Thursday...

Yesterday was really crazy! I drove up to my middle school and there were a lot of people standing outside. Obviously, something was going on. My school is a really old building located in a wooded and easily flooded area so we have many interesting and random things that happen. Everyone filled me in that the power had been out since 2 am and nobody know when it would be fixed. Eventually we had to go in, get prepared, and put together a plan. The trip up to my room was awful! It was hot, humid, and smelled like a nasty locker room. I dumped my stuff and grabbed the flashlight I had in my desk. When you start working at this school one of the first things they tell you is to always carry a flashlight with you if it is the slightest bit windy or rainy. I deposited my uneaten yogurt in the trash figuring that being hot and sweaty would only be made worse by being hot, sweaty, and sick. We all waited downstairs and discussed every possible scenario and any little tidbit of information we had heard. As the buses began to roll in we put students in the dark cafeteria and sweltering gyms. The students cheered and looked as if Christmas had come as they walked in and realized the power was out. Their joy subsided quickly when they realized breakfast would only be cereal or pop-tarts. Eventually, everyone had arrived and the day began. The students squirmed and whined as the teachers agonized over every uncomfortable minute. Our school awards program was planned for later that evening so all of the teachers had thoughtfully dressed in their nicest and newest clothes with cute little high-heels and hair perfectly styled. Rumor had it that if we made it to around ten o'clock they would send us all home. By then, the state would have considered us in school for the day. As that time came and went things got really tough. It was way too hot in the gyms so they took those students outside. Not long after that, they had to come back into the gyms because it started raining. A bunch of maintenance guys showed up with gasoline powered generators and big fans. We gained a little more physical comfort but were now inundated with the smell of gasoline. It really didn't take very long to get our power going again once they finally started working on it. Part of the problem was that there were many other schools without power. Unfortunately, our school is the furthest out so we were the last to get assistance. Finally, as the cafeteria workers were rolling out the first round of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch, the power came back on. The rest of the day was a blur as everyone scrambled to try to put together a semi-normal afternoon. The students were full of energy and none of the teachers had time for lunch or anything else. Though it was a bad day things weren't totally awful. We got to stand around and talk most of the day and the students were actually fairly well behaved considering the circumstances. I enjoyed watching the students stealthily use their cell phones to try to call anyone who might be able to come pick them up. Having all those parents show up definitely added to the chaos. I was happy to see them though because most of the students leaving were the ones causing problems. The best parts about the situation for me were that I had worn jeans and a t-shirt (planning to change for the awards program) and all my classes were over before once we were able to get back on schedule.