The school year is coming to an end.  The seniors had their last day of class today.  I am proud of the class of 2012.  They are finishing well.  However, there is poignancy in the business of wrapping up loose ends and doing things for the last time as a high school student.  Although they look ahead to college and career, my students also are aware that life will never be the same.  Their circle of friends will inevitably change.  Their responsibilities will increase. They will face many challenges.  Independence brings losses as well as gains.

I, too, have been forced to deal with change as Ted has been recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.  At this point the tumor has been removed and he is facing chemotherapy.  We are hopeful for a cure, but we have to be realistic.  In many ways, being confronted with the inevitability of the end of life—which faces all of us, whether we are forced by the presence of cancer to think of it or not—has brought Ted and me incredibe blessing.   For one thing, we have become increasingly aware that the two of us have become truly one over the almost forty years of our marriage.  And secondly, we have been overwhelmed with the kindness, prayers, and help of friends, co-workers, and students during this difficult time.  Several who have gone through similar situations have given us advice. My brother, who lost his wife to cancer over 11 years ago, told me, “Accept help sooner than later.”  He also encouraged us to wrap up loose ends, especially relational and financial.  A friend who lost her sister to cancer told me to “look for the joy!” and is praying that we will find it daily.

The care of my students has been especially touching.  When I told my English class about my husband’s upcoming surgery, one of the boys asked if I would like them to pray for me and proceded to do so.  Several 9^th grade girls are particularly concerned, perhaps because they have faced the death of loved ones themselves, and often ask me how my husband is doing. I have received numerous notes, including one from a girl who is not even in my class this year.  These notes hold depths of wisdom beyond their writers’ chronological ages, encouragement from God’s Word, and assurance of their prayers for us.  How good it is to be part of a Christian community!

It is beneficial to live as though we will die tomorrow while at the same time we live as though we will live forever.  No matter what our stage of life, we should accept—and give—help sooner rather than later.  It is always important to take care of our relationships, keeping short accounts when we offend or are offended.  And we should never forget to look for the joy.  In doing so we will glorify God and will enjoy Him forever.  For ultimately, there really is no end of life for us as Christians.

            As I write this column, I am enjoying the last (I think) of six unexpected days off school.  During the time off, I did not give my mind a vacation from educational issues, however.  I spent hours surfing the web finding interesting things my students or I could use.  And what treasures I found!  I would like to share two websites here for your consideration.

            Not surprisingly, one of my favorite websites is called Grammar Girl.  I have her podcast delivered to my e-mail box daily.  Grammar Girl  answers questions about words and writing that people often ask me—questions I’m sure many of you have had.  And she does so in an entertaining and humorous way.  Check her out at http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/.

            The second website is one you probably already know about:  your public library website.  Mine is the Allegany Public Library system http://www.youseemore.com/Allegany/default.asp.  Have you been there recently?  While I was snowed in, I could still check out books—e-books.  It is simple to download the free Adobe Digital Editions reader and find an interesting book to borrow.  All I needed was my library card number.

            There are many online databases at the library site.  Using these sources will please teachers who assign research papers.  Unlike some information gained from general websites, the information found here is authoritative.  I investigated three categories of the many databases on my library’s site:  live online help, foreign language learning, and college and career resources.  I chose these because of my interest in secondary education and guidance counseling.

            1. Live online help:  At Ask Us Now, a 24/7 interactive service, trained librarians use internet chat to answer your questions and guide you to other sources for further research.  Students in grades 4-12 can use Tutor.com seven days a week between the hours of 2 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. to receive help in math, science, social studies, and English.  You can pay for this service by going to their website, or, in Maryland, you can get it free as often as you like by accessing it through the public library website link.

            2.  Foreign language learning:  My 9^th grade Spanish students would benefit from Mango Languages learning system, which is designed  to improve  vocabulary and conversational skills in a variety of foreign languages.  You can actually record your voice and compare your pronunciation to that of the instructor.

             3.  College and career resources:  The Career Information Center provides over 700 job profiles—description, salary, and outlook information, for example.  The College Blue Book is a guide to 2- and 4-year schools, with detailed descriptions of programs, degrees offered, and scholarships.  `Learn-A-Test provides interactive practice tests and tutorials for tests like the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and many others.  You get explanations of the answers and individual analysis of your results.

            I enjoy e-mail, facebook, internet games, and other entertaining aspects of the Internet.  However, as a proponent of lifelong learning, I most appreciate the wealth of information I can access there.  I encourage you to do the same.