FINALLY

I am relieved to see that there is finally a DVD edition of Mrs. Doubtfire coming out in May. This is one of my favorite movies, features a hilarious Robin Williams and many quotable lines, and has a very realistic ending. I cannot wait to finally own this! I gave away my VHS copy before moving last year, so it's been a while since I've seen this last. I've been waiting quite a long time for this news.

It's Here!

I didn't think it would ever arrive, but it's FINALLY here: Spring Break. My school district has been continuously in session since returning from the ice storm in late January (well, with one unscheduled break last Friday for the basketball game) and everyone in the building has been itching for this break from school for quite some time now. I don't know who was happier at the end of the school day today, the teachers or the students. I don't have any big plans and am not going anywhere, but I'm just so relieved to have a little bit of time off. I plan on sleeping in, reading my two new books from the library, playing Sims, and just basically relaxing. It's going to RULE.

All in the name of SCHOOL PRIDE!

The superintendent decided early on Monday to cancel school on Friday due to the fact that the boys' basketball team has made the semifinal game on Friday morning in Columbia. My feelings regarding the issue are well documented in my previous entry, and I still cannot get over the fact that we have a day off of school because of freaking basketball. I did not think that was possible.

On the local six o'clock news, a story was done about the impromptu cancellation. An upset parent was interviewed, and brought up some very good points regarding the fact that we've missed so many days of school so far because of the weather only to add another, and that this cancellation causes problems for parents that work who now need to plan for their children to be home from school on such late notice. The superintendent was also interviewed, blathering about how exciting it was that the boys' basketball team was doing so well and how he thought the team deserved the town's support and practically no one would be at school if he didn't make the decision to cancel it for Friday (which is SO NOT TRUE). Basically, the superintendent looked like a giant idiot whose priorities are out of whack in the piece, and I LOVE IT.

Basketball Outranks Education. OBVIOUSLY.

Someone in a top position within my school district has their priorities seriously out of whack.

First, a little background information: we were originally scheduled to have this coming Friday, March 9th, with no students and a full-day staff workshop. Because of the nine total days that we had off due to snow in late November/early December and the huge ice storm in Missouri in mid-January, the vast majority of days that we were supposed to have off this spring (with the exception of Spring Break, THANK GOD) were taken away for snow make-up days where school would be in session, AND a full week was added to school calendar, pushing the last day of school from May 25th to June 1st. March 9th was one of those make-up days, and would be used as a half day of school for the students, and a half day workshop. The changes to the school calendar detailing the snow make-up days were sent out to all of the parents and teachers at the end of January and February.

Apparently, the high school boys' basketball is doing very well this year, so well that they have a chance to make it to the state championship game. They played this afternoon in a game that if they won would advance them to the state semifinal game in Columbia, which is scheduled to take place on Friday, March 9th at 10:40 AM. They won their game today in a come from behind victory.

Yesterday, the staff at my school was informed that the district was considering the possibility of canceling school on March 9th if the team made the semifinal game to accommodate the players, faculty and students who wanted to see the game. If school was canceled on this date, the school day would have to be made up before MAP testing in mid April. Because there are no make-up days left in the school calendar, the teachers were given their choice of having school on either March 17th or 24th. Which are both Saturdays. And directly before and after our days off for Spring Break, which are March 19th through 23rd.

I really want to know what genius decided that a basketball game is more important than keeping school in session, especially when we have lost so many days so far this school year. Why not just have school as scheduled, and excuse the students and faculty that have to or choose to go to the game? Are that many students and faculty not going to be at school? Is there going to be a mass exodus of people to Columbia that there is not going to be ANYONE at school, complete with tumbleweed blowing through the hallways? I can't imagine that the attendance at school on a Saturday would be anywhere near 100%, especially on a weekend that is either before or after Spring Break. Also, the decision has not been made at this time, so the district would have to notify all of the parents of the schedule change in less than a week so that they could make plans for their children being home this coming Friday. It's obviously more trouble than it's worth. I can't believe that they are even considering canceling school for a freaking basketball game. It's INSANE.

The only thing that comforts me is that many other teachers were very vocal about their annoyance about canceling school and having to make it up on a Saturday. Hopefully, all of these complaints will reach the idiot whose idea this was in the first place and it won't actually happen. I'll have to wait and see what happens at school on Monday.

Okay, I Give

I don't hate dogs any more. There is a house just on the outskirts of my neighborhood, and the owners have three dogs. These dogs have been dubbed the "country" dogs by my neighbors because they aren't chained up on their lot and roam free. This used to bug me, but I've become rather fond of these dogs. I have no idea what their names are, but my husband and I have been calling them Alvin, Simon and Theodore for a few months now. We like to roll down our car windows and say hello to these dogs whenever we pass by their house. I think we have one of the dogs convinced that his name is Theo, because his ears always happily prick up when we call to him. It would be hilarious if his real name was something basic like Fluffy and now he didn't answer to it any more.

I do, however, continue to dislike the dogs across the street from my house. They are not friendly like the country dogs. They are always within their fenced-in backyard and bark at me whenever I'm in the garage with the door open, and not even bothering them. Stupid dogs.