work with on a daily basis, I am so super excited to teach first grade next year!  It’s obviously a bitter-sweet time in my life but what makes it more sweet than bitter is the fact that I have a little bit of a break before I start teaching summer school on June 17th!  Even so, teaching summer school is only a half-day’s work and actually pretty fun… basically, I can’t complain in the least :)  I’ve decided for the next two weeks though, that I am going to take it easy, relax as much as possible, workout a lot, and explore my own city of Chicago as much as I can. Then, I will start teaching summer school feeling fulfilled with my two-week break and in addition, will begin studying up on all the new first-grade curriculum that I am expected to learn about before the new school year begins come August.With that said, let’s focus on the relaxing part of this summer before worrying about anything else for now. June is one of my most favorite months because it’s typically sunny everyday, stress-free, and in addition, my wedding anniversary happens to fall in June! (More on that in Sunday’s post)
There are so many things that I plan on doing, so behold…

1. Read a good book at the park near my apartment!  I have my eyes on buying Little Known Facts: A Novel by: Christine Sneed, who just so happens to be a Chicagoan in her own right.  From what I’m told, the story is about the effects that Hollywood has had on a big-time, hot-shot actor’s family life.  I hear it’s not only great, but also a really easy read – perfect for June!

2. Speaking of parks, I’ll be heading over to the one near my apartment once again, this time at night to watch a movie in the park!  “Movies in the Park” is put on by the Chicago Park District every year at 150 citywide parks and it’s one of my all-time favorite activities to take part in. See the schedule (in pdf form) here – it kicks off June 13th.
3. Head over to The Wit Roof – hands down the BEST outdoor ambiance in Chicago.
4. I’ve previously mentioned my love of Chicago Festivals but the Old Town Art Fair in particular is one of my favorites. It’s next weekend – Saturday June 8th & Sunday, June 9th starting at 10 am.  You know I’ll be there!
5. Enjoy a day (or 5 days) of shopping along the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue. Go early, have lunch at one of the many incredible restos located on the “mile” and end at Navy Pier for Wednesday or Saturday night fireworks!