Friday, August 21

JOHN - So, before I talk about the Sugar Ray concert, I wanted to talk about I did at school Friday. That morning, all the teachers met in the library and were introduced to the custodial and lunch room staff. After that, Mrs. Pena (principal) went over some first-week requirements, especially all the paperwork students are needing to turn in. After that, we spent some time discussing expectations and consequences, especially regarding gum chewing. Most of the meeting dealt with school rules and things that most of the students already knew. We did focus on the dress code for both students and teachers. I was surprised to hear that our students are not allowed to wear shorts. Part of the problem is that girls will wear too short shorts. Teachers are not allowed to wear Capri pants but they can wear a skirt. Guys have to dress appropriately, i.e. khaki's, polo's, no sneakers, etc. One of the coaches said that all athletes are to have their shirts tucked in AND they will be wearing a belt. This garnered applause from the staff. I get the sense that the school takes great pride in how their students look and they try to avoid any problems with raging, adolescent hormones. And, yes, the school is air conditioned and quite comfortable.

After the meeting was over, the math department headed on over to Habernero's for lunch. It was not as good as La Bamba but better than Chipolte and Qdoba. Of course, I got me a yummy chicken burrito! That afternoon, Mrs. Schiebel and I added the finishing touches to our classroom. I spent an hour in the workroom using the cutting board. I didn't mind it so much except my back started to ache. Dang age!! But I just remind myself there could be a lot worse things I could be doing. Knowing that this is just part of the job makes it all the more worth it.

After that, I headed home to get ready for the Sugar Ray concert.