Vote for Change!

I'm a fan of the ampersand.

The other day, I was speaking to a student after I complimented her on her homemade scarf. She told me her neighbor gave it to her because her family can't afford winter clothes this year. They also gave her mother a ton of baby clothes because they have an infant. It broke my heart. And then this girl came to school the next day complaining that all she is getting for Christmas is sneakers. Twelve-year olds are the same everywhere.

And you KNOW you're in the ghetto when the school won't pay for the electricity to run the metal detector, so it sits unplugged while the security guard wands the students (for the school upstairs, not our school).

The scheduling/rescheduling of the assembly all worked out for the best, although not without some difficulty. Over the course of the day, I had heard various information, ranging from "no idea" to various times to meet at various locations. I eventually asked the principal when I saw her, and was told to take the kids up to the classroom after lunch and wait for an announcement. And that is what we did. And waited. And waited. After 20 minutes of watching Blue Planet (I don't know what I'd do in situations like this if it weren't for the BBC), there was an announcement over the loudspeaker that myself and another teacher were late to the assembly across the street. So, I rushed my students across the street, and hopefully our lovely security guard ushered us into the correct location.

The students' speeches were adorable. Every single candidate (several each for Prez, VP, Sec. and Treas.) promised more dress down days. Some advocated "change", some promised school dances and recess for middle-schoolers. I loved it. It was a ton of fun, and even the other kids were quiet (mostly). Not only that, but the assembly ended in time for me to enjoy my Wednesday afternoon prep! Elections are tomorrow during lunch, and the kids are excited about it.

In my home life, I've been making the transition from 3 workouts a week to 4 workouts a week, which take getting used to working out while still sore. This week's yoga, the day after a tough weight lifting workout, left me limping up the stairs. In a satisfying way.

I learned on the internet that if you cook pasta in sauce, it's delicious. It worked! It takes longer to cook, and requires lots of stirring, but it gives the pasta a richer, more risotto-ish flavor.

Today is the faculty holiday party. I'm going, so I can show everyone how well I play with others. Hopefully, it'll be fun. The faculty meeting this afternoon was cancelled, so I can show up to the party with a fresh manicure. Fortunately, I was able to get my work done during my surprise afternoon prep.