Saturday, July 03, 2004
On the Lambertville-New Hope Bridge in February '04 looking at Bowman's Tower
The "Brookies" in action at home
Thursday, July 01, 2004
Graduation
There wasn't just one, but two graduations scheduled for June 21st; the middle school and the high school. We planned for both of them to be at Felician College where the auditorium was large enough to accomodate the numbers.
It turned out to be a beautiful day with low humidity and few clouds, unusual for New Jersey. I went to the practice and the seniors were wearing all kinds of outrageous things including flip flops, which they were prohibited from wearing up to now. I felt incredibly tired. I had to prepare two speeches for both ceremonies and give the final check to Mary Mahlia, the program director there. The fact that I wasn't coming back under poor circumstances had a lot to do with it, I am sure. But I am not one to shirk my responsibilities. I keep going and did so in Flemington and Manville, other places where God took me away.
We finished the senior practice with my old vice principal, Jack, putting them through the rehearsal. They left on the school busses to be replaced with the 8th graders in their bright blue and gold disposable gowns. They practiced while we negotiated with the Polish custodian to get the sound and lights just right.
They ordered pizza for the kids and we had just enought time to get their picture, eat, freshen up, practice and do the ceremony. The people were polite and welcomed the extra room they had at the college. It was, in general, a very respectful crowd, for which I was thankful. When they left I suggested to Rob, my middle school vice principal that we go to McCormick and Schmick's for a drink and some food at the bar, but he said he was too tired and wanted to go home to shower and change. I have never had that luxury in the two years there. I just got something to eat alone, cleaned up the best I could at my now empty office, and called home.
I didn't think I would be able to get through another ceremony, so I stopped at a store and got a Starbucks double shot in a can and drank it down. It seemed to help a bit. What I was not prepared for was the behavior of the students and parents at the high school graduation. We walk in all dignified in front of the seniors, but some of the boys wore shorts so their bare legs showed. The parents used air horns when they felt like it, the seniors released silly string at the end and there was rumor that one boy had nothing on under his robe. One of the girls slipped on the silly string as she left the stage in her high backless heeled shoes, so Jack and I helped the rest down the stairs. It was awful. I said to Dr. Groveman that the board wasted their money on Felician and it should be held in the football field from now on. I quickly left the scene, never to have to do that again.
Was that what the parents wanted? They ran out of air in the air horns and did not care if they offended or got in any one's way. This I know from teachers in the back that tried to have them stop. I did not agree with the 8th grade graduation and the high school ceremony should not be such a big deal either. But the final blow was when a football player who happens to be classified and who happened to receive three "F's", and who received an administrative failure for having 17 unexcused absences was allowed to walk according to the superintendent and make up the courses later to get his diploma. The other thing was when board members get to hand the blank diploma to their child graduating. I find that repugnant. Well, that's me.
Maybe this is why God is taking me out of this situation for good. I have fought a good fight to restore a little civilization to Sodom and Gomorrah, but I have failed and so He is taking me away from it all. Let them have their air horns and silly string. God gave us free will. What we do with it has put us where we are today!
It turned out to be a beautiful day with low humidity and few clouds, unusual for New Jersey. I went to the practice and the seniors were wearing all kinds of outrageous things including flip flops, which they were prohibited from wearing up to now. I felt incredibly tired. I had to prepare two speeches for both ceremonies and give the final check to Mary Mahlia, the program director there. The fact that I wasn't coming back under poor circumstances had a lot to do with it, I am sure. But I am not one to shirk my responsibilities. I keep going and did so in Flemington and Manville, other places where God took me away.
We finished the senior practice with my old vice principal, Jack, putting them through the rehearsal. They left on the school busses to be replaced with the 8th graders in their bright blue and gold disposable gowns. They practiced while we negotiated with the Polish custodian to get the sound and lights just right.
They ordered pizza for the kids and we had just enought time to get their picture, eat, freshen up, practice and do the ceremony. The people were polite and welcomed the extra room they had at the college. It was, in general, a very respectful crowd, for which I was thankful. When they left I suggested to Rob, my middle school vice principal that we go to McCormick and Schmick's for a drink and some food at the bar, but he said he was too tired and wanted to go home to shower and change. I have never had that luxury in the two years there. I just got something to eat alone, cleaned up the best I could at my now empty office, and called home.
I didn't think I would be able to get through another ceremony, so I stopped at a store and got a Starbucks double shot in a can and drank it down. It seemed to help a bit. What I was not prepared for was the behavior of the students and parents at the high school graduation. We walk in all dignified in front of the seniors, but some of the boys wore shorts so their bare legs showed. The parents used air horns when they felt like it, the seniors released silly string at the end and there was rumor that one boy had nothing on under his robe. One of the girls slipped on the silly string as she left the stage in her high backless heeled shoes, so Jack and I helped the rest down the stairs. It was awful. I said to Dr. Groveman that the board wasted their money on Felician and it should be held in the football field from now on. I quickly left the scene, never to have to do that again.
Was that what the parents wanted? They ran out of air in the air horns and did not care if they offended or got in any one's way. This I know from teachers in the back that tried to have them stop. I did not agree with the 8th grade graduation and the high school ceremony should not be such a big deal either. But the final blow was when a football player who happens to be classified and who happened to receive three "F's", and who received an administrative failure for having 17 unexcused absences was allowed to walk according to the superintendent and make up the courses later to get his diploma. The other thing was when board members get to hand the blank diploma to their child graduating. I find that repugnant. Well, that's me.
Maybe this is why God is taking me out of this situation for good. I have fought a good fight to restore a little civilization to Sodom and Gomorrah, but I have failed and so He is taking me away from it all. Let them have their air horns and silly string. God gave us free will. What we do with it has put us where we are today!
Sunday, June 27, 2004
Last days of june '04
It has taken me a while to write this entry. Graduation day was difficult because we had the middle school and high school ceremony on the same day at Felician College in Lodi, NJ. I was on call from 8:30 A. M. to 7:30 P. M. dressed in my suit, then in a robe with the Master's cape on the back.
It was fortunate that we had the middle school graduation because it was orderly and dignified. The high school graduation should have taken place on the football field. There were air horns and silly string. Some of the boys had bare legs and sneakers. There was rumor that one boy had nothing on underneath his graduation gown. That was possible. It was the same senior that wanted me to write a recommendation for him to go to William Patterson U. as a music major when he couldn't even read music!
To top it all off, a football kid who flunked three subjects and got an administrative failure for having more than 16 unexcused absences got to walk to receive his blank diploma. They later made an arrangement for him to take two summer courses and one evening school for him to finally get his diploma.
I felt foolish preparing so long for my speech when the parents and students just wanted to party. The girls had been told for so long not to wear sandals and flip flops to school that most of them wore flip flops and they looked like they were going to a beach party, not a graduation. The parents thought nothing of it, unfortunately.
The next day was frantic with teachers eager to sign out of the place and get their last check to head for the beach. I was trying to gather up my things, and complete the final things I had to do, like turn in my keys and have a folder ready for the new guy with security codes, etc. I downloaded all my documents for work on the server and packed up. I was invited to Chilli's at 1:00, but didn't get there until they were paying the check. I wished everyone a good summer and told them I loved working with them and left. The Home Ec. teacher went out to her car in the rain and got me a book she wanted me to have titled, Day Trips in New Jersey.
I left in the rain and came home. I wasn't hungry and I didn't want to get drunk; I was numb. Did I just experience the last day of my educational career? Is it all over? I don't know.
It was fortunate that we had the middle school graduation because it was orderly and dignified. The high school graduation should have taken place on the football field. There were air horns and silly string. Some of the boys had bare legs and sneakers. There was rumor that one boy had nothing on underneath his graduation gown. That was possible. It was the same senior that wanted me to write a recommendation for him to go to William Patterson U. as a music major when he couldn't even read music!
To top it all off, a football kid who flunked three subjects and got an administrative failure for having more than 16 unexcused absences got to walk to receive his blank diploma. They later made an arrangement for him to take two summer courses and one evening school for him to finally get his diploma.
I felt foolish preparing so long for my speech when the parents and students just wanted to party. The girls had been told for so long not to wear sandals and flip flops to school that most of them wore flip flops and they looked like they were going to a beach party, not a graduation. The parents thought nothing of it, unfortunately.
The next day was frantic with teachers eager to sign out of the place and get their last check to head for the beach. I was trying to gather up my things, and complete the final things I had to do, like turn in my keys and have a folder ready for the new guy with security codes, etc. I downloaded all my documents for work on the server and packed up. I was invited to Chilli's at 1:00, but didn't get there until they were paying the check. I wished everyone a good summer and told them I loved working with them and left. The Home Ec. teacher went out to her car in the rain and got me a book she wanted me to have titled, Day Trips in New Jersey.
I left in the rain and came home. I wasn't hungry and I didn't want to get drunk; I was numb. Did I just experience the last day of my educational career? Is it all over? I don't know.
