New student? I don’t think so!

It was the beginning of 7th period.  The multimedia class was just starting and I needed to give some final directions for a project that would be due at the end of the week, three days away.  In walks a boy I have never seen before who stands right in front of me at the whiteboard where I am attempting to teach and hands me a small blue admit slip.  These slips are given in the office for students who will be tardy to class.

“I’m in your class now,” thrusting the paper in my face.

“No, I don’t think so.”  The counselors will only send a new student to me after getting permission in writing that says I will take the student.  No such communication had taken place for this kid.  As I look at the pass I see that it says S14 and I am Room S13 so I point this out and tell the young man he has the wrong room.

“No, I don’t.  The lady wrote the wrong number.  This is my class now and you have to let me stay.”

He is very creepy, standing right in front of me; and he has no backpack, no schedule, no ID (which the students are now required to wear).  When I ask to see schedule or ID he tells me he doesn’t have to have those things, I don’t know what I’m talking about and he’s in my class.  I walk him to the door, open it, and tell him to leave.

“No.  You can’t make me leave.  You need to check your roll.  I’m your new student.”

My students, all juniors and seniors, are aghast at this kid whom none of them know and who we believe later to be a freshman.  I had to get my class going on their work but I didn’t want to push this kid too far so I asked him to sit down and I would get to him.  He did.

After giving the rest of the directions, in a pretty shaky voice, I call the front office and ask for a campus assistant to be sent.

“For YOU?,” asks the receptionist.

“Yes.”

I know why there is such increduality in her voice.  I NEVER call for help.  My classes are usually calm and contained, the kids busy with all the work I give them.  When I do have an issue, I can handle it myself.  I knew, though, this time, I was in over my head.

The CA arrived; I told him about the kid, and he took him away.  My students were all sitting there with their mouths open…what just happened?  Don’t know, but that kid is NOT in our class.

Consequences can be cruel

A 15 year old boy, enrolled at my school but not one of my students, was murdered this week at a nearby city park.  It was 12:30 p.m., the time lunch would be ending and students would be heading to fifth period, when he was stabbed to death by another 15 year old who has since turned himself in.  The murdered boy’s name was Jorge, and although enrolled in our school, he was not in last year’s yearbook as he was not in attendance on the day pictures were taken.  He was not in school most days.

While checking on the photos for this year’s book, our school photographer told me they were sending a package of photos to the school for the boy’s family.  ”Oh,” I replied, “he was here for his picture?”  ”Yes.”  Just wish he would have been here on that Tuesday, heading to fifth period, instead of hanging out at a park.