Friday morning I was back at the junior high to clean up our sucker sales mess and to count the deposit from the previous two nights. When I got there, the front office secretaries told me I had a little note waiting for me too. Joy. Not many guesses needed to figure out who left it for me.
It was my not-BFF Lexi, the potty mouthed 8th grader. Her note was folded all cute, like my actual, real BFF in junior high used to leave me back in the day. I'll share with you what she wrote, with her original spelling and grammar intact. There are more things to be concerned for with this girl, I'm afraid:
im sorryisaid you were a btich Ilost track of my emotions. I promase I want Do it agian-I never act like that at conserts you just caught me offgard and I really mean i m sorry I Dont mean anthing i said I just lost someone I really loved anDit was my mom and I got upset cause a year ago my mom died over a heartatack and I lost her bu beforthat she told me she would come to all my conserts and last ones and I got mad and took it out on you anDIm realy sorry I lov how you volunteerd to be at the consert I really appreasiate it., thankyou have a good day --lexie
Overlooking the appalling spelling, grammar, and punctuation, I don't really believe this girl. She told the principal, the night of the incident, her swearing wasn't really to me but at her friend about her stepmom. Now, her "apology" feeds me this sob story? Well, I guess she is figuring out she made a bad choice and this,perhaps, was part of her consequence. But still.
I only have two more concerts to cover at the junior high this year. They are for band and orchestra, which aren't nearly as high-drama as the choirs. So I should make it. Plus, this kind of stuff just makes me all the more grateful for my own kids--who aren't perfect--but already demonstrate better self control and interpersonal respect than this sad 8th grader.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Friday, May 4, 2012
I Blame The Under-Developed Frontal Lobe
The past two nights I have been at our Junior High helping with the Choir Concerts. My part in this event is essentially a "bouncer"...or "policing the hallway". There were up to six different groups that performed (the beginning and advanced choirs sang Wednesday night, the 4 advanced only on Thursday). This is not a job for the faint of heart.
It is also a job that firmly establishes why so many parents want nothing to do in terms of volunteering at the Junior High.
The first night the Beginning Girls and the Beginning Boy choruses are full of mostly 7th graders. This is generally the first experience these kids have with performing arts. And certainly the semester's performances are the first many of these kids have had to present themselves in front of an audience--and, consequently, the waiting to go on backstage. This was my mission, and I chose to accept. What was I thinking?!
Seventh graders in early May are sweaty, hot, hormone-driven lunatics. Actually, all Junior high students fit that description--regardless of their grade. But these Sevies were really on edge Wednesday night. There was flirting and teasing abounding. It was also nauseating.
But one flirty situation parlayed itself into trouble the following night. One of the 8th grade girls, who was singing with the Advanced Women's Chorus--let's call her Lexi, since that is her name--was backstage with the beginning boys 7th grade group, flirting like there was no tomorrow. Her flirting was not just distracting to the three or so boys hovering around Lexi, but was starkly against the rules that had been set by their teacher: only the group waiting to go on will be in the hallway and will be silent.
Fail.
When I asked her to go away and leave the boys in peace so they can be ready to sing, she got increasing belligerent. She didn't mask the idea that she was upset with me enforcing the "law of the hallway".
When the beginning groups were done, and the short intermission was over, she was still giving me crusty looks as the advanced choirs took the stage in turn. I've had worse. It wasn't that big of a deal to report her after the show to the director.
Last night, however, was a different story.
I had been at the choir room doorway, waiting to hear the last minute directions the teacher gave the advanced groups (as the beginning kids were off the hook last night) so I knew what to enforce. I wasn't there even 10 minutes when Lexi saw me and immediately crusted her look again, and mouthed to me "You're a B_#*%!" I smiled, nodded my head and mouthed back to her, "Yes, I am and I will be watching you all night!"
In a few minutes the principal showed up to check on things, and I while we waited for the teacher to finish warming up the groups, I shared with him Lexi's line-crossing behavior. He was livid. This girl was not a first time visitor with the good principal, and he called her out of the group as soon as the warm up was finished for a little talking to.
A few minutes later, he called me to fill in the details of the night before, which I did. Then he turned to Lexi and asked her why she had just lied to him about what happened. Her story changed pretty fast...and comically, if you ask me. He sent her back to the choir room to wait for him.
He consulted with me about whether to keep her from singing tonight, hurting her parents--should have happened to attend, or wait until Friday morning and let her have it during school. I told him I didn't have an opinion on this, but was just sorry he had to deal with it at all. In the end he opted for the Friday morning principal's office visit with her to set a punishment.
Before the night was over, she had missed her cue to get onstage and sing. She blamed the principal for making her late to the stage...funny, since his conversation with her was over before the show began. But, since she missed her cue, she will now have to deal with the choir teacher's consequence as well as the principal's this morning.
Junior high kids--teenagers in general--certainly can be idiots. But it helps when you have a crazy home life on top of bad behavior at school, and poor academic achievements. Heaven help the junior high faculty and staff. And PTSA volunteers.
It is also a job that firmly establishes why so many parents want nothing to do in terms of volunteering at the Junior High.
The first night the Beginning Girls and the Beginning Boy choruses are full of mostly 7th graders. This is generally the first experience these kids have with performing arts. And certainly the semester's performances are the first many of these kids have had to present themselves in front of an audience--and, consequently, the waiting to go on backstage. This was my mission, and I chose to accept. What was I thinking?!
