Fighting the Dark Cloud of pudge!!

Last week was a tough one.  We started the new quad (as we are a year round school we have 4 quads rather than two semesters) on November 10th.   I learned one of my students was killed (execution style) in Alberta on Novmember 9th.  (I do teach some difficult students).  All accounts in the paper make him sound like such a bad kid.  From my perspective, he was trying to turn his life around when he came to our school.  He was polite, always had a warm smile and greeting, and managed to get two credits in credit recovery.  It seemed things were starting to go right for him.  No one really knows why he was in Alberta - and the death was drug related.  He was no angel - on probabtion for some assault charge that happened long before he came to our school.  Add to that, his cousin is an aspiring child youth worker who is doing a placement in our school.  So much pain there.

One of the 18 year old gang students showed up DEMANDING that I readmit him to our school.  We are a 16 - 18 year old school.  As he was 18, and never attending, I brought him in at the end of the last quad, gave him information of a nearby school for 18 - 21 year olds and sent him off.  He came back swearing at me (seems he did not bother to go on the dates I wrote down for him so when he did bother to go they were full).  When I asked him to stop swearing he sent the pile of work on my desk (and the remaining donuts for the students) flying across my office, puffed himself up (rather like the hulk), blocked my doorway and tried to intimidate me.  Being me, I walk right up to him, pointed to the door and told him to get the hell out of the school or I would call the police.  He continued a steady stream of swearing so I slammed my office door in his face.  After a few seconds I opened the door and the office manager was standing there.  She had heard me screaming from down the hall and came to investigate. (The only other time she had heard me yell was when my dog ran into the daycare centre on the property) I advised her that if he ever came onto our property again to immediately call the police as he was trespassing.  It took me hours to get over that experience.

On Thursday my Uncle died down in FLA.  I had hoped to get down to the service but I guess my Aunt wasn’t expecting us.  His service was Sunday at 11:30am and neither I, nor my cousins from England, could make it down in time.

Needless to say…waitte and diette went out the window!

This week, the caseworker for the kid who threatened me actually called to try to get me to admit him back into the school!  You can imagine my response.  Seems he can’t get his welfare cheque if he is not in school.

All in all, the rules I put into place last quad (I was new then) seem to have brought most of the kids into line.  Of the previous group only a handful- who skipped too much to know the climate in the school had changed - are causing any problems.  The new kids I interviewed and let in are our true demographic - kids who made some mistakes but have seen the light and want to get their high school credits.  The students are actually enjoying coming to school and asking if their friends can register for the next quad starting in February.  Although the numbers are down in most high schools in Toronto (housing costs are very high), our numbers are up.  On that front, things are looking really good.

Oddly enough I asked one of the long time teachers (granted the school has only been in existence for four years) to arrange the staff Holiday dinner.  She said they never had one before!  A supply teacher who knows me well was standing there and said “There’s a new sheriff in town!”

Just wanted to let you all know why I have been quiet. Just lots on my plate…both figuratively and literally!

Cheers!