The First Day of the Rest of the School Year

I had all Labor Day weekend to feel anxious about the first day.  My car's "Check Engine" light came on as I was running errands on Sunday afternoon--yikes.  New neighbors moved in upstairs and there's a kid who runs around a lot.  Ugh.  Plus I learned that the previous librarian retired quietly at the end of last year--and by quietly I mean she didn't tell the kids, she threw out practically everything in the workroom, and did not place a book order!  

I decided my main goal for the first couple of weeks is to get a feel for things, reintroduce students to library procedures (and introduce them to me!), and possibly buy myself a little time to figure out where the heck I'm going according to the curriculum I was handed last Thursday.

And it helped a little that a phone conversation with Mr. Lehigh Valley gave me some encouragement.  He said, matter-of-factly, "You have plenty of experience and you know what you're doing."*

Yeah, I'm just gonna go with that.  Put it in the Confidence file.

So today, I just went along with the schedule, apparently running about five minutes behind because even the morning announcements and Pledge of Allegiance were late as we herded kids down the halls to the right classrooms.  Not having a homeroom, I was asked by the principal (out there and hustling during both arrival and dismissal, wow) along with the other specials to help direct kids on the way in.  I even used a little Spanish helping a mom find where her kid was placed.

Started out with sixth grade (not too bad), followed by a fifth grade section who might be my Darlings of the Year if they stay as sweet as they were today, and then second and fourth grade before lunch--a quick one owing to the wacky schedule and my figuring out where the faculty lunchroom was.  (Almost didn't find my way back!)  Then third and first graders, and finally a free period that was all too short to do much before having to go out to help with dismissal.  I know at some point that will ease up and I might just be on a sometimes duty for that  But I did get a message my car was all fixed for a mere $300 and only the slightest chance we'll have to talk about shopping for a new car come inspection time in May (la la la, pretending I didn't heeeear that).

Mercifully, I was spared Kindergarten. . . and I have all four sections tomorrow!  When I hear "kindergarten" my mind comes up with an image not unlike the South Park savages in Treasure Cove who attacked the unsuspecting adults mistakenly venturing across the border. . .



Nahhhhhhhhh, that was just at my previous school.



*We also had a moment where we were laughing so hard we were crying, and I got a huge compliment on my sense of humor.  Jeez I wish we'd get our schedules in order and friggin' meet up already.