random happenings at school this week

Today I was walking down the hall with a parent so I could let her in to a classroom.  She asked if I had children at the school.  (Seriously???  It has been 16 years since I've had children in elementary school).  I just laughed and told her that I had grandchildren who were old enough to attend this school.  She couldn't believe that I was a grandmother.  I think it is because about half of the mothers at our school are working professionals who married late and waited to start their families so some of them are older mothers.  However, I'm sure that there aren't any mothers who are my age with children at our school.  Anyway, I got a chuckle out of it.

This morning a young (7 year old) boy came up to the front desk to ask about our after school lego club.  He specifically wanted to know if the legos they use in the club have motors on them. He told me that if they were just regular legos, his mother told him he could play with his own at home.  However, if they had motors (robotics), she would sign him up for the club. I told him I didn't know but if he came back at lunch time, I would have an answer for him.  Right when lunch started, he was in the office again for the answer.  I told him I had good news for him..."motorized legos."  His face lit up and he said, "oh, I have to tell my mother right away!"  (his words!).  He started to run off but came back and asked if I had another form because,  "I know my brother will want to join the club too!"  He was so darling!

Yesterday, a little first grader had been assigned in-school suspension.  I'm not sure what he had done to warrant such a punishment but all of us in the office were completely convinced that the punishment was for us rather than him.  He was a cute little boy and in all fairness to him, what six year old can sit in a desk all day long and work independently?  He was laying down on his chair, climbing under the desk, asking constantly to go to the bathroom, is it lunch time yet?, I am finished with all of my work (at 10:00 a.m.), this is so boring, etc. etc.  Poor little guy!

I'm always surprised at the way some of the mothers come dressed to help in their children's classroom.  One mother came in a few days ago with a skimpy tank top tennis dress that was backless and way low in the front.  As she signed in, I was wondering what I should say to her when she asked, "do you think I should change my clothes before I go back?  I have something else in the car I can change in to."  Obviously, she had a hint of inappropriateness or she wouldn't have brought something else to wear,.  Crazy!

The school I work at is a classical education charter school.  Our waitlist is well over 1100 students (350 of those student are on the waitlist for kindergarten).  We are getting ready for open enrollment for next year so it is my wonderful opportunity to contact everyone on the waitlist and ask if they are still interested in our school and if they would like their application rolled over to the next school year prior to open enrollment.  We have been instructed that we need to use 2 means of communication to contact them.  E-mail first and then those who don't respond, we have to call.  So far only 350 people have replied.  I'm going to feel like I work in telemarketing for the next week.  I'm also amazed at how many adults didn't read all of the instructions/information on the email we sent out.  Some have asked to roll over and application for a student who they haven't even submitted an application for and others want us to roll over applications for students who are at other schools.  ...And we get frustrated with our children don't follow directions??!!

So some of us were talking the other day and decided that what goes on in the front office would make for a great TV program.  Very entertaining!!!