Once upon a time...

In honor of tomorrow being the first day of school, I thought I’d share my favorite “first-day-of-school” story.  This is my tenth year teaching fifth grade.  I think this happened during my 3^rd year.  But it was our first year at the 5^th/6^th Center.  Confused?  Let me back up and give you some background information.

Two years after I began teaching 5^th grade, our school district pulled the fifth grades out of each elementary school and the sixth grade out of the middle school to form a “new” school – the 5^th/6^th Center (what a lovely name).  I say “new” because it is in one of the oldest buildings in the county.  It was the high school when my dad was in school, and then the middle school until they built onto the current high school to join with it.  Anyway, the point is, I am now teaching in an old building that was once a high school.  That part is important to the story.

So, it was the first day of school, and everybody was a little nervous—us teachers included.  This was new territory for us all, and we weren’t quite sure how it would all gel together at this point.  But we were determined to make the best of our situation.  It was a half-day for the students, so I scrambled around trying to get everything taken care of before they left shortly after lunch.  We played a get-to-know-you game, I introduced myself, we read a book, we toured the building, we made a bus list…and then it was time for lunch.  No harm done.  But then we went to the restroom.  That’s where the fun begins.

As my students filed out of the restroom, they formed two lines—girls on the left and boys on the right.  Then they competed to see who have the best line (quiet, still…).  The “winners” got to lead the class back to the classroom.  Big prize, huh?  Anyway, I noticed my girls were coming out shaking their hands vigorously.  Noticing, I asked if the dryer was broken.  When they insisted that it was, I replied with, “I’m sorry.  Tomorrow, if you’ll remind me, I’ll bring some paper towels with us in case it isn’t fixed yet.”  One of my little darlings piped up with, “Yeah, you better…’cause napkins cost a quarter!” 

I thought I’d die!  When I retold the story to the secretary later in the day, she cracked up.  She asked me how I had kept from laughing in the child’s face.  I told her it was simple—I was thanking God that she didn’t have a quarter!