Date for Entry: (Tuesday 02 January 2024)
Actual Date of Online Entry: (Saturday 20 January 2024)
[T2, W:01 – D:1, (Td:1)*].
**Teachers Pic
Dear Diary,
Today is the
first day of school for the term. I got to bed at 4:00 AM after watching “IT”
and others. It was quick to wake up and quick to arrive at the school’s
compound. My big green Mode Alive bag was filled with the Form 1s and 2s exam
papers. I originally had them in my book bag but everything was squished up and
the bag was fully lifted as if I was returning to Hillview.
This morning the
driver was “Shiv”. We had a smooth and empty road. When I got into the office,
I saw “Nia” and Miss Dana chatting. There was a different feeling to the
office. I realised that they had the blinds removed. I also saw a lady come
walking down the office from the corridor and she entered the office (Miss
Jessop). I remembered her from the CXC conference that I attended in DCFA last
term. She went into the Vice Principal’s office and introduced herself as the
new music teacher.
As they spoke,
“Miranda” asked me to get a student to move the speakers from the library and
to open the control panel for them to set it up for the morning’s assembly.
Thankfully, as I was greeted by some of my past students, it was already being
taken to the hall. I walked with them and soon some students came to assist. I
gave back “Miranda” the keys and they got ready. Miss Roberts joined us in the
hall to set up too. I went back to the end of the hall and other teachers
joined me after.
It took forever
for the assembly to finish. I heard the school song being sung by two Form 6
girls but I wished that they had used my steelpan arrangement. It was shocking
to see that the Form 1s were not singing at all. I wondered what they had done
with the YouTube recording that I had for them. I waited for the children to
collect their chocolate at the door to go to their classrooms. The principal
gave them until the end of period 2 for Home Room with Form Teachers.
I went to my
desk and had my first pie of the term. Miss Gittens was not answering her phone
for the meeting in the Principal’s office. As soon as Miss came, we joined Miss
Jessop and the meeting began.
*****
The meeting was
suspended and moved to the Music Room for discussion of the timetables and my
selection of classes. I decided to pick one class of the different Form levels.
I was told by Miss Roberts that there was no Form 5 class because only one
student was doing it as an additional (9th) subject. We also got
some feedback on what topics were done with the Form 4s in the First term. This
half of the meeting spanned from the leaving of the Principal’s office to the
end of Recess (three periods and Recess) until 11:05 AM.
We walked down to the library for the first monthly staff meeting. “Miranda” was already there and some of the staff were already seated. I sat with friends in the centre of the room and it began. I was very tired during the middle of it and tried not to fall asleep. It was nice to see that Deon and Afisha came to the meeting too. Some of the things discussed were:
- Parent sent lunch to staff as gratitude.
- The issue for the school to open with toilets issue.
- Issue of leave and signing the forms.
- Accountability before leaving the compound.
- Supervision by teachers (HODs to schedule).
- Teachers should talk to children about Homework before going to the dean.
- Voting for exams to Form 3s (at the end of coursework Term 2).
Everyone sat and
ate in the library. Students passing by during lunchtime looked in and had
weird expressions on their faces. I told Miss that it was probably a strange
look for them to see people eating in the library, and we laughed. I did not
eat anything. I chose to remain very hungry. I was busy trying to keep myself
away from my two hours of sleep this morning. I was very happy to see Miss Paul
come to join us too. She said that the cake I made for her was really good but
it was a good laugh when I told her that it was Betty Croker box cake.
They brought in
ice cream and then Donna and Mrs Brown sat with me and Miss Gittens. We were
joined by Miss Jessop. It was only after school that we learned it had cake
long after the ice cream came. I met back Miss Paul in the library. I walked
her to Miss Jone and we spoke about my fashion book that I shared with her. She
realised it was based on the Project Runway show. There was a challenging
challenge for me just before the end of lunchtime.
I met Miss
“Jess” in Staffroom C. She was given Miss Gittens’s desk to use. I had the 2F
exam papers with me. Before we could make it, we met Mrs Jaikaran outside the
staffroom. She spoke with me about her number being changed and could not
receive my message about lessons for music. There was a quick passing of time
in those evening sessions. I gave “Jess” a copy of the exam to see as we walked
over to the class.
A few
students did not attend school. “Jess” did an introduction and chat. Then we
got into the paper. The first question was done in class with the Minim Beats
note tree written on the board for the children to copy. The second question
was to be copied in their notebooks and the answer would have to be inserted.
After school, I
did not get all of my copies made because I was not getting to teach all of the
children. Miss Gittens and I took the rest of the evening grading Sombreros for
Susan’s Form 1 children. It has not been finished since last term. I had a big
challenge with coping from the ride home until the end of having dinner.
Link(s):
- Teacher's Picture & Calendar.**
- Calendars of Events.**
Daryl
Zion M. Ali
(7:45
am – 4:30 pm)
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