Last Monday of the school year

What a weekend! I'm still reeling. There is just TOO much to do. So why am I blogging then? Good question. I'll be a succinct as possible.

The RRVWP pre-inservice was great. It sounds like we have a great group of teachers. Plus I'll be in more of leadership role than last time, so that will be interesting. I will need to get the readings done. The first is a writing text called "Writing Brave and Free" by Ted Kooser and Steve Cox. Looks like a quick read. The next is the one that I think will be most interesting, "A Report to Carnegie Corporation of New York: Writing Next - Effective Strategies To Improve Writing of Adolescents In Middle And High Schools." This has me interested.

The next step will be to produce three pieces of writing. They must be in at least two different genres - with one being a serious 'research' piece. I'm thinking of using a poem, a creative nonfiction piece, and for the 'serious' piece a state of union kind of essay about where I am in terms of theory and practice in my career.

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The varsity basketball coach had a surprise party for Kristie Friday night to thank her for all of her years of volunteer service. She has done a phenomenal job. The coach was able to get every girl Kristie had coached - and most aren't playing basketball anymore - the varsity coach tends to weed them out - but while they play for Kristie they all get regular playing time, regardless of wins and losses - to sign a plaque that she had made.

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Saturday afternoon brought a ruckus on the porch and then the doorbell. That intro means only one thing: Blake Allen. This time he brought his step brother. They also brought weapons, well toy weapons. So I quickly joined in for a shootout. Blake had a small old west six shooter (with a sheriff's star pinned to his t-shirt) while his step brother and I had double barreled shot guns that shot out suction darts. We had a blast.

After about 30 minutes their mother showed up. She was taking them to Shrek 3. However, they were back within 15 minutes because they couldn't find a baby-sitter for their youngest brother. We had another shootout, but Blake and his brother were more interested in playing on the computer, so Casey was gracious enough to set them up on Disney.com.

When their mother came to pick them up to go to Shrek 3, Kristie recalled a story she heard from the elementary school secretary at her surprise party.

Kristie was telling them how Blake stops over from time to time and even helped find Mischa and how we gave him six dollars as a reward. Now I originally thought he had spent his fortune on gum and that incredibly large jaw breaker. However, that doesn't seem to be the case.

Kristie said that the secretary couldn't believe it when Kristie told her that we had given Blake six dollars. Apparently, Blake never has lunch money - so he has to eat the peanut butter sandwiches the school provides for those who don't qualify for free or reduced lunches and whose parents don't give them a lunch for school. The secretary said that Blake came in on two weeks ago and handed her six dollars and asked, "Is this enough money for lunch?"

Now if that doesn't just make you want to cry, I don't know what will. The poor kid spends his reward money on lunch! I felt like giving him a $20 the next time he comes over and telling him to keep quiet and just give it to the secretary. She also said that she asks him if he has money for lunch and Blake just replies, "No. My dad says we're broke." Yet, they don't bother to try and qualify for free and reduced lunch? Yet, they buy their kids toy guns and take them to Shrek 3 (well, maybe take them. Blake said they were going to go Sunday instead), but they can't buy their kid lunch at school? All I could picture was little Blake sitting there watching his classmates eat normal lunches while he eats that stupid old peanut butter sandwich day after day.

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And I will no longer have to recycle my Mystery Friday mysteries. They worked for the first month and then went south in a hurry. The kids tired of them, and, quite honestly, the mysteries were worthless. We could get more out of doing the jumble or crossword out of the paper. Third quarter I had first prep so I didn't have to waste my time on them. For fourth quarter I simply gave my Brit Lit class a choice - SSR or the mysteries. It wasn't even close. So I recycle them.

I like the idea behind this Mystery Friday activity, but I just hope a better text is decided upon or better strategies are used. But then again, what do I know?

Okay, enough of this. I have to get some work done.