Good to see you back, Freddie. We missed you! I'm sorry you had a terrible holiday season. And, yes, I think if the counseling is helping you, then you should continue. I think it's always helpful to have someone on the outside to talk to. Get better soon!
Donna, I had Carlson for Amer. Lit. 1 and Native Amer. Lit. (both the same semester). He's all right. It was the second time I took Amer. Lit. 1, and he made it really interesting because he's really into it (I tolerated it the first time I took it). A good friend of mine took him for the same two classes a few semesters before me and didn't like him, and she and I usually have pretty much the same impression of instructors.
Yeah, the weather has been a little warmer here than normal, but last night it got cold and today is chilly enough to need sweaters and light jackets.
Okay, so, I finally got all three of the kids registered for school, and for the first time in their lives, they have to take a bus. To be completely honest, for the time being, they really don’t have to take the bus, but it’s good that they get used to it because when I start working, they’ll have to. When I registered them, I made it clear to the office personnel, the principal, and their teachers that they needed to sit together on the bus at least until they are familiar with riding a bus, what bus stop to get off at, and perhaps meet some friends who live nearby.
Yesterday was their first day riding the bus, and was apparently traumatic for Gabby. So much so that she begged me, crying, not to make her ride it. When I asked what happened, she said she and her brother were not allowed to sit together and the bus driver was mean to the kids. This morning I spoke with the driver and explained the situation. Her rude reply was that she determines where the kids sit and my kids are old enough to handle the change. What?
It seems that I missed the bulletin about school faculty and staff knowing what the children can handle better than the parents. This especially applies to children who are new to the area. I was not aware of this before this morning. In any case, I pointed out that if my kids came home more upset today than yesterday, I would have no choice but to phone the district. She told me, “Go ahead and do that.” Yeah…see? Now, why would she go and say something like that? It was just the triple dog dare that I needed.
I came home, phoned the school, got the bus coordinator out of a meeting with the principal and proceeded to explain the facts of life. She promised to talk to the driver, who I was informed is not supposed to do that. I also learned that it’s the school’s policy to seat siblings, especially those new to the school, together. This afternoon, Gabby seemed much happier, and although they’re not sitting together on the same seat, they are right across the aisle from each other, which, I suppose, is as good as it’s going to get. Unlike his big sister, Damian is super excited to be riding a bus to and from school and didn’t let the incident bother him too much.
A boy in Damian’s class knew that they were supposed to sit together and when the driver separated them, he firmly told her that they were supposed to sit together because the teacher said so. We found out that he lives across the street, and his mother provides daycare to my niece and nephew. And, as it turns out, what freaked Gabby out was the bus driver yelling at him for persistently arguing the case for my kids. It only added to the anxiety she already felt about making sure to get off at the right bus stop. Did that all make sense? This whole experience with Gabby and Damian starting a new school has been horrific enough to make me wish for their old school.
Maybe now I can concentrate more on securing my own job and getting my own transfer done. I still have to take that stinkin’ GRE. Did I mention that if the tutoring doesn’t workout, I can get a special permit and teach high school English? The catch is that I have to be enrolled in education classes, which could potentially interrupt my getting a Master’s in Composition or my MFA in Creative Writing. If things work out, I'll be going to the University of Memphis.
Hmmm…
I think I’ll sign Damian up for Little League this spring and try to find tennis lessons for Gabby.
So
Donna, I had Carlson for Amer. Lit. 1 and Native Amer. Lit. (both the same semester). He's all right. It was the second time I took Amer. Lit. 1, and he made it really interesting because he's really into it (I tolerated it the first time I took it). A good friend of mine took him for the same two classes a few semesters before me and didn't like him, and she and I usually have pretty much the same impression of instructors.
Yeah, the weather has been a little warmer here than normal, but last night it got cold and today is chilly enough to need sweaters and light jackets.
Okay, so, I finally got all three of the kids registered for school, and for the first time in their lives, they have to take a bus. To be completely honest, for the time being, they really don’t have to take the bus, but it’s good that they get used to it because when I start working, they’ll have to. When I registered them, I made it clear to the office personnel, the principal, and their teachers that they needed to sit together on the bus at least until they are familiar with riding a bus, what bus stop to get off at, and perhaps meet some friends who live nearby.
Yesterday was their first day riding the bus, and was apparently traumatic for Gabby. So much so that she begged me, crying, not to make her ride it. When I asked what happened, she said she and her brother were not allowed to sit together and the bus driver was mean to the kids. This morning I spoke with the driver and explained the situation. Her rude reply was that she determines where the kids sit and my kids are old enough to handle the change. What?
It seems that I missed the bulletin about school faculty and staff knowing what the children can handle better than the parents. This especially applies to children who are new to the area. I was not aware of this before this morning. In any case, I pointed out that if my kids came home more upset today than yesterday, I would have no choice but to phone the district. She told me, “Go ahead and do that.” Yeah…see? Now, why would she go and say something like that? It was just the triple dog dare that I needed.
I came home, phoned the school, got the bus coordinator out of a meeting with the principal and proceeded to explain the facts of life. She promised to talk to the driver, who I was informed is not supposed to do that. I also learned that it’s the school’s policy to seat siblings, especially those new to the school, together. This afternoon, Gabby seemed much happier, and although they’re not sitting together on the same seat, they are right across the aisle from each other, which, I suppose, is as good as it’s going to get. Unlike his big sister, Damian is super excited to be riding a bus to and from school and didn’t let the incident bother him too much.
A boy in Damian’s class knew that they were supposed to sit together and when the driver separated them, he firmly told her that they were supposed to sit together because the teacher said so. We found out that he lives across the street, and his mother provides daycare to my niece and nephew. And, as it turns out, what freaked Gabby out was the bus driver yelling at him for persistently arguing the case for my kids. It only added to the anxiety she already felt about making sure to get off at the right bus stop. Did that all make sense? This whole experience with Gabby and Damian starting a new school has been horrific enough to make me wish for their old school.
Maybe now I can concentrate more on securing my own job and getting my own transfer done. I still have to take that stinkin’ GRE. Did I mention that if the tutoring doesn’t workout, I can get a special permit and teach high school English? The catch is that I have to be enrolled in education classes, which could potentially interrupt my getting a Master’s in Composition or my MFA in Creative Writing. If things work out, I'll be going to the University of Memphis.
Hmmm…
I think I’ll sign Damian up for Little League this spring and try to find tennis lessons for Gabby.
So
posted by Sonie at 3:43 PM
1 Comments:
woah...I thought I had problems. So, Im in awe of how you are handling this change...good for you
Fi
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