Happy Reunions, Sad Departures

I remember, there was mist ...Swirling mist upon a vast glossy lake ...There were candles all around - And on the lake there was a boat ...And in the boat there was a man ...Who was that shape in the shadows? - Whose is the face in the mask?

-Phantom of the Opera, "I Remember/Stranger Than You Dreamt It"

Of course I am still awake at 11:30, and typing when I very well should be asleep. "Phantom of the Opera" is playing- and rather loudly inside my head- lingering from my viewing of the movie over the weekend. Tomorrow, I have to wake up again at 5:30am, as I have a training that starts at 8 that I have to leave by 7:15 for. Yeah, I should've been asleep quite awhile ago. My stomach is having issues tonight- ate way too much food at dinner- and am kept awake. I went and got my laptop and brought it into bed with me, so I'm at least IN my bed as I type this. Now I'm reading other peoples' blogs, commenting, and google-ing. Of course, it's only typical on a night I should've been asleep much earlier.

Today was the first day of teachers-reporting-to-school-sites-for-trainings, meetings, and work-in-your-classroom-time. Our first official day of school, with students, is next Tuesday (12th). I woke up this morning feeling optimistic and positivity was in the air, as well as a stunning sunrise. (Been a few months since I've been awake to see the sunrise!) Even the thought of having to begin my day at school at a meeting that was led by a principal I do not have fond feelings for, was not enough to start my day off on a bad note. ("Fond" is not the word I want to use, but I'm not writing about my principal tonight. You'll hear about him over the next school year- in fact, you'll probably hear plenty.) Teachers were provided with delicious bagels and cream cheese (lite for me), and there even was a sugar-free juice option in the beverages line-up. Another good start. We listened to Principal talk about his vacation in Maine, his grandson (who can pee now, as I heard him say... !?) , and then talk for 2 solid hours about AIMS testing scores. My head being so incredibly mathematically-challenged, did not process about 75% of what Principal had to say. I did try, but I had a very difficult time absorbing it. Yes, part of this is due to my lack of experience in education, as I don't yet have years and years of solid experience. After Principal was through talking, and other people finished their schpiels, I worked in my room for a couple hours. My co-worker Heidi texted me, and the Junior High team was off to a reunion lunch at the wonderful bakery here in the Village (Desert Flour, "DF"). Truly good food. Though the conversation was fast-paced, with summertime stories being shared, curriculum and behavior control plans being discussed, it was so very good to be among this group of peers once again. I shall share a photo from May of these characters:

Above: Matt (social studies), myself (sped), Tim (science), Heidi (language arts), and Jackie (math)

Matt injured (broke) his collarbone this summer during a mountain-biking accident. He is LUCKY to have worn a helmet, he likely would have been paralyzed if he hadn't! Matt's wife Diane, who also works at BP, told me today that it was also very lucky that he could not see his own injury- his collarbone had snapped in half, and was protruding through his skin. (Not so lucky for her, who managed to calmly and cooly get him off of the mountain and to an ER, while trying not to look at her husband's neck!) Our dear science guy, Tim, celebrated his last year of teaching this past May - the pic was one of our last gatherings with him before he left AZ. He retired and took on a business venture with family in Oregon, leaving AZ immediately after the year ended. Sadly to report, the venture failed pretty solidly- the economy is just not what it needed to be for him. I continue to hope for him, though, and eating lunch at DF with the team (sans Tim) was so strange. Tim's replacement, Rod, was there. He seems to be a strange and somewhat pushy fellow, and I find his classroom uninspiring/sterile-- but time will tell as to how he fits with the team that the 4 of us are. I really want to keep an optimistic and open mind, though I admit that I'm horrible at sticking to first/2nd impressions. Truly, I am so fortunate to work with these folks, and to work so closely. Each of these 4 (above) are deeply invested in the SpEd students as well as regular kids. They are so flexible about accommodating or giving one of my/our kids extra tutoring if needed, or in modifying an assignment to the student's ability level. They are encouraging when I'm tired, lend supportive shoulders when I need an extra shoulder to stress on because mine are crippled under the weight... Heidi, especially. She is truly my Sedona Mom. She has a daughter close in age to me. Heidi and I think very-very-very similarily, and work very well in the classroom together. There's a dynamic that works well, and the kids laugh when a total-dork-moment between us passes during class. I laugh with her... oh, man, do I laugh. I don't even notice at all anymore, nor do I mind in the least, that she is 30 years older than I am.

The sad part of my day came after I got my copy of the school-wide class rosters. While looking through each of the classroom teachers' list of students, I was highlighting names of the students on myc aseload who qualify for SpEd. I counted the number of students that I have that will be in 6th grade. (My caseload are the Resource students in 5th, 6th, 7th, & 8th grades) The number of 6th grade SpEd kids didn't measure up to the number it should have been based on who was in 5th last year. I realized it then -- My boy "S" was missing. I quickly ran down to the office and inquired as to why "S" didn't appear on the list. I learned that his family moved to Cottonwood, and he was officially withdrawn. Now, students come and go all the time- I know this. Truthfully, sometimes I *smile* internally at this when I see a certain problem leave the district... But today I wanted to cry, at this departure. "S" was one of the kiddos I worked especially hard with last year, and is truly a kid who was settled and thriving in our program. He is the last of his namy siblings to go through BP and SpEd. He's had a rough history, is very often overlooked among the inhabitants of his busy-busy home, and I was learning how to try to meet his needs emotionally as well as academically. His heart needed a bit more love than some of the others did, and Ienjoyed slipping him a goofy comic strip or making a silly face at him when he needed a perk-up. My boy "S" knew all sorts of random trivia relating to pie, and I don't mean the mathematical kind of pi. S knows all about the kind of pie filled with apples, cinnamon, peach, pumpkin... The kid absolutely adores all things pie. I even gave him a "peace" of pie (picture) once. He loved practicing his letter-writing skills during a unit we did in composing letters to an Army friend of mine who was at the time serving in Afghanistan. S's face lit up when this friend, Luke, came home for Thanksgiving and came to the classroom for a visit with the kids.

I wish that S knew how many moments of my life were made brighter by his playful humor and the moments he let pieces of his vulnerability show through the 'armor' he hung onto so tightly. I will miss his ray of sunshine in my classroom. Perhaps cheesy words, but ones that are true.

Thankful tonight for kids who remind me of WHY I am here, doing what I am doing. Thankful tonight for these reminders of people I love.

Ok. Enough. Time to get a TUMS and finally claim a few hours of sleep for myself... 'night.