Two Forty!

So I've invented a new catch-phrase for everything that is stupid and asinine: "Two forty!" This refers to the ridiculous schedule we've been keeping the past few weeks at school. Every 1st and 3rd Wednesday of the month, we have early release days. That means the students get out at 2:15, and the teachers have time for meetings and prep until 4pm. HOWEVER, our bus system is so screwed up (and there's construction in one area where the buses go) that a "2:15" dismissal has been pushed back to a 2:40 one. Pah! The kids are *supposed* to be ON the buses, ready to go home AT 2:15. They didn't call the older grades (4-8) to go until 2:40 today! Insanity!!

Anyway, other drama has also unfolded today... Our much-anticipated (though equally dreaded by me) Grand Canyon field trip has been cancelled. It is NOT due to behavior, as the principal, the other 4th grade teacher, and I had agreed. Oh, no. Apparently, I needed to get the Board of Education's approval for an overnight trip beforehand. Did ANYONE tell me I needed to get this or HOW to do so?! Not until today, really. The "acting principal" (another teacher who takes over when our principal is gone) called me & the other 4th grade teacher into the principal's office this morning for a meeting. The four of us (with the actual principal there) discussed the trip and the ramifications it could have on the school. Apparently, having the trip be behavior-contingent is "admitting our incompetence as teachers and as a school." I was told that it'd look bad for ALL of us if we made the guidelines to go based on behavior. What the hell?! They couldn't have mentioned this, oh, I don't know... MONTHS ago!? The "acting principal" pretty much tore me a new one this morning, ripping into how I'm not doing my job right (though I had no specific guidelines prior to today) and how the parents are now going to come after ME for all of this. I wanted to cry. (THIS is "two forty!")

I was also informed- in the last month of school, of course- that I need to have ALL letters I send home with the students approved by the principal. NO ONE told me this up until today. I sent home a letter yesterday, explaining that we may cancel the Grand Canyon trip, and the "acting principal" found out and ripped my head off this morning. Eesh. Definitely "two forty."

Also, last week, I was handed a stack of cardstock sheets with each student's name and the state standards on them. Apparently, before we get our last paychecks, we're to fill in whether or not EACH student has met EACH standard for the year. Keep in mind that there are probably close to 300 standards we have had to teach throughout the year. Keep in mind also that I have nearly 30 students. This will be insane. The other newbies & I have agreed to get together to do these things, armed with the makings for massive amounts of margaritas. We joked that the last few of our standard sheets will look more like Hebrew than English. Ha! This is also "two forty."

Finally, I was told that, since we have the buses reserved for the would-be Grand Canyon trip (NEXT Friday, mind you), we have an obligation to take the students on SOME sort of field trip. We were given a few nearby options, but I know it's going to be a chaotic nightmare organizing a trip in just over a week. This, too, is "two forty."

Have I made my point yet? Also, I'm still pretty sick. I'm on day 5 of DayQuil/NyQuil goodness, but it's not helping as I'd hoped it would. Luckily I only have to come in tomorrow, then I'm off Friday for the motherland of Ohio! :) I swear they're trying (here, at school) to pile as MUCH crap as they can on me in the last 18 days of school. Ya know what? They're doing a good job.