Rider Time!
Here's how my day went...
I. Woke up at 5:30 to clean up and get dressed for the day.
II. Headed out to my dentist appointment at about ten 'till 7.
III. Sat in the dentist chair numb as hell from 7:15 to 9:30.
IV. Drove home and met up with Mum, who drove me up the street to Roosevelt.
V...And then my morning got fun. Really, really fun.
I started by heading to the attendance office, to hand in my doctor's note to exuse my absense. However, upon making my way to the attendance cooridor, I found the entire area to be blocked off and closed. Why the attendance office wasn't open the first day of school, I have no idea.
So, being the problem solver I am *sarcasm sarcasm*, I headed up to the main office. I found the first administrator I could, and asked "So...What do I do with this?" and showed her my doctor's note. She paused a moment and then said, "Oh, you can just put it there on the counter". Didn't even ask for my student number (which they need to clear the absense in the computer). So I just scribbled it onto the paper, and left it there. I'll be sure to call tomorrow and ask if they got that in, because I'm not going to "suffer the consequences" of a supposed unexused absense when they didn't even have their attendance office open.
I had no idea where to go from there, so I asked the woman if she knew where to find out where I was suppose to be. She asked for my name, and after fumbling through a few papers told me that my "Rider Group" was in the gym. So I strolled on down, to find several sleepy children sitting idley on the bleachers. I went up to the only teacher in sight, explained that I came late due to an appointment, and told him my name. I wasn't on his list, and so he checked my schedule. Sure enough, he was the teacher I was assigned to, but they didn't seem to give him my name. Oh well.
I looked up into the bleachers to see if anyone of interest was in my clique. Sure enough, Sean Mc-D and Trey were sitting up there looking sleepy. So I headed up, and sat down to socialize. I asked them, "What have you guys even done today?", only to find that all 20-some students under Mr. Teeter had been sitting there for hours. All sorts of "activities" were going on in the rest of the school, but Mr. Teeter was, apparently, one of the teachers who couldn't care less.
So we sat there. And sat there. Finally, hall monitors came in with pools of students behind them, and started herding everyone outside. So out we went--onto the shadeless Rider Track. And there we stood, in confused little circles for the better part of 20 minutes, until loud metal music suddenly overtook all of us. Peering around the crowds, I saw a local band set up next to the gateway of the track. The guitarist is a guy I've known since first grade. They were about as local as local bands get.
*sigh*
The music stopped abruptly after two songs, and everyone stood there dazed and confused. I wiped some sweat off of my brow before sitting down in the grass, hot and bored. Eric came up behind me and said hello, and I was happy for the company. Haven't seen him for a while, so we chatted for a good twenty minutes (as still nothing was happening) until he said "I think we're suppose to go to the front lawn now."
Everyone was making their way to the front of Roosevelt in big gaggles, and when we finally got there I saw why. Smoke was rising high in front of the school--The cookout was in full action. I looked around me, and realized that I had no idea where anyone from my little Rider Clique was. Or what about my "Rider Time Instructor?" No idea. So I stood there another ten minutes or so, watching for anyone from my group. I finally found Trey, and took the chance to ask "Has Teeter even been taking attendance today?" Trey shrugged, and said "He did at the beginning, I guess." I paused a moment, but then realized--I'm not even on his list, am I? In fact, when I gave him my name, he just asked "Are you a central kid?" (as in "Will you even be coming to your 20-minute Rider Time every day?) And when he found that I was, he didn't even bother writing my name down.
So I decided, Screw it. What was even on the agenda for the rest of the afternoon? Going back to your Rider Time Arena after lunch for more "activites" (or, with Mr. Teeter, it'd just be for more nap time), and then a pep assembly at the end of the day. Oh joy.
"This is ridiculous. I'm leaving" I told Eric.
"See you tomorrow," he casually replied. "I dunno, I only have German tomorrow. Will you be at Central for 7th period?" I asked, but Eric just laughed. "No no, we have this again tomorrow. Another Rider-filled afternoon."
My mouth dropped open. "I haven't heard any such nonsense!" I protested. But Eric just shrugged, and explained that it was announced at the beginning of the day.
Well, I wasn't here at the beginning of the day. And my teacher didn't tell me anything about it when I came late, I thought to myself. If they decide not to mail things out to let Central kids know they aren't going to Central on any given day, then fine. But if they expect me to even consider coming to Roosevelt for a second day, to stand in the sun for an hour and sleep in the gym for six more, then they'd better inform me promptly and properly. I left right then, after I heard that from Eric, seeing as I wasn't even on an attendance list. As I walked home, I saw dozens of students blocks ahead of me and blocks behind me, just walking off the grounds casually. To say the least, I'm not the only student who left.
I feel like I just wasted every cent of state taxes I've ever paid. Is this school?
Sorry folks, but I'm a geek. I signed up for AP German V this year, and dammit I was looking forward to it. I was frusterated enough about "Rider Time" today, but I showed up anyway, even with my face numb and my teeth sore. I refuse to waste my time with this again tomorrow--All tomorrow is is another day that I'm missing German. All I wanted was to go to class, see Frau again, and figure out how much Deutsch I've forgotten over the summer. But what do I get instead? A loud local band, a very uncomfortable nap in the gym, and sunburn.
...
After walking home, Mom asked jovially "How'd your first day of school go?" I grumbled, and explained that the party was still "rocking away!" She looked at me quizically, and so I sat down and explained to her exactly why I came home early. She furrowed her brows a moment, but then sighed and said "Well hey--you weren't even on an attendance list, were you?"
How'd everyone else's Rider Time go?
I. Woke up at 5:30 to clean up and get dressed for the day.
II. Headed out to my dentist appointment at about ten 'till 7.
III. Sat in the dentist chair numb as hell from 7:15 to 9:30.
IV. Drove home and met up with Mum, who drove me up the street to Roosevelt.
V...And then my morning got fun. Really, really fun.
I started by heading to the attendance office, to hand in my doctor's note to exuse my absense. However, upon making my way to the attendance cooridor, I found the entire area to be blocked off and closed. Why the attendance office wasn't open the first day of school, I have no idea.
So, being the problem solver I am *sarcasm sarcasm*, I headed up to the main office. I found the first administrator I could, and asked "So...What do I do with this?" and showed her my doctor's note. She paused a moment and then said, "Oh, you can just put it there on the counter". Didn't even ask for my student number (which they need to clear the absense in the computer). So I just scribbled it onto the paper, and left it there. I'll be sure to call tomorrow and ask if they got that in, because I'm not going to "suffer the consequences" of a supposed unexused absense when they didn't even have their attendance office open.
I had no idea where to go from there, so I asked the woman if she knew where to find out where I was suppose to be. She asked for my name, and after fumbling through a few papers told me that my "Rider Group" was in the gym. So I strolled on down, to find several sleepy children sitting idley on the bleachers. I went up to the only teacher in sight, explained that I came late due to an appointment, and told him my name. I wasn't on his list, and so he checked my schedule. Sure enough, he was the teacher I was assigned to, but they didn't seem to give him my name. Oh well.
I looked up into the bleachers to see if anyone of interest was in my clique. Sure enough, Sean Mc-D and Trey were sitting up there looking sleepy. So I headed up, and sat down to socialize. I asked them, "What have you guys even done today?", only to find that all 20-some students under Mr. Teeter had been sitting there for hours. All sorts of "activities" were going on in the rest of the school, but Mr. Teeter was, apparently, one of the teachers who couldn't care less.
So we sat there. And sat there. Finally, hall monitors came in with pools of students behind them, and started herding everyone outside. So out we went--onto the shadeless Rider Track. And there we stood, in confused little circles for the better part of 20 minutes, until loud metal music suddenly overtook all of us. Peering around the crowds, I saw a local band set up next to the gateway of the track. The guitarist is a guy I've known since first grade. They were about as local as local bands get.
*sigh*
The music stopped abruptly after two songs, and everyone stood there dazed and confused. I wiped some sweat off of my brow before sitting down in the grass, hot and bored. Eric came up behind me and said hello, and I was happy for the company. Haven't seen him for a while, so we chatted for a good twenty minutes (as still nothing was happening) until he said "I think we're suppose to go to the front lawn now."
Everyone was making their way to the front of Roosevelt in big gaggles, and when we finally got there I saw why. Smoke was rising high in front of the school--The cookout was in full action. I looked around me, and realized that I had no idea where anyone from my little Rider Clique was. Or what about my "Rider Time Instructor?" No idea. So I stood there another ten minutes or so, watching for anyone from my group. I finally found Trey, and took the chance to ask "Has Teeter even been taking attendance today?" Trey shrugged, and said "He did at the beginning, I guess." I paused a moment, but then realized--I'm not even on his list, am I? In fact, when I gave him my name, he just asked "Are you a central kid?" (as in "Will you even be coming to your 20-minute Rider Time every day?) And when he found that I was, he didn't even bother writing my name down.
So I decided, Screw it. What was even on the agenda for the rest of the afternoon? Going back to your Rider Time Arena after lunch for more "activites" (or, with Mr. Teeter, it'd just be for more nap time), and then a pep assembly at the end of the day. Oh joy.
"This is ridiculous. I'm leaving" I told Eric.
"See you tomorrow," he casually replied. "I dunno, I only have German tomorrow. Will you be at Central for 7th period?" I asked, but Eric just laughed. "No no, we have this again tomorrow. Another Rider-filled afternoon."
My mouth dropped open. "I haven't heard any such nonsense!" I protested. But Eric just shrugged, and explained that it was announced at the beginning of the day.
Well, I wasn't here at the beginning of the day. And my teacher didn't tell me anything about it when I came late, I thought to myself. If they decide not to mail things out to let Central kids know they aren't going to Central on any given day, then fine. But if they expect me to even consider coming to Roosevelt for a second day, to stand in the sun for an hour and sleep in the gym for six more, then they'd better inform me promptly and properly. I left right then, after I heard that from Eric, seeing as I wasn't even on an attendance list. As I walked home, I saw dozens of students blocks ahead of me and blocks behind me, just walking off the grounds casually. To say the least, I'm not the only student who left.
I feel like I just wasted every cent of state taxes I've ever paid. Is this school?
Sorry folks, but I'm a geek. I signed up for AP German V this year, and dammit I was looking forward to it. I was frusterated enough about "Rider Time" today, but I showed up anyway, even with my face numb and my teeth sore. I refuse to waste my time with this again tomorrow--All tomorrow is is another day that I'm missing German. All I wanted was to go to class, see Frau again, and figure out how much Deutsch I've forgotten over the summer. But what do I get instead? A loud local band, a very uncomfortable nap in the gym, and sunburn.
...
After walking home, Mom asked jovially "How'd your first day of school go?" I grumbled, and explained that the party was still "rocking away!" She looked at me quizically, and so I sat down and explained to her exactly why I came home early. She furrowed her brows a moment, but then sighed and said "Well hey--you weren't even on an attendance list, were you?"
How'd everyone else's Rider Time go?