That New Year Smell

The holidays are over and today is staff development, while the kids come back tomorrow. I liken it to being a death row inmate making the move to that isolation cell 24 hours before execution, except we only get bagels and 4oz. cups of coffee as our last meals.

In all seriousness, what's with schools only providing those tiny arse Styrofoam cups? I feel like I'm drinking out of a Monopoly piece.

Another thing I noticed is that the staff meeting this morning is different than the one at the beginning of the year. The teachers are not much different, except for the fact we've only had two weeks to recover as opposed to ten in the summer. That just results in more of us doing impressions of our students during 6th and 7th period--heads down on desks for a little nap.

No, the biggest difference came from Pécan. He wasn't as hospitable as I remembered him being in August. He by-passed any corny jokes, and he didn't cushion any bad news. In fact, he was clinical as he delivered new mandates. It was obvious that keeping up morale was no longer a priority. I guess he felt there was no need feign politeness because if we have stuck around this long, then he had us in his grasp.

"Teachers will now fill out tardy forms, in triplicate, each and every time a student is absent."

"Hold all attendance reports until after the 1st three minutes and forty seconds of class or they will not register with our on-line system."

"All attendance reports submitted after the five minute mark will be deemed 'invalid'’ by the system."

"To validate invalidated attendance reports, forms will be available in the attendance office to fill out, in triplicate."

"In an effort for conservation, SLHS will now be using 3oz. Styrofoam cups."

I think he said some other stuff, but I wouldn't know. I had put my head down on my desk by then.