School Days

The first two days of school are successfully over. Our brand new on-line gradebook and attendance program has caused some stress, since the class lists didn't match the old system we were switching from. I couldn't even get into the attendance program until this afternoon, and when you're used to being the Queen of Attendance, well....it's just a good thing that I realize that a malfunctioning computer program is nothing compared to really hard things that happen.

When I made my first entry in the new system this afternoon to prearrange two absences for tomorrow, it told me both students were going to be dropped from all their classes tomorrow but it would still allow me to enter attendance information for them. How gracious of it. So I will eagerly check in the morning to see if they are still enrolled. I have a lot to learn. And I used to know it all!

A cute little sixth grade boy came in yesterday and asked if he could get a schedule change. I asked, "What would you like to change, Honey?" (After working with Helen all those years, it is so automatic to call kids Honey. It gets embarrassing when you realize you've just called an adult man or woman Honey though.) The little guy said, "I'd like to change from Physical Education to PE." "Well, Honey," I say, "PE and Physical Education are the same thing." "I don't think so," says he. "How could I have PE in a classroom in B hall?" I look at his schedule and see that he is assigned to a teacher who only has one PE class; therefore the computer assigned PE to the classroom where all her other classes are. He was very relieved to find he got to go to the gym and have a normal PE class.

Then there's all the kids - and not just sixth graders - who left their schedule containing their locker combination, in their locker, so they need their locker combo again. Or they lost their schedule and don't know where to go.

I took a schedule from a boy who needed a locker assigned and saw that the schedule was for Greg Higgins. I know Greg Higgins, and this boy was not him. "What is your name?" I ask. "Greg Higgs," is his reply. I encourage him to always make sure that he carefully checks the name on paperwork he receives since he has an almost twin!

And there are those who come in from the lunchline and say "I brought money to you yesterday but when I put my number in the computer it says I have no money in my account." It turns out they have two accounts, one under their legal name and one under the "preferred" name they have taken since their mother remarried. There are so many kids like that.

Then after the last bell rings, even though I made sure we made an announcement for kids who didn't know what bus they take to come to the office so we could tell them, the office is flooded with students who don't know their bus number. We look them up as quick as we can and send them out. Soon some of them return to call home because they missed their bus.

Smile. Be Patient. Call them Honey.