Biting cold winds whip through the desert in April like a bully. Several Yard Duty Ladies chase Ronnie the Runaway First Grader in a hundred yard dash across blacktop and dry dirt. They have him cornered in the ditch at the end of the playground. Ronnie is weighing a climb over the cyclone fence when the Principal arrives to take over.
This was at the mid-morning recess. I hear about it when I get to the Staff Break Room at the same time as Maria, whose low to the ground fullback physique is bundled up against the wind with goose down.
I had taken my fifteen-minute turn at Playground Duty before school this morning, jumping and flapping, twirling and shivering under a stylish lightweight serape.
They have him cornered in the ditch at the end of the playground.
I trotted along the back side of the building, checking that all children were upright and in bounds, the way a life guard keeps scanning the pool to distinguish happy bobbing heads from desperate sinking drowners.
I hopscotched down the sidelines from one basketball pole to the other, one tether ball game to the next, down to the end of the blacktop to survey the jungle ball ‘soccer game.’ I noticed the taut angles of the swings and power-walked around the monkey bars. I thought about climbing into the yellow tube slide to ride out the recess, but there were already six children linked in there, toboggan-style.
Maria is out of breath, heading for the soda machine.
“That wind is something,” I say. “Really cold.”
“I'm not cold…I'm hot!” she says, reaching into warm pockets for change. “I been chasing that Ronnie, all across the field, till he got to the fence.”
Carmen bursts into the room, as flushed and breathless as Maria. “Yeah, we really got our exercise today.”
I thought about climbing into the yellow tube slide to ride out the recess, but there were already six children linked in there, toboggan-style.
“Maybe next time ask one of the big kids to catch him for you,” I offer.
“Oh, I did! There were a lot of people chasing him!”
Maria and Carmen exit with their sodas to cover the next shift on the playground.
I can notice a heavy shadow block a narrow slit of light ten feet away in the front foyer. Our windblown Principal hauling a sack of potatoes under one arm?
Two more teachers join the table to sip tea and shoot the breeze.
The Newbie recounts her first meeting with Ronnie, who had bolted from her during a confrontation about a slingshot. She disarmed and restrained him with a cross-chest maneuver, but not before he got his teeth into her arm.
Our windblown Principal hauling a sack of potatoes under one arm?
And then, Stella the Secretary pops her head in with the news that the P.E. Specialist is absent, and there are no subs available, so the Principal is going to double up two classes and entertain them with a video. I find him and offer to take over, but he won’t hear of it.
Which is fortunate, because the 50 minutes my class leaves for P.E. is the only time I will have to review each personal narrative, decide on three, type, mat, laminate, and label them for the annual Writing Celebration tonight.
All entries due when the kids leave at 3:00.
It’s Windy today.
But it's Something every day.
Good Morning, absolutely love LIVE ACTION SKY!!!!
is this acrylic? Or oil?
Love it
thank you,
Laura
This does a good job of summing up a day in the life of elementary school staff. Thanks, Sherry. Plus, good job on the clouds!