Friends, family, random blog browsers, we're back for the second round of blogging about victories and defeats in a classroom. In the time since my last post, many things have changed about life and our school. I successfully finished summer school in late June, married the love of my life, traveled to Costa Rica for a bit, and rushed back to the Delta to begin professional development two weeks before school started. In that time of professional development, I was able to get to know the MANY new teachers and administration. We have a new principal, assistant principal, school improvement grant coordinator, academic coach, 2 new english teachers, 5 new social studies teachers, 2 new science teachers, 3 new math teachers, and between 160 and 175 new tenth graders. Basically the only thing that is familiar from last year is last year's students, and our school's dilapidated building and grounds.
School started on August 8 with a funeral. No I am not kidding, we had a funeral. All of the 600 or so students walked by a hearse as they were being corralled into the gym. In the gym, soulful black spirituals could barely be heard playing over the rattling industrial air conditioners. Chairs were laid out in front of a podium for faculty and staff, and students sat on the bleachers on either side. At approximately 8:00 a.m. all of the faculty entered into the gym behind a casket which was being rolled out by six pallbearers (one of which being me). The ceremony proceeded as we laid the old high school and all of her awful disfunction to rest.
First the mistress of ceremonies welcomed everyone to the event. Afterward, a veteran teacher welcomed everyone again, and delivered a goosebump invoking speech regarding the circumstances of the ceremony. Then two coaches welcomed everyone a third time and made reflections on the old school, one as a student, the other as a coach. Then after a quick verse of "Glory Glory Hallelujah", I made resolutions. Finally it was the time of our new principal to deliver the eulogy. First he gave his own personal history with the school, as he actually attended a rival high school, and had a lasting negative impression after an incident with the marching band and an egg. Afterward, he made his wishes known for the “new school” which will rise from the ashes like a mythological phoenix. Finally, he asked the students to all write down something they did not like about the old school on their programs.
When he finished his speech, he introduced his staff, and one by one teachers came to the microphone and read aloud their homeroom roster. When each student's name was called, they came down to the gym floor and symbolically dropped their programs into the open casket, officially putting to death all these things many held so dear.
When we left, we each went to our homeroom classes and reviewed the student handbooks with the students. Once that finished, students were released for lunch, and afterward they began changing classes and meeting their new teachers. This felt particularly miraculous because last year it took the guidance counselors a week to even get the students their schedules. Changing classes on the first day would have been unheard of last year. The day (and week) went significantly better. If it is at all indicative of how the year will turn out, I have high, high hopes.
