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Thursday, August 23, 2012

front office

It's testing time at the schoolhouse!  As many probably know and live - or have lived - elementary schools have a couple of "testing days" at the beginning of the year, and then do it all again towards the end of the school year.  Today and tomorrow are the beginning.

view from the front

Last year, I mentioned that crossing guard June and I trade offices on testing days.  Maybe someday I'll share the wholly intriguing story as to why, but for now I'd rather leave you scratching your heads.   Suffice to say that it's all just a demonstration of how we are just a couple of safety conscious, flexible team players with high school diplomas or equivalent, willing to work in all kinds of weather.

To that list of attributes, we can now add "well informed".

A couple of my regular clients were giving me crap on Tuesday afternoon.

"You weren't here this morning.  We had to cross ourselves!"

I knew that because when I entered the path to get to my regular office, these two were already on the path heading towards school.  What was UP with that?  The morning bell wasn't due to go off for over a half an hour.

I asked them and confirmed that, yes, they do eat breakfast at school.  STILL, seemed awful early.  I told them that I would start showing up 5 minutes earlier than usual for THEM and THEIR breakfast needs, all the while grumbling under my breath about loitering kids and parents who shove them out the door too early... grumble... grumble... grumble...

Later when I saw June, I asked her what time school breakfast started.  She said she wasn't sure, since "school starts 5 minutes earlier this year".

"Hmmm, okay.... wait... what?"

Lo and behold, school hours have made a 5-minute shift.  You'd think someone would tell the freaking crossing guards, right?  June figured it out via keen observation.  In their defense, I'm sure it was announced/discussed at one of the schools-about-to-start-staff-workshops, but heck!  Us Outsiders don't go to those things!

So here we are.  School started a week ago, and I now know the hours of operation.
.

12 comments:

terri said...

Well... seems like everyone managed to stay safe during your period of ignorance. Consider yourself lucky and go forward promoting safe crossings!

ShadowRun300 said...

Now I'm scratchin' my head about two things - why you and June switch, and why school is starting 5 minutes early. I'm guessin' it has to do with bus schedules? Otherwise it seems silly.
At least only one week went by without you in the know. Hope you enjoyed the extra 5 minutes of sleep while it lasted!

agg79 said...

Don't you just hate when that happens? The whole world changes their schedule/routine and you are the last (or next to) one to know. At least you can take solace in the fact you've trained them up right and they know what to do when you are not there.

Abby said...

June and I switch because there's no lunch on test days. Clear now??

Yes, I think the time change is because of the bus schedules. Everything references back to those. The high schoolers get to go nearly 45 minutes later than they used to. They were practically nocturnal in years gone by.

Abby said...

Yes, onward! Until the next period of ignorance.

Abby said...

I know (think?) it must've been somewhere in the back-to-school communications and we just missed it. Somewhere among the "sign up for coffee club" and "has anyone seen the key for the haunted storage room?" e-mails.

lotta joy said...

I don't know how I survived, learning to cross busy roads on my own without someone waving a sign and signaling me when it was safe.

I guess "look left and right before crossing the street" isn't taught anymore. Now I know why teenagers are always walking SLOWLY in front of my car without even looking up.

ShadowRun300 said...

Clear as mud. ;)

D.Shawnte said...

You guys are super serious about doing the crosswalk. Just like Lotta, we never really had any one doing crosswalk duty when I was going to school. We had one when I first started but she was only around for like a year or so before I graduated 6th grade :s.

Anita said...

I'm reminded of the Texas governor.. what's his name? Anyway, remember his "oops" while campaigning for president. lol

Abby said...

perfect

Abby said...

They're probably texting. Heck, I've got third graders texting while walking.