school days and cellphones

May. 01, 2006 - 3:42 pm

Good grief; our internet connection is slow! I think we need to upgrade to a 14.4 modem. Home is fine, but of curse I haven't gotten around to re-installing Word, so my atrocious spelling comes through loud and clear. Since the depth of what I am posting is measured in millimeters, I think it really doesn't matter, though...

Thursday was Open House... at the local Junior High! Yes; my oldest is out of sixth grade in two months... time it does fly. It's the same Jr high I went to, and the only school I started and finished (I moved around a lot due to some silly "gifted" program that only taught me that I was too smart to have to study).

They took out the lockers for "Security" reasons... bleh.

On Friday, I picked up the Boys from the B&G Club, as I do on opposite Fridays. Some kid had his cellphone ripped off earlier in the week, so they had implemented a "no electronic devices" policy as a ham-handed response. OldestBoy has a cellphone, which he will continue to bring to the Club. It's his way of keeping in touch with his divorced parents, and he needs to transfer it back and forth to our houses besides.

When I informed them that he *will* continue to have the cellphone, they wanted to know why. I told them the above, and they said that he "can't use it" while he's there. Fine; he doesn't need to be chatting with his semi-girlfriend for hours; they can do that later. The news I had gotten (from TheX) was that he wasn't allowed to even *bring* it. He can, he will, but he won't make/receive calls, and he's responsible if it gets lost or stolen... as he should be.

But as I picked them up, I was talking to one of the moms who happen to be one of the moms in YoungestBoy's Cub Scout den... of which I am the Den Leader. She repeated something I have come to hear quite often in the last few weeks... that is how much more at ease and less stressed I am at life in general, and just how much *happier* I seem. All true! I feel great. This despite (or because of?) the stupid, trickling bullshit I have had to deal with from the ex-GF, which I won't go into (but Sue can attest to... right Sue??? ;-)

Started tearing out the kitchen yesterday; I had to get some of the cabinets out of the way so I could prep the wall (more wallpaper gone, holes patched). I have more wall repair to do where the electricians went to town, and then and inspection from the city... hopefully before all this new crap shows up they might wonder about...

Cabinets show on Friday; I have a chunk of granite and once I get a door I'll Home Depot for paint... by this time next week they should be installed, and next Tuesday final measurements for my Granite! Too fun!

Yesterday, the Oldest Boy told me that half his class was going to be missing for the illegal alien support protests today. He has an awesome teacher, who said there would be 'consequences" for unexcused absences due to this... I was thrilled, and sent the following email to his teacher (cc:ing OldestBoy and TheX)...

Mr M:

OldestBoy informed me the other day that about half of the class would be absent tomorrow, May 1, supposedly in support of the boycott/rallies for the millions who flout our immigration laws. He then informed me that you had told the class that for those who were absent without just cause there would be "consequences." I just wanted to show my unreserved support, in advance, for the position you have taken. One of my main jobs as a father is to teach my Boys that actions have consequences, even actions they are free to take. Sometimes the consequences are good, sometimes bad. I hope you will inform those students whose families have chosen to make their children's education a priority what the consequences are for those who have taken another tack, as even those who do not suffer the consequences directly can learn from those who do.

Not to mention that I am curious about what will happen.

Please know you have my support should your efforts meet with any resistance.

Sincerely,

HisDad

The reply was great, including the Priceless final line that just confirmed how great OldestBoy is, and how he views the world...

That's very kind of you to offer your support. I was only relating the district stand on the matter, which stated that absent students would be considered truant.

As for my classroom, I was missing a grand total of two students, one of whom had a legitimate illness, according to her little brother. Although OldestBoy's report that half the class would be missing is certainly par for the course in the dramatic world of sixth graders.

We were instructed to discuss this matter at our discretion, and some teachers chose to ignore it entirely. I wanted to address it, but it's a slippery slope, and in terms of the big picture, an elementary school classroom is hardly the place for a politically charged discussion, especially one in which so many of the students are not only too immature to handle the matter, but also horribly ill-informed by the hysterical Spanish Language media.

Your message was greatly appreciated. I really like to hear that someone is thinking about this stuff. OldestBoy, of course, seems neutral on the matter.

He is so well adjusted it's almost scary sometimes... =D