It's really hard to believe, but as of today I've finished five years at my "new" job. I guess I need to quit calling it "new"!
This was, without a doubt, the worst year I've had yet, but I'm hopeful that next year will be better. We'll have an almost totally new staff. We'll be getting a new principal, one new assistant principal, one new guidance counselor (Little P.'s mom is leaving due to being treated terribly, and has accepted a job in another city about 20 miles away), head librarian, library assistant, and head custodian. At least a dozen teachers are leaving, too, and must be replaced. I keep hearing that the secretary won't be back, either. She's one of the rude and awful office women that helped make me miserable all year, so I haven't confirmed if that's true or not. (We don't speak unless it's necessary). Of course I hope it's true, we'll be better off without her. And finally, my favorite of the two school nurses told me this morning that she's leaving, too. It's very telling that we're losing over half of our staff; it shows what a terrible year it's been for us all. Hopefully some new blood will make a big difference going forward. If it doesn't, I plan to find a new school to transfer to next year.
But all that is for another day....for now, I am free! Free for seven whole weeks and I'm so glad! Having summers off is one of the best perks of working in the school district. It never gets old, leaving for two months at the beginning of June and then starting fresh in early August. The prospect of the summer off makes me feel a little like a kid again!
Hooray for summer vacation!
When we got the announcement at 2:30 today that we could leave, this is what we looked like! One of the teachers said, on the way out the door, "Good God! It looks like someone pulled the fire alarm!" Haha.
You hung in there, woman, despite all of the negativity and cruelty. And I know you did your job to the best of anyone's abilities. Enjoy your time off. You truly deserve it. You truly need it.
ReplyDeleteYou're always so kind and encouraging, Mary. Thank you!
DeleteHooray! Enjoy every minute of your break! Hope things are much better next year!
ReplyDeleteI hope so too! Thanks Ellen!
DeleteEnjoy your summer freedom! You picked the perfect photo for this post!
ReplyDeleteHaha! That's sort of what we looked like on Thursday afternoon!
DeleteHappy Summer Break!
ReplyDeleteThank you Debby!
DeleteOver half of the staff? I do not envy your HR at all. Still, schools out for summer, and that's a good thing for you.
ReplyDeleteIt will certainly mean a lot of changes next year.
DeleteCongrats on getting through this challenging year! Some are definitely like that, surviving and then hoping for better in the new school year. I hope they can find staff; there's a shortage here in many districts. And no subs either.
ReplyDeleteI'm certain that they'll have trouble filling all the open positions, and subs are nearly impossible to find around here, too.
DeleteGood job. I remember when you didn't work there.
ReplyDeleteWe've been blog friends for a long time now, Joanne. Thank you for that.
DeleteCongratulations on your first five years! It sounds like there could be a lot of positive changes for next year. But for now, enjoy your vacation time!
ReplyDeleteI intend to try to enjoy myself as much as possible...and not to think about work any more than I have to until the end of July.
DeleteWell done you for sticking it out until the end of such a troubled and difficult year! It is indeed very telling that so many are leaving, or thinking about it. A fresh start with many new heads and hearts will hopefully turn things around. It can't be nice for the students, either, to go to a school where the working atmosphere is so tense.
ReplyDeleteI hope you popped open a well chilled bottle of something nice and bubbly when you got home! ;-x
Our school has really gone to the dogs, so to speak, this past year. Discipline has totally gone by the wayside. Lots of students failed core subjects and have to go to summer school or else are being retained in the same grade. It's a mess all the way around. I sure hope for better things next year.
DeleteOh, I hope the changes coming next year are good -- despite the fact that you’re losing some great people. Hope all the awful ones move on, as well, but that’s usually not how it works. Happy summer holiday!
ReplyDeleteI keep hearing that one of the awful ones is leaving. I really, really hope she does. We shall see.
DeleteGinger, George and Marco will be delighted to have you home all day. I'm looking forward to seeing the pictures of you relaxing, surrounded by everything you love.
ReplyDeleteI'm excited for all the extra time I'll be able to spend with those three hooligans! :)
DeleteDid you ever hear the song by Alice Cooper - "School's Out...For Summer!" Yippee! But that big turnover of staff is concerning. Still, August can wait..
ReplyDeleteI know that song very well! I think of it every year when we dismiss for the summer break. The staff turnover is very concerning. A lot of my favorite people are leaving, including Little P.'s mom, and that means he'll be in a different school district next year and I won't see much of him. He was crying on the last day of school because he's going to miss his friends, and I think that includes me. His mother and I have promised him we'll still get together, but even at 9 years old he knows that it's unlikely that we'll see very much of each other going forward. I'm so sad about that.
DeleteWell done xxx that woman
ReplyDeleteHappy Summer!
ReplyDelete