Something to Smile About

Fire Codes

The school had a visit from the state Fire Marshall last week and we were updated about fire codes.

We were told at our meeting yesterday that we must keep our classroom doors closed at all times because they are fire doors and apparently fire cannot make their way through them. So I am guessing that the hallway doors must be closed too? Does that mean that we are going to whack a few unsuspecting students?

We have also been told that our bulletin boards must NOT have any paper backing and that only 20% of the board can be filled.

Excuse me but what in the heck am I supposed to do with my calendar and message center? "Sorry kids, we cannot learn the calendar because it takes up more than 20% of the bulletin board." Also my bulletin boards are over 50 years old and they are not the prettiest things in the world, so paper backing is a must.

As for displaying student work out in the hall, I guess I can forget that too because having 16 students would definitely cover up more than 20% of the board.

If there is a fire, do you think that 20% of a bulletin board is going matter in the long run? I swear that some people have nothing better to do.

Keep it on the QT

This is what my principal said to me today. I'm a little confused but I think she was referring to the information she gave me on next year's teaching status. At the moment, there really should be only one third grade classroom because of the numbers for next year, which is 29 students. But this is way too many third graders to have in one classroom and plus combining the two classes for next year would be disastrous. They really do need another year to grow.

So my principal asked me if I was looking into other schools. I said that I am, but I am just looking. (I did sign my intent form saying that I was coming back next school year.) She told me that the school that I interviewed at last year probably would not have any openings (at least what she has heard). I also threw in the comment that maybe many people would not be getting out of teaching because of the way the economy is at the moment.

She said she was going to ask if we could have two third grades next year, just so I could have a teaching position. Gee thanks, it all rests on me. So if I do get another job, you are just going to throw 29 students together who really shouldn't be together? Thanks!

I just cannot seem to win. I am hoping that the six resumes that I sent to schools all within 10 minutes driving distance hopefully come through.

Only time will tell. Keep your fingers crossed. :)

Thank Goodness for Weekends

I am itching to settle into reading this weekend, although it might not happen as long as I would like. I am on a new series called the Sookie Stackhouse books and I am hooked. I can see how Twilight was adapted from this series, although these books are for adults. :)

However, I need to catch up on bookwork on Saturday at the station because my parents are out of town again in Houston. Dad is getting more chemo and they are having it all done down there. He has to go through four treatments, this is treatment number two. He goes back at the end of April and then the middle of May. So hopefully it does stop the cancer from growing. In the meantime, I get to get caught up on the sheets that my mom usually does, but I am slowly teaching myself how to do them.

Then since the parents are away, we have orders from them to go to church on Sunday because of it being Palm Sunday. I think my mom just wants us to go to the bake sale after church for the yummy peanut butter pie that she got last year from there. :)

Rosie has decided to plan out the entire day for us. So we are going to church, going out to breakfast and then going to look at/buy furniture for Tony. (I still have his credit card) Then at some point I have to get my pizza dough started because I told my parents that I would make dinner for them on Sunday night at their house because they get back into town that morning and my dad is going to be bushed. So homemade pizza is in order and I cannot wait to make it!

Have a restful weekend!

Bomb Threat

As I was trying to get students situated on a Phonics paper, we get a message over the intercom saying that all recesses were to be held inside today. I look out the window and the sun is shinning and I know for a fact that it was above 20 degrees.

Then the students are convinced that it is an April Fool's Day joke. But after five minutes they weren't so sure because no one came back on to say April Fool's! I knew that there had to be something going on, but we were given no information. So as the students were having inside recess, I got onto the computer and went to a news site hoping for some information. Nothing.

So as I was beginning to teach a rousing lesson on adjectives, the other second grade teacher came over and told me not to say anything to the students, but the court house got a bomb threat called in.

So long story short, nothing was found and the students got to go outside for the rest of the day's recesses. Although now I am thinking that maybe we should have done things differently. It really would be nice to be informed.