Just like the weather around here...

If you don't like the way things are going at the school I'm at, wait 5 minutes and it will change. Yesterday was crazy. And I mean insane. A little lightbulb finally went off inside our lovely principal's head and she realized that perhaps the 6th graders shouldn't be in the smallest room in the school. Gee, she's a genius! How come no one else thought of that? Oh wait, they did. So yeah, even though those kids were moved in and stuffed into the smallest room in the building just a few short months ago, they were uprooted once again and moved back into their original room. Although I think this was a long overdue, well deserved move, I certainly think it could have been planned a teensy bit better. The plan was that were wasn't a plan. Deja vu of when they moved out of that room. Just like the first move, there were people scattered and wandering all over the place, trying to figure out what to do with everything and who should do what. Not to mention, yesterday the 6th graders were wound up like it was the last day of school. Luckily because most of them are just dying for an opportunity to help and feel important, a lot of them were recruited to carry stuff back and forth to the 2 rooms. That sure helped. I just about fainted when I heard the principal had actually hired two real movers to relocate all the big furniture. That was a huge burden off the staff's shoulders, including mine. I had assumed I would have to help with this move as I had the first time, but thank the Lord I was wrong. So it was fun being an observer during this whole fiasco. Today though, you wouldn't even know they just moved back in yesterday. It looks like a classroom and the kids are at work. Pretty impressive.

Also yesterday, I found out I'm getting backpay for the Learn and Serve Grant, since we hadn't seen a cent since it started months ago. That will be nice. And on another note, I get to be with the 3rd grader for an hour and a half every day, BY MYSELF, while the other aide is off working one-on-one with some of the slower learners. Yeah, that's not good news. Some of those kids are such tyrants. I am really not looking forward to that. And the other interesting event from yesterday: one of the 6th graders turned in a report on Iraq to me (two weeks late, mind you), which was WORD FOR WORD from his internet resources. The weird thing was that his Rough Draft was only partially like that. But when he typed up his Final, he decided to just copy his resources. Did he really think I wouldn't notice? I'm pretty sure a 6th grader wouldn't have near the vocabulary of the intellect that typed up that website. After much debate with the principal, the student is getting an opportunity to rewrite it. It was suggested that he get a "C" for effort, which I completely disagree with. I had some "A" papers that were turned in almost as late, and they got a "D". I don't think he should get a "C" for a late paper that wasn't even in his own writing!! The special ed teacher is going to work with him until it gets done.

Mason fingerpainted last night. We did his handprints and footprints for his great Aunt that is moving to Africa for 2 or 3 years in just a few weeks, and then we let him have at the paint. At first, he didn't know what to do. Then, he reveled in the gooeyness and smeared it all over the place. Thank God it's non-toxic, because he of course had to taste test it.

What a day.