Back onTrack

Well, I'm back. As I mentioned before, it's been as chaotic an opening first month as I have experienced in my 38 years. After playing "class list roulette" for three weeks, the students are finally settled in to their correct classes. (Well, most of them anyway). I guess it's time for me to make up my official roll book. The computer print-out sheets I've been using are jammed packed with scribbled-in (and scribbled-out) information - assignments, grades, attendance, book #'s, latenesses, withdrawal dates, entry dates, # of lav/nurse/locker passes given, to whom, and when. All information that will eventually find its way into my roll book (and not by magic I can tell you).

Did I mention that the library is finally open. It had been closed because a summer snafu created a mold-filled LRC. I'm not going to make any bad jokes about how the Librarian is such a fun-guy, but things were so bad that almost all of the books could have been filed in the 570 section. So they say that all is well in the library, but I am skeptical since the rooms adjacent to the LRC still smell like the back of a cave. We shall see...

We just held our Back-to-School night. It was quite successful, many parents showed up - maybe it was the free food at our newly renovated cafeteria, but I sensed that the parents were quite concerned with the material and the quality of their children's education (even the traditionally low attendance classes). It was nice having a win - especially after so many losing seasons. There were some nights in the past in which so few parents attended that we teachers ended up giving our presentations to each other. I can't always blame the community, a few of those years the dates of Back-to-school were never sent out to the parents. Not a good idea - but it sure reduced the number of parental complaints.

I'd like to relate my thoughts on the Back-to-school experience - an experience that, in retrospect has been quite positive, but it's time to go. Next time...