When I arrived at work today, I was informed that we are no longer allowing students to go sledding down the hill. Apparently, this morning's recess sledding extravaganza was a disaster. Many students slid far too aggressively and injuries ensued. Needless to say, the students were NOT happy about this.
At first, I said only the kids with snow pants could still slide down the hill (since they wouldn't get too wet), but this didn't last long. Conflicted students thought their pants could withstand the wetness too and proceeded to slide on their behinds. Ok, now NO ONE can slide down the hill. Boo. "So, what CAN we do?" asked a student. "You can make very small snowmen," I answered. This seemed to appease some of the kids. Whew. There were still some sneaky buggers who tried to slide down the hill when I wasn't looking, but I caught most of them. I hate being the bad guy, but someone has to prevent your kids from doing something silly and getting hurt (then suing the school!).
The other duty, we'll call her "Helga," had a particularly hard day. She was watching one end of the playground where there were fifth and sixth graders playing. Several of the boys were sliding down a slope and she asked them to stop. They would not listen to her. I wasn't there so I don't know exactly what happened but I heard her call the front office on the walkie-talkie. She sounded so despondent and asked for help. Mrs. Diggers, the main secretary, came out to speak to the little offenders! As soon as recess was over, Helga spoke to the principal and went on her way. Soon thereafter, I saw several boys in the principal's office. Good, give 'em "heck." I felt so bad for Helga. She has a great heart for the kids and does a great job. Sometimes, with the kids today, it's hard to instill authority and respect. And when I meet some of the parents, I understand why (no judgment, just fact). It is hard being a parent.
Let's hope Helga has a better day tomorrow.
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