The Night Before the First Day

Why is it that you can't keep your eyes open when you're trying to read on the couch, but when you go to bed you're instantly wide awake thinking about all that's going on the next day? Especially when the next day is the first day of school. After a sleepless hour, here I am to make a note of all the things I need to do first thing.

My alarm is set for 5:00, because you can never get there too early the first day. Our doors open at 7:00. The first thing I did when I got up just now was get a plastic bag and glove so I can pick up garbage on the way in. I noticed some today when I stopped by with a couple of vases of flowers so I wouldn't have so much to carry tomorrow, but I forgot to go out and pick it up.

While there I realized that I had totally forgotten to put in a work order to get our bells changed, and we have a completely different bell schedule this year. So I put in a work order today. I'm wondering if I should dig out the book of intercom instructions and try to figure out how to do it myself, since with such a last minute request, who knows when it will be done. Especially since Justin, the great guy who always did it before, has left to pursue higher education and I don't know if he has been replaced yet. We'll see what happens tomorrow.

Tomorrow the sixth graders get to have the school to themselves, and we always have a welcome get together for the parents first thing. I have the big coffee pot ready to plug in, donut holes from Safeway that just need to be put onto a couple of trays, and the whole thing hauled over to the cafeteria, but all the office carts were full of other things or gone, so I'm hoping one of them will have reappeared overnight. Check.

I noticed the boss put out a couple of all staff emails, and our two new teachers don't have email accounts yet so I need to get those printed and in their boxes right away. Check.

Speaking of the big 30-cup coffee pot, I need to put in the staff announcements that the mystery of the missing coffee pot has been solved.  I couldn't find it when I was preparing for their first day back and had been asking around about it. The cupboard where it belonged had been taken over and crammed full of used 3-ring binders. My ever efficient co-worker Cindy dug through them and discovered that yes, there was room for that big pot behind all those binders. I had just assumed there was no way it would fit back there. I'm so glad that it is not missing after all.

On Friday, a parent brought her sixth grade twin daughters in and they brought croissant sandwiches and grapes from Costco for our lunch! That was a first! I got their names, but didn't get around to writing a thank you note for all in the office to sign. Must do that tomorrow. Check.

I have just sent myself an email with six things I need to do first thing, so as long as I have time to check my email, I wont forget anything!

And of course the most important thing of all is making all those new sixth graders and their parents feel comfortable and happy to be there. There will be tons of people in the office, especially in the morning, and it will be a high speed day with lots going on. The staff at our school are wonderful people who pitch in and help out wherever needed. It's a very positive, fun place to be and I am looking forward to a great year! Now can I please just go to sleep?!