Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Where's My Kid?

Suppose you're a school secretary. At a very small school. And the Kindergartners of that small school are going on a field trip. Wouldn't you think it a part of your job to have the itinerary of said Kindergartners? You know, in case one of their parents phoned to know where they were.

One would think that the elementary school that they sent their precious 5 year old son to, would know where that child was. Or maybe I expect too much from the people who are in charge of my child all day.

Let me be more specific.

Yesterday, the Monster was on a school field trip. It was an expedition into town to enjoy a rousing game of bowling followed by a pizza buffet lunch. The permission slip sent home invited any parents to meet them there if they wanted to join in the fun. Although parents could not ride the bus due to insurance regulations, the Kindergarten class would be departing at 8:15am and returning at 2:15pm.

The Monster wanted me to go and since the trip fell on the Hubby's day off, I agreed. Upon rising yesterday it was concluded that Sugarbaby was under the weather, so the Hubby volunteered to go and hang out with the kid at the bowling alley/pizza joint. He left the house about 9 and since I was under the impression that the bus was leaving at 8:15 and it was only a 15 minute ride into town, surely they would be at the bowling alley by the time he arrived at 9:15. Are you still with me here?

9:15 the Hubby phones home. Says there is no one at the bowling alley, but he has to run some errands so he will check back in about 30 minutes. At this point I'm concerned. The note home gave the departure time and the first stop as the bowling alley. So where the heck are the 30+ kids at?

I called the school. I got a busy signal. For 30 minutes straight!

I called the Superintendent's office. They knew nothing about a field trip, but they would try and get through to the elementary.

I finally got a break in the line and got the secretary at the Monster's school. She informed me that they left about 8:30 but she didn't know where they were going or when they would be back. Maybe I ought to call around town to the places I thought they were going to try and find them.

WHAT? Hold on, back up here. She doesn't know where my kid is? Does anyone know where my kid is?

Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this picture? Is it too much to ask that when my kid leaves the school on a bus that isn't headed home, someone still at the school knows where they are going, when they will be there, and for how long?

The story ends well though. The Hubby drove around town and spotted the bus at the pizza parlor. Which according to our note was the second stop, but I mean who reads those notes anyways. The teachers can just put whatever they want, right?

So the Hubby hung out with the Monster playing games and eating pizza then went to the bowling alley with them for a few frames before returning home.

And I pulled all my hair out trying to justify the incompetence of the school secretary.

10 comments:

  1. WTH? I would have been LIVID!! Why would they be eating pizza at 9am anyway?

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  2. That's exactly what I said? Pizza for breakfast only goes down at my house. Not at school where I send them for the real nutritious stuff!

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  3. Oh I would have been SOO mad and you have every right to be mad too as a parent. I honestly cannot believe that the secretary didn't know plans like that.

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  4. Yes, there is no excuse for that. I think I would have been forced to give secretary a piece of my mind. I'm glad they found him! Pizza at 9 am? Ewww....who am I kidding? That sounds delicious.

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  5. Whoa, I would've been scared!

    When my daughter was in Kindergarten a couple of years ago, the school let her go home with someone else without my permission. I was LIVID!!

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  6. WHOA!!! That is bad, really bad. I can only imagine what would have happened had hubby NOT found the bus!

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  7. Casey- I know. If it takes that little care to be a school secretary then sign me up. Must be easy.


    Hi Lary- Right? But yeah, kind of YUM!


    Beki- Heads would have rolled woman!

    Jonnie- I know. I would have been forced to lay the smack down on someone.

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  8. yeah, that makes more sense. Eat pizza first at 8:30 a.m, then bowl.
    You don't want the kids to bowl on empty stomachs, do you?
    CRAZINESS.

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  9. I worked with 5 schools for about years. I was NOT the secretary (actually I was a counselor coming to work with some kids). Still, in all fairness... I would NEVER want any school secretary's job. They get the least pay, the least credit, some of the craziest & hardest jobs in the system. They are constantly expected to know everything about everyone (while no one informs them of anything they are doing). They multitask about 20 things at once --with limited resources --all day every day.

    Icky! I think it needs to be one of those jobs on the worst jobs show on TV.

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  10. I would have been on my way to that school for some answers. That is ridiculous. My child probably wouldn't even return to that school since they are so incompetent. What school lets them eat pizza at 9 in the morning.

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Now play nice and for every comment you leave, I'll buy you a pony.