“But what you don’t understand Mrs. R, is that I really don’t like math… It’s not rocket science… Besides, I’m going to be an astronaut.” It is hard to argue with a second grader, especially after he has made such a convincing case. Still, you have to try. Anne is nearing the end of her eleven-week gig as a long-term sub / math teacher, just two more weeks to go and in case you were wondering, she is counting every single day. She has been really working her butt off on this assignment, with long hours at school and then mountains of work at home. She had last Friday off, because it was a professional development day, but she still went to school to work on report cards, even though she won’t get paid for it. This week’s agenda includes both report cards and fractions and next week features parent-teachers meetings, which hopefully she will get paid for, because I’m sure she’ll earn it.
Lego Andy Warhol
On Saturday, we walked over to the elementary school for a pancake breakfast fundraiser. It was the first time that I have ever been in the new school. Built on the site of our sons’ old Chaney Elementary, the new building hadn’t been completed until they had moved on. The new school is so airy and bright, much nicer than what our kids had. Lending to this perception, this year’s school as a museum is all about pop art, featuring legends such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein and new artists like the Australian team, Pip & Pop. The new buildings, the creative new programs are also in part due to Anne’s efforts. Her volunteer work campaigning for new school bond issues and tax levies have helped to pay for all of these improvements. She was recognized for these efforts a few years back, when she was named Citizen of the Year by the school district.
Pip & Pop Under Black Light
Saturday afternoon, Anne was out canvassing for a new school tax levy. Prop Y will be voted on in April and is needed to maintain the current level of academic achievement, because in the ten years since our youngest son graduated from high school the district student population has grown by almost 40%. Maplewood has become a destination district. At the breakfast, one of Anne’s substitute friends remarked on how brave she must be to go door-to-door and afterwards I had to ask if she would have a partner, which she did. In past campaigns there has been violence and in the current political climate, what with its penis jokes, civility has pretty much gone out the window. We were right to be concerned, because another female door knocker was greeted by an angry and completely naked man, who yelled that no f-ing way would he support the proposition and then slammed the door in her face, which afterwards she decided was a good thing.