How much do I hate AR? Let me count the ways...

At one school, the librarian won't let our students check out any book that is marked as an AR book. This is simply unacceptable. At another school, the computer tech put our kids in the AR system, which legally, she cannot do. Additionally, it would be a big problem when it comes time for us to move--we can't take the records with us...kids would take quizzes again, want us to transfer points, what a nightmare. What a headache it all is.

Made My Day

So today I got an email from my principal, who is not the overly-communicative type, and she wrote some very nice things to me. She said she was "honored and blessed" to have me at her school. It made me smile. Comments like these from her are few and far between, although she really does notice all that her faculty do for her. She just doesn't often thank us. So this was a special day.

responsibility

Those kids who were fooling around yesterday afternoon have a new job. We should've started this long ago: they are now "buddies" to the littles, leading them out of their building and onto their buses. We loaded everything eight minutes faster with their help! This is a good thing all around.

still sufferin'

What a day! This cold is kicking my butt. I wish I could take a day off. Today at the bus ramp, two kids were fooling around and one of them conked a girl in the face. Her nose started bleeding--gushing--and I rushed her into the building to see the nurse. I have just never seen a nosebleed like that before. So much for universal precautions; what do you do when a kid is bleeding all over the bus ramp?! Say "hold on--let me get some gloves"?!?! She's okay now. Her mom picked her up and she didn't have to ride the bus home. Yikes. My adrenalin was pumping. Other than that, we had a fun day. Lots of 4th graders today. The littles got to check out those brand new books. They loved them! I learned today that unattached dust jackets and 5 year-olds just don't go together. Those DJs were off before I could even think about it. Lesson learned.

Add in a cold

Teaching six classes a day...doing the same lesson five times in a row...knowing I have to have everything I need for the whole day before I leave the house...not seeing my assistant for weeks on end...and now a COLD. How much worse can it get?!?! I think I shouldn't ask. It could very well happen. In other news, our ODC vendor has provided us with 400 of the most BEAUTIFUL books for our littles. I am so excited for them.

Like a diet

Just another thing I can't stick to--blogging. I will get better at it. The first two weeks of school were a little hectic. I've wanted to start blogging this new year, but there just hasn't been time yet. The first day of school was the craziest I've ever experienced. We didn't even see classes that day, but instead helped the administration do last minute details that needed to be taken care of (the week before). At the end of the first day, it took us almost 2 hours--TWO HOURS--to load the buses. It was after 5 o'clock when the last bus pulled away. Every day since, though, we've improved our time, and we're at about 30 minutes now, which is probably the best it's going to be. Our ODC vendor donated 400 books for us to use at our temporary site (the one without a library), and they arrived on Friday. I'm going to go through them tomorrow and get them into the kids' hands. SO EXCITED!! When we move into our building, that little collection will be re-donated to Katrina victims. That makes me feel good. Tomorrow will be a good day. Lesson plans are done and I'm ready to start the week!