Seventh graders in early May are sweaty, hot, hormone-driven lunatics. Actually, all Junior high students fit that description--regardless of their grade. But these Sevies were really on edge Wednesday night. There was flirting and teasing abounding. It was also nauseating.
But one flirty situation parlayed itself into trouble the following night. One of the 8th grade girls, who was singing with the Advanced Women's Chorus--let's call her Lexi, since that is her name--was backstage with the beginning boys 7th grade group, flirting like there was no tomorrow. Her flirting was not just distracting to the three or so boys hovering around Lexi, but was starkly against the rules that had been set by their teacher: only the group waiting to go on will be in the hallway and will be silent.
Fail.
When I asked her to go away and leave the boys in peace so they can be ready to sing, she got increasing belligerent. She didn't mask the idea that she was upset with me enforcing the "law of the hallway".
When the beginning groups were done, and the short intermission was over, she was still giving me crusty looks as the advanced choirs took the stage in turn. I've had worse. It wasn't that big of a deal to report her after the show to the director.
Last night, however, was a different story.
I had been at the choir room doorway, waiting to hear the last minute directions the teacher gave the advanced groups (as the beginning kids were off the hook last night) so I knew what to enforce. I wasn't there even 10 minutes when Lexi saw me and immediately crusted her look again, and mouthed to me "You're a B_#*%!" I smiled, nodded my head and mouthed back to her, "Yes, I am and I will be watching you all night!"
In a few minutes the principal showed up to check on things, and I while we waited for the teacher to finish warming up the groups, I shared with him Lexi's line-crossing behavior. He was livid. This girl was not a first time visitor with the good principal, and he called her out of the group as soon as the warm up was finished for a little talking to.
A few minutes later, he called me to fill in the details of the night before, which I did. Then he turned to Lexi and asked her why she had just lied to him about what happened. Her story changed pretty fast...and comically, if you ask me. He sent her back to the choir room to wait for him.
He consulted with me about whether to keep her from singing tonight, hurting her parents--should have happened to attend, or wait until Friday morning and let her have it during school. I told him I didn't have an opinion on this, but was just sorry he had to deal with it at all. In the end he opted for the Friday morning principal's office visit with her to set a punishment.
Before the night was over, she had missed her cue to get onstage and sing. She blamed the principal for making her late to the stage...funny, since his conversation with her was over before the show began. But, since she missed her cue, she will now have to deal with the choir teacher's consequence as well as the principal's this morning.
Junior high kids--teenagers in general--certainly can be idiots. But it helps when you have a crazy home life on top of bad behavior at school, and poor academic achievements. Heaven help the junior high faculty and staff. And PTSA volunteers.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Facebook Funny
I recently read this on Facebook, and knowing the regular readers of this blog (read: my parents) don't Facebook, I had to share:
"I told her, 'You don't have to be President to do that! Come to my
house: mow my lawn, pull weeds, & sweep my yard, for $50. And you
can give a homeless guy the $50 to use for food & shelter.' She
thought it over, she looked me in the eye and asked, 'Why doesn't the
homeless guy come over & do the work, for the $50?'
"I said, Welcome to the Republican Party.'
"Her parents still aren't speaking to me." - originated by Scott Nelson
"I recently asked my neighbors' little girl what she wanted to be when
she grew up. She wanted to be President some day. Both parents, are
Democrats, & standing there, so I asked, 'If you were President what
would be the first thing you would do? She said, 'I'd give food &
housing to the homeless.' Her parents beamed with pride.
"I said, Welcome to the Republican Party.'
"Her parents still aren't speaking to me." - originated by Scott Nelson
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Say, WHAT?!
This is a photo of a horse--an really, really, expensive race horse--in a compression suit. Under Armor, if you will, for horses. Is this not the silliest thing you have ever seen? Crazy.
The article I read online talked about how thee horses are real athletes and they deserve the same kind of benefits for their tired muscles that people do. (Well, that was the gist of the story...I may have paraphrased that.)
Sure, I believe these animals are athletic and bred and trained to do exactly what they do, really well. But they are still horses. And I don't care HOW fabulous this animal is, when he comes back to the barn wearing this the other horses are laughing at him. How could they not?!
Crazy.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Made It After All
Yes. I made it to the Tulip Festival after all. Friday afternoon, I spent a few hours with my dear friend, Amy, checking out the tulips. Lucky for me, she liked to take as many--or more--photos than I do. That makes the time spent, all the cheerier.
I love the variety the Thanksgiving Point gardens hold.
Something brand new this year, is a collection of bronze statues of Jesus Christ in various depictions from the scriptures. This one, of Jesus walking on the water, is heroic in size. Eventually all 12 or so planned bronzes will be this size, and will fill an whole new contemplative garden space. It will be lovely to see when it is done. It was already pretty impressive.
Monday, April 30, 2012
The Boy
Yep. He had a birthday yesterday. He is 15. (How is that possible, you ask? Yes. I wonder that too.)
His gifts were themed this year: motorcycle stuff. He loved it. (Can you tell by that face?!)
It was a quiet birthday celebration, but he seemed pretty pleased. The night before, he and Genius Golfer went to Salt Lake City and watched the AMA Motorcross finals at Rice Eccles stadium at the University of Utah. They had a great time. So, no party with friends, but lots of fun with family. That was a nice change too.
And today we are headed to the DMV for his learner's permit test. Wish me, I mean us, luck.
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