I have never thought about retiring until this year.  I cannot believe how tired I am.   We spent the last 2 weeks moving our stuff into the new school.  I had meetings all last week and then more unpacking.  I lifted and moved boxes until I literally dropped one on my foot from exhaustion but I was ready for Meet the teacher.  However, even after resting for the entire weekend, I am still exhausted.  Yesterday, the first day of school, was a nightmare.  We have gone from 350 kids to almost 1000!  There were parents who thought they had the right to walk through the school without signing in.  They chewed out our paras who were trying to get them to go to the office.  Parents want security but they only want it for their own child.

One little boy's Mom called the school and threatened to sue because her son walked home with a Mom from a few houses down the street.  She wanted him to walk alone.  Can you believe this?

We have a new procedure today.  AND we have the police here to stand at the front of the school and tell parents where they need to go.  We lost or misplaced 12 students yesterday.  Kids who got on the wrong bus even though we had colored bands on their arms to tell which bus they should be on.  Some kids have different pick-up from drop offs and how are we supposed to know?  Two of mine got lost.  One, the bus driver didn't let them off because he had picked them up in a non-pick up area and wouldn't drop them back there.  The other went home on the bus but his Mom came to pick him up and we called the bus and they told us he was on it and they would bring him back.  We waited and waited and finally I made them call the bus again and Lo and Behold, he wasn't even on it.  Then Mom panicked.  Me too!  The police took her home to search and there he was walking down the street waiting for his mom to come let him in the house.  I got home at 6:00 last night.  I had left the house before 6:00 that morning.  I ate dinner and went to bed.  Have you ever lost a student?  I was so scared.  Not for me.  For him.

I am not recovering like I did when I was young.  I just keep asking "Is it Friday yet?"