ALL IN A DAY'S WORK

Contrary to popular belief, I do have a heart. And today being the last day of school before Mid-Winter Recess, I decided to surprise my "Period Zero" Band class with a treat: breakfast. So this morning I stopped at the local Dunkin' Donuts and picked up a few boxes of munchkins and swung by the local bagelry for a couple dozen bagels. Hell, I even bought JUICEBOXES!

Needless to say, the kids were very pleased. NOTE: If you ever need a kid to do ANYTHING, bribing them with copious amounts of food - especially sugary food - usually does the trick. As they were enjoying the bounty, I begged them to please just kinda sit and relax, and to make sure they don't make a mess.

Ha.

About 15 seconds later, I see a group of sixth-grade boys jumping at one of the basketball hoops - we rehearse in the "gymatorium" - while another boy went to get a long-handled broom. I made my way over to them just as he was about to start poking at the net with the broom.

"Come on guys, why can't you just sit down and relax for a few minutes? What are you doing?"
"We're trying to get that down", replied one kid, pointing up where a juicebox was lodged between the backboard and the net.
"Why is that there? How did that possibly get there?"
"John threw it up there."
"Is it full or empty?"
"It's full."
"Why would John throw a full juicebox into the basketball net?"



-- Here's where an obvious and almost acceptable answer of: "we were playing ball" might fit in. But that would make sense. Instead I got --

"To get Matt's retainer down."
"..." [me - dumbfounded.]
"...did you get it?"
"Yes."
"...um.. Well done."

I decided they should just leave the juicebox up there and see how long it takes for someone else to notice. I think it would be kinda funny if it were still up there when these kids are 8th graders.

And so in case you were wondering why teachers get all these weeks of break off from school, this is why. Welcome to my world.