See you next year

I'm officially on three weeks of winter break now, and I was going to write a wrap-up post, complaining of how exhausting and overwhelming this semester has been. Then I read the Connecticut news, and I don't think any of it is worth writing. Take care of your kids. :( 

The VP's Office

The office of my middle school is across the hall from the vice principal's office. The VP at the desk in there is a loud, animated, character who provides day-long entertainment for me. There's a continuous stream of kids in trouble in his office; I don't know the statistics on suspensions here, but it can't be pretty from what I overhear. 

A sampling: 

"THE NEXT TIME YOU'RE TARDY, YOU'RE GOING HOME! DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY CAMERAS ARE ON THIS CAMPUS? DO YOU KNOW I SEE YOU WALKING AROUND THE SCHOOL, NOT GOING TO CLASS?!

AND KEEP YOUR PANTS UP! THAT'S ANOTHER REASON I'LL SEND YOU HOME, IF YOUR PANTS KEEP FALLING DOWN! NOW GO!"

It's really actually very refreshing to hear someone talk to the kids like this, as well as entertaining - and alarming - to listen to the drama of middle school students. I only hear what makes it into that office, but their activities include, but are not limited to: stealing bikes, cutting class, smoking anything out of anything (just about anything can be modified into a pipe), spreading rumors on Facebook or at school, fistfights, and more. Needless to say, the school resource officer is a frequent visitor here.  

On a different note, remember those kids that were unhappy about the changes to their school lunch? Their voices have been heard.

Stroking the ego

Anyone who works with kids knows they speak their mind. Sometime's it's not exactly flattering; I still remember the morning that I was having a reaction to something and a kindergartener asked, "What happened to your face?" Turns out these things can go the other way too. I was picking up a class of kindergarteners to herd toward hearing and vision screenings, and the teacher had them line up at the door. As they were getting organized, a couple of girls at the front started tugging on my sweater. "Hey," they said, "You're preeeeetty!" Apparently they were fans of the outfit I'd chosen when I rolled out of bed that morning, and I gladly took their compliments. 

Watch your back

I had been in the staff lounge heating up my lunch, and returned to my office to find a boy laying on the cot. He nodded his head as I asked if he wasn't feeling well, and was about to tell him to rest for a few when I was summoned by the secretary. Her phone had just rang, with the sickly boy's teacher on the other end of the line. She was laughing as she told me what the teacher said: the boy had been in class, complained he wasn't feeling well and asked to see the nurse. The teacher relented only to watch the boy out her window happily skip his way down to my office, and after seeing that, she wanted him back in class. I broke the news to the actor: "Buddy, I'm sorry but you're going to have to go back to class. Your teacher saw you skip down here." He was crushed, and as he hung his head in disappointment, I recommended next time he stick with his act a bit longer.

Keeping up with the times

Remember the American Girl dolls? Me too! Turns out you can now buy them allergy free lunches. Thank goodness!