We'll Make it Through

What a week. The past few days all the school employees have found out their assignments for next year. My new boss got the great job of delivering the letters over a two day period. We also learned that our new assistant principal will be the current dean of students from the high school next door.

Now that the dust has settled, 18 people are leaving our building (including our principal, who resigned). We have 40 teachers. Out of those, four were transferred to other schools next year, two were laid off, and one temporary position was cut. So we are losing seven teachers. Three have been transferred in, two part time and one full time.

Our classified staff had even more changes. This includes custodians,classroom helpers and kitchen help. Out of the 31 employees, seven were transferred to other schools, one was laid off, two temporary positions ended, one's hours were cut from 6.5 to 2.5. Eight people are transferring in from other schools.

Some people are in shock, some are very upset, some are so happy to still have a job that they feel that they can't complain about having to leave. But no one wants to leave. Add all this to various health, marriage and family issues people face, and it's stressful times.

Every year on the last day of school after the students leave, we have a potluck and a recognition time for all the employees who won't be returning and invite the new people to come so we can introduce them. Guess who's in charge of getting good-bye gifts for outgoing employees? There have never been so many of them since I have been there! Eighteen people leaving! Eleven people coming! This could be a very long party! It's impossible to give that many people the recognition they deserve. We are losing an awesome group of people. But on the bright side, a wonderful group remains. And who knows what surprises are to come?

A Day at the Beach

After a full day of hard physical labor in the yard yesterday, I was so excited to go out to the beach today, with sunshine and temperatures in the 70s forecast the last time I checked. We even considered skipping church, but since Eric was playing the bass, we did the right thing and waited until after church to head west. I brought my beach chair, planning to lounge around and watch Will and Zeek play. Sunshine all the way to Newport - and the first glimpse of the ocean was obscured by fog. Low clouds hovered along the shore. And sadly, it was 55 degrees, not counting the wind chill factor! Oh well, we got great seafood from the South Beach seafood place and parked at the marina to eat it. Then it was off to the beach.


Zeek awoke from his long nap and had a great time cavorting on the beach.


Then Will was kind enough to buy us coffee to thaw my hands and we headed back home to the wonderful 75 degree sunshine!

Come to Burgerville Thursday night!

Let me serve your dinner at Burgerville this Thursday, May 7, from 5-8 PM. They are partnering with us to raise funds for a much-needed office update at Memorial Middle School. So our staff and students will be helping out there during that time, and they give us 10% of the take.

We've been wishing for an office remodel for a long time, and it looked like it was finally going to happen this summer. Plans were drawn up, a very reasonable bid was given by our district carpenters, and we were so excited. Then our budgets were cut and cut again, and the money just wasn't available any more. So, if we want to go forward, we have to raise the money. Don't we all love fundraisers?

I was used to our office the way it was, with old mismatched furniture, (some picked up at garage sales), sitting back from the front counter, our backs turned to that our computers could be next to the wall. But when my new co-worker came in from a "modern" office with a built-in workstation where she actually sat at the front counter with her computer in front of her, right where she needed to be to greet and help people, the shortcomings of the office became more apparent. We re-arranged furniture to face forward, meaning that cords are now a hazard as they snake out away from the wall, covered by a rubber guard that I have gracefully skipped over a few times. We are up and down and back and forth constantly to help people. It's good for us but not exactly the most efficient way to work.

This will hopefully be a somewhat painless way to raise some funds. Burgerville is a good fast-food option, with healthy choices and seasonal items. I'm planning on the spring spinach chicken salad. I'm hoping lots of people come!

Fruit and Flowers

I joined the camping guys Friday after work. They weren't really expecting me, so no one was there to unlock the gate, meaning I got to walk most of the mile in before I got a ride. But it was a lovely walk.

My boss brought a big fragrant bouquet of lilacs to work that day. I stuck them in the back seat cup holder and brought them along. I also had picked up a three pack of cantalope at Costco the day before. I was quite pleased with myself for sharing these two beautiful items with the campers. However, when I was inside the trailer I could overhear them talking outside. "Can you believe she brings fruit and flowers to a guys camping trip? Fruit and flowers? What is she thinking?" Yes indeed, a bitter disappointment when you're hoping for steak and cookies. (But I was very thankful to have a sprig of lilac to hold under my nose when Zeek passed a little gas wile sleeping in the 5th wheel. Yeah, I know, they always say the dog did it.)

We called Doug and Anisa Saturday afternoon and they came up with Duane and shared dinner with us.Will made a beautiful Dutch oven roast pork dinner, finishing it off with cherry cobbler served warm with ice cream. Ken lit the wood stoves over in the kitchen/classroom and we had dinner there.

No one had much success keeping the dogs out. Bruce's dog Clyde is sure easy going. Zeek would bite him and harass him unmercifully, then when Clyde would finally have enough, Zeek would hide under a chair and swipe at him from there!


So now we're all back home again. If only it would stop raining!