Halloween and Other Stuff

Halloween yesterday and I did security duty before and after school. No problems at all. Oh, there were some eggs thrown against the windows on the second floor—these are near the stairs we take to go just about everywhere—and my boys clustered around them asking questions so I made it into a teachable moment. The eggs were turning green—must’ve been thrown early in the morning before the sun cooked them—and we as a class made a connection between the growth of mold and the