Aligning the Stars

Last year, the beginning of the school year had me coming home bruised, exhausted, and crying. I was even bleeding from a bite one day. Suffice it to say the "Tsunami Twins" kicked our tails rocked our world.

But I'm not here to write that story yet. My therapist recommends waiting to tell that story That story can wait for another day.

Possibly, it is the survival of last year that has made this year's beginning feel so good. Let's recap last year's events just for the hell fun of it:

Due to redistricting, more than half my school was new to us at the beginning of last year. Oh. My. God.

Many of the parents liked to tell us all about how they did it at their last school. Yes. I see.

Then there were the aforementioned "Tsunami Twins" who were much like the feral children I've seen in documentaries. I'm not going there (but I am going to say thanks for special schools for the severely emotionally disturbed).

Oh, and our enrollment was down and they moved my two last hires to different schools causing us to restructure several classes. Why is it always the last hires?! Dang it! I hired them to help me with the pissy attitudes of some of the old timers.

Then to add insult to injury, there was the end of the year where they predicted we'd need less teachers and moved ANOTHER of my last hires to a different school. Despite my reprimand by the superintendent begging and pleading to not move another teacher, they insisted I was wrong about our predictions for next year's enrollment. Again, why does it always have to be the last hires?! All my awesome people are slipping away from me...

In the end, I WAS RIGHT! our population has grown even MORE than we predicted.

Our Kindergarten and 1st grade classes have EXPLODED! We've run out of little desks and books causing me to wonder, "What the heck was going on 5 or 6 years ago to have this mini-baby boom?" Regardless, the kids have been fantastic! We had two criers the first day, one the second, and none on the third day - a Personal Best for us! And the parents have been fantastic but as for the criers, I can't count that high! Even ALL well, almost all the teachers have been fantastic despite some of their super crowded rooms!

The beginning of the year, while busy, has more or less been a cake walk. A very busy cake walk. Like one with a super, fast tempo. Like maybe a cake walk to Super Freak. But I digress.

Now for the icing on the cake - the teacher they moved to a different school this past summer is coming home!

I don't even care if I don't get an apology. The fact that they would right this wrong makes it all worthwhile. For the record, it took two and a half days of begging, pleading and making comments to make them feel guilty. Once again, I am reminded of the power of guilt.

Even if it has been exhausting, it has been the BEST beginning of the school year. Ever!