The End of An Era-Sort Of

Yesterday was the culmination of something that began 282 calendar days ago; August 28th to be exact. Yesterday was the last day of school for the students in Waco ISD. They attended 177 days of school this year. During this time my class went on 5 field trips. We went to the Mayborn Museum at Baylor University twice, the Hippodrome Theatre once, Cameron Park Zoo once, and to Skate World. For each of these field trips we were able to go to Cameron Park to play and have a picnic lunch. We had a grand year and it was hard to see it end.

Several of the students at school yesterday must have thought that school was already out. We had several running in the lower hall this morning. I had to remind several Kindergartner's and 1st graders that we still had rules to follow in school. After that they all settled down and were pretty good. Considering that it was the last day of school my class was very good today.

I did notice though that over the past several days many of my students that I have had for the past 2 years were being especially "clingy." I overheard one of the girls reminiscing about the things we did in Pre-K last year. It's really interesting to hear a 6 year old reminiscing about "old times."

Tuesday afternoon at dismissal I had 2 of my girls left. I had both in Pre-K last school year. I asked them both what they were going to do next year since they would have a different teacher instead of me. Almost immediately they both said, "Be bad." Hmmmm!!! I hope they misunderstood and thought I asked, "How will next year be without me?"

© 2008 Barry T Horst
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It's Always A Learning Experience

I have been in the field of education for 22 years. In that time it has never ceased to amaze me the things I hear from the kids. Often times they will be brutally honest. Other times, they are showing their shear innocence. Many times, they end up teaching me that in many ways their lives are vastly different from mine and the way I grew up. You see, I teach at the school in town that encompasses the largest subsidized housing in the city within it's attendance zone. Our attendance zone also has the lowest Socio-Econimic Standard (SES) in the district.

For instance, I will never forget last year when one of my students saw my wife one day and asked if she was my girlfriend. I said, "No! She is my wife." Then the student wanted to know what a "wife" was. I tried to explain, but in their world "Daddy didn't have a wife, Daddy had a girlfriend."

Also last year, I had the student that announced she wanted to be in gang when she was older because her older brother was in gang. Wow! And she was 5 years old at the time. I also had her in my class this year. I haven't heard a mention of a gang at all this year. But I do know that her step dad is not in the picture now and the family has moved from the nearby subsidized housing to another area. Hopefully, she and the family will be able to live in a better environment.

This year has been eye opening also. I remember an assignment I gave my class a few months ago. I asked them to take a piece of drawing paper and draw their house. After all students were finished I asked them to bring their pictures to the carpet and we would look at and discuss them. I got to this one little fella that raised his picture and showed the class a large black box that had been divided into many smaller squares. I asked what the squares were and he proceeded to explain that "....this is the jail where my Daddy is. I went to see him this weekend!" A few days later this student's older sister in middle school came to me to ask if I would write a letter to help get their Dad out of jail. She came to me because The Dad had met me before on a visit to school to discuss his son's behavior. This same boy was absent on the day after Memorial Day. When I asked if he was sick he said he had been to Mexico. I never heard, but have since wondered if Dad got out of jail and has gone back to Mexico.

Yes, that has hit our school very hard also. The teacher next door to me has lost two students this year because one of the parents has either been deported or has otherwise had problems with documentation and couldn't get back in the country.

Please visit Rogers Online for Mandy's post from Friday, May 30. It will give a little more insight to what I am speaking of.

Last Friday after school I left my truck running in the school drive as I went in to get something I left. I left it running so that it would get cool. (No it was not going to get stolen. I left it running but I didn't leave the keys in. I have remote start with a safety interlock.) Anyway, one of the older students noticed the condensation dripping from the AC and thought it was oil. She comment that my truck was leaking oil. Then she said, "All our new cars always leak oil like that."

On a good note; it appears that our campus will be Academically Acceptable on our latest TAKS scores this year. That is good because everyone at our campus, students included, have worked very hard this year to remove the stigma of "Academically Unacceptable."

Congratulations Brook Avenue Elementary!

© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Crunch Time

The countdown has started and it's crunch time.

Today is Friday and the last day for school is next Wednesday. Today is our "No Referral" Incentive party. Let me tell you, there were some unhappy campers yesterday when they found out they couldn't go to the park and skating because of discipline referrals. This will be a first for me. I have never taken a class full of Kindergartners skating. I suppose it will be easier than taking Pre-Kindergartners skating; after all, Kindergartners are bigger.

Next Monday we begin practicing for our Awards/Graduation. The ceremony will be on Tuesday morning. Afterwards, we will have a reception in our classrooms.

Then the day we have been working towards all year long arrives. Wednesday, June 3, last day of school and it's an Early Release day at that. The students dismiss at 12:00 and get to take their report cards and other stuff home and then start summer vacation.

Alas, that is not the end for me though. The staff still has end of year stuff to finish and than a workday on Thursday. Since our campus will be used for summer school and then summer training we all have to make sure our rooms are in order and all supplies are secured.

Fortunately I do not change classrooms this year. I changed last year and it was a major pain. I taught Pre-K last year. Since the district took Pre-K off several campuses this year I transferred to Kindergarten. So my STUFF was moved into another Pre-K classroom whose former occupant took a job in a nearby district. This teacher left behind a lot of STUFF. I also took the place of another Kindergarten teacher who got married and moved away. Her STUFF was also moved to my new room. I spent 2 weeks last summer before school started sorting through all of this STUFF and making sense of it. So again I say, "Fortunately I do not change classrooms this year."

P.S. I sat and made Graduation Tassels for my class last night. Oh the joys of Kindergarten.© 2008 Barry T Horst


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Leap Day 2008

So today is Leap Day. We get an extra day this year to do all the fun stuff we like to do. Like listen to political ads?? Why is it that Leap Year is always during an election. That means we have to put up with all this nonsense an extra day. And it certainly didn't help this year, what with all the campaigns and such getting an unreal start on the process. Seriously, Leap Year has it's good side and it's bad side. Just think. If you are born on Leap Day do you only get to celebrate every four years. Boy that stinks. Imagine, you be like 60 years old by the time you were 15 and could learn to drive. Even going to school' you would be like 25 years old before you were 5 and able to go to kindergarten. (I suppose I shouldn't say much. I'm 52 and am still in kindergarten. And, I just got promoted this year. I had been in Pre-Kindergten.) If you get married on Leap Day does that mean you celebrate your anniversary every four years? I'm not sure if that would make it easier to remember or easier to forget, what with being every four years and all. At any rate, Have A Great Leap Day! Ribbet, Ribbet!!!!© 2008 Barry T Horst


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