Goodbye 2011

I thought I’d be broken up about you leaving, and instead I’m happy for you. You made it. You got good things for yourselves for next year. Hey, not 100%, but even the less than perfect prospects have silver linings.

And, oh yeah, I’m happy for me. I taught all of you. Some of you (willingly) had me for as many as eight terms. I yelled at you, chatted with you, made faces at you, watched you create mischief for the last 2 years. Every day at lunch. Every day after school. So as you accomplish whatever you do, I’ll be able to remember, yeah, I remember when she was 16 and I really p…ed her off, or when he was 17 I rode him off the couch… and I’ll feel like I made a contribution. And I’m writing it “messed up” but you know what I really mean, right?

So it was not this amazingly emotional saying goodbye. Those who want will stay in touch with me, and I know that many of you are in that category. There’s no loss here, just pride and happiness (and a little nervousness for how you’ll survive “out there” – probably unwarranted, but you know how adults are…

And, big and, with you out of here, I don’t know if I will feel inspired to continue this blog. Maybe the time is coming to shut it down. Because, and you can verify this easily, the title says HSAS but the content is *dominated by HSAS class of 2011. And that was you. And you are moving on, out, and up.

I’ll probably do the shutdown in August, after I do a few more 2011 things. Watch.

* Yes, I know there’s also a bunch of 2007 alumni things. But not as much.

Trip 1 and Trip 2

Both senior trips were nice. Yea!

And the rain yesterday was perfect, starting just as we exited. Thanks to Casey for riding with me (I wouldn’t have gone on the boulder thingie otherwise), and sorry for not being so good at putting up my arms and screaming, but I understand my hair waved nicely behind me.

Maybe last week was nicer?  I don’t know, both were good, but I liked the rowboat. Even if it didn’t make my hair wave.

Another Spring, another open house

Nice one! and thanks to all who came. Alumni Lamine and Gemma. Natalie, Cecily, Nancy, Rachel, Mark. And Stephanie, Delia and Danelia.

Also seniors Nicole and Max and Gio. And juniors Dylan and Danielle and Julian. And lots of younger students. And I know I forgot a whole bunch.

And the teachers. But they never look here.

Injury in the Line of Duty

Today I was eating chicken wings on the lawn south of Gillette, and K. hit me in the face with a frisbee. I assured him that the incident would not affect his grade in either class, though my lip was so puffy, I’m not sure he could understand.

Alumni sightings: At Softball; On Campus

At Wednesday’s game -

wait, first about the game. Several seniors pushed me to go to this one. Walton was the only team that had beaten HSAS (mercy), and they promised me it would be a good one. And it was. Except the wind moved in. And a few drops. And then drizzle. Cold. And as I shivered I saw Katie on the bench with our players. In uniform. I went over and said hi. In case you are wondering, the girls were up by 11 after 5, that was game.

And then Friday, leaving campus late, who do I pass? (no, not that bunch of seniors on the corner across from the gas station. Why were they still here?) Nancy and her boyfriend. Seeing a show at the Concert Hall? No, just passing through.

Eleanor Barber

For a small number of you, there’s an easy guess behind the title of this entry. And you are correct. Eleanor (Ellie), Ms. Barber’s second baby, was born late last month.

Shawna Barber taught math at HSAS for our third, fourth, fifth, and first half of our sixth year. She taught trigonometry once, but mostly she taught algebra and geometry.

It was weird, at first. I knew her from Teaching Fellows, and so it was a strange relationship. But by the second year we were collaborating nicely and trading material and observations back and forth. And by the third year I knew I could walk into a class, glance at material that Barber had prepared, and just teach from it, without thinking. And, I think, vice versa. We taught and planned in synch. I look today at some tests and worksheets that I wrote, and she rewrote, and I rewrote, and we talked about and modified, and I can no longer figure out who did which parts.

She was kinder than most, much kinder than me. And smart. And clear. And had amazing patience – she would stay with someone who stuck and try and try different explanations until they got it. She was never in a hurry, and created a relatively low-stress atmosphere. And she had neat ideas, funny names and lessons and off-beat projects. The Number Devil? That was hers. And the Geometry-Land projects. (now, that would be a prom theme!)

So it was sad for me when she left. She stayed for months after her husband moved out to Alaska – it was October, he was training for a new job, and she did not go until January. And that’s why half of the seniors knew her, from Algebra from the first half of freshman year.

Anyhow, she ended up teaching in Alaska. Teaching Geometry, among other things. And she took off a little time when Oliver was born. And I guess she’ll take time for Ellie. The walruses and polar bears and sea monsters and penguins will be sad to lose their math teacher, but you know they love her and are happy for, too.

Final Conferences

This was the strangest and most pleasant set of conferences I remember. Ever.

20% of the senior class had their parent visit with me. All, except Robert’s dad, were familiar faces.

There were serious convos. Like working on independent study skills for next year. Stuff about college – majors and courses and math and choices. Those of you who got called out for treating senioritis not as a problem to avoid but a right to be enjoyed, hey, you were wrong and I’m not sorry, though I wasn’t particularly mean about it.

But the best part was getting to say goodbye. Some of your parents reminded me about conversations from when you were 13 years old and new to high school, shaky little kids. You know, some of them have seen me every year for 4 years. Matthew’s brother graduated in 07, so I have seen his mom every year for the last 8! (that’s eight with excitement, not factorial. I’m not that old).

It’s the beginning guys, the beginning of the end of a four-year run. A pretty good four-year run.

So thanks for having someone talk to me:  Ashley, Bella, Daniel, Gio, Isabel, Jake, Jeffrey, Kirin, Maddie, Matthew H, Raquel, Robert, Sarah, Stephanie, Torres.

Alumni sighting on the 4

How do you get someone’s attenti0n on the train when they are listening with headphones and staring straight ahead with a blank stare?

You walk right in front of them and gesture? At least until they look up and say hi.

The first full week in March is way too early for spring break. Way to go, American University. So Janina’s been off school, with no one to hang with… everyone who’s up here in school is battling midterms.

But she said she missed us. Hmm?

And she said she was surprised she missed us. Now that gives the whole story a reasonable ring.

I told her to drop by. She might.

Alumni Sighting near White Plains

Ok, it really doesn’t count. But I went to see Joshua’s play. I think it is his senior project. And at the end he came to the back, and I was in the back row and he was a little surprised.

I also saw his mom and dad and brother (who I will see again Monday…) and Villani and Rodriguez.

I was hoping I might see Becca, but I don’t even know if she still goes to school there. (She was the subject of a very happy alumni sighting a few months back).

Anyway, play was fun, but maybe a little too cerebral for most audiences. It helps to know the real Oedipus story. And something about Street Fighter.

I giggled. And it released me early from a family obligation that felt like an obligation. Excellent!

Also (that’s a lot of alsos) it made me think of how tiny and shy and almost delicate Joshua seemed as a freshman. Fourteen, right? And he’s about to be twenty-two?  That’s a long time that’s passed by… a lot of life… a lot of change. But underneath that goatee – same good kid.

Hairspray

Play was good. I’d never seen it before. The story was interesting. Some of the actors were really good. Sound was lousy – bad mikes, music covered chunks of the lyrics. Some nice casting. I didn’t like the smell of the hairspray.  But good. And fun. A bunch of juniors and seniors went as part of their college class. The non-trip trip turned out to be two more seniors. But I was glad.

There was laughter, and smiling (and more good college news).