Christmas Presents??

Christmas presents come in all shapes and sizes .... some we love and some.. well thank goodness for "re-gifting" .......

A huge number of people received a "Christmas Present" from the school board this morning...... a huge lump of coal. They are closing my school. Yeah .. after only 4 months of working my buns off to bring their programs up to norm....... and shooting for beyond........ we were all told this morning that come June 2010 .. 6 months from now .. they will divide up our kids.. send them in all different directions to all different schools.

Why are they doing this?? Well for some reason they are going to close down another school and move them lock stock and barrel into our school. And our staff and kids........ gone.

i have a theory....... our school is a poor school...... and most of the time the Board has to step in and bail them out. And yes i get that this may be a financially sound move... splitting up a community that can't/won't pay their bills and disperse them .... cause the other schools/communities will absorb their debts and the Board won't have to pay out so much every year.

But what i don't get ........ i have been working hard.. hounding i guess some would say.... and explaining to these families why they must pay something .. no matter how small an amount towards their bills. i explain over and over again how the money is going back to their children.. to the programs that keep their children safe and happy and challenged. Four long months of hounding.

Yesterday i did the accounting.. one month ago one of the programs was in the red by over $14,000...., yesterday that same program was just over $9,000 in the red. The other program was just over $29,000 in the red..... yesterday?? $10,000.

Now if i can do that...... why can't they all work towards taking the school out of debt.. why isn't time being invested in explaining to the families.., some who are unschooled.. and don't read or write English.... first generation Canadians.. proud people who just need to understand. It just doesn't make sense to me.....

This morning the head of our sector came to the school to speak to the staff.. to calm them down.. (in my mind to keep them away from the media who showed up an hour later) ......... i spoke to this woman after the meeting... she was very flattering about how much the Board respects my talents and how i need not worry about having a job next year........... (shaking head) BUT what about all the other women who work for me.. who have balked and then accepted my philosophy of kids come first .. and kids are people too...... and have been working harder then they ever have..... what about them??? 14 of them will be without work come September....... and that just doesn't seem right to me!!!!

The Board gave us a lump of coal......... and it makes me very sad... very frustrated.. and just a little bit angry...............


On a happier more Christmasy note...........

Remember i wrote a few days ago about how Sir's gift .. Sir's special gift.... was lost.. and i was fussing cause i wouldn't have the special gift for Him?? Remember how i said Sir suggested i pop a message in the mail box of the house that WAS receiving the boxes??

Last night... just after dinner.. my phone rang .. and this woman asked if i was the recipient of the mystery box. i said "yes" She said "Well I have it and you are welcome to come and pick it up"

Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus.. and sometimes they come in the shape of friendly neighbours

For those of you curious about what Sir is getting this year...... well i guess you will just have to wait until the 25th ..... i have a sneaking suspicion Sir will be posting to His blog..............