Monday, June 28, 2010

GOODBYE GRADUATES...HELLO SUMMER VACATION!!!

Thank heavens it's OVER!!! I had to be thee happiest person leaving my building today! I was actually singing and dancing all over the dang place. Colleagues kept saying, "Jeez, why don't you cheer up!" Sarcasm meant nothing to me today. Why? Because it was this teacher's LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!

I tell you, I'm worse than the kids. By 10am I was asking, what time can we leave? My seniors got their diplomas, my first full graduating class is gone!! (Meaning I've had them as my students in the guidance office their full four years) My babies are done. Last Monday, I graduated some 430something seniors each by name! I am proud to announce that I only messed up 1, not bad, right? All the stress of getting them all certified is done, the bad seeds are all signed up for summer school...and by bad seeds I'm talking about my kids that just thought: "Oh, I'll stop going to gym but it's no biggie, my teacher's going to pass me anyway" or "I have a 95 overall average, there's no way they won't let me graduate because I failed Art" or "I've never failed any classes before, surely they won't hold it against me if I fail all of them now"...REALLY???!!! Well, I hope it's not too hot for those guys in SUMMER SCHOOL!

I do feel bad for some of my true babies, I have two students that have been my monitors in the office for four years but they are just not good test takers. Both kids are not graduating because they can't pass the Regents exams. They have all of their credits but can't pass enough exams to even get Local Diplomas. It was heart breaking having to tell their parents that I've gotten to know over the years. And my girl, they call her mini-me, she looks like a 4 foot version of me, and after talking to her mom, I had to listen to her cry on the phone. It's just not fair in that way. These are the kids that scrape by just to pass their classes and they are good kids, and they can't graduate because of state exams, while some kids barely go to class but make friends with the teachers and pass. Ugh! Hopefully, though, the parents will get these kids the necessary tutors over the summer so they can retake their exams and graduate in August. By law, they can keep taking the exams until they are 21. I couldn't even imagine if that was my son or daughter.

But back to the happiness...

I'S FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!

5 comments:

Ms. Understood said...

Oh my gosh . . . . That's so sad for those two kids you know and any other kids that go through that. When I was in high school in the Virgin Islands we didn't have to, but in neighboring British islands they had to take CXCs to graduate. I hope those two students you mentioned get a chance to pass their exam in August. Did they let them walk for the graduation? I know they do that sometimes in college.

Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres said...

@Ms. U - Yes we let them walk because graduation was before all of the Regents exams dates were done. So we were hoping they would have passed them after the fact.

Tracita Linda (Tracey) said...

So I guess that means no summer school for you. This is the only time I envy teachers- the boo being one of them too- but works in July.

Thanks so much for stopping by my site and adding me to your BR. You have great sites on there- you've introduced me to some good stuff. I'm a new follower...gonna go sit on the couch and lounge.

Hope you don't mind. :)

Chocolate Mom aka Blupoetres said...

@Tracey - Don't mind if you do! And you are most welcome, that's how I got to you!

Thanks Mrs. U for making you accessible to me! LOL

Tracita Linda (Tracey) said...

So you must have time to do some extra extra reading this summer- How is the Larsson series going? Anything to persuade me to add to my TBR list(to read)? Because right now I think I'd rather wait for the movies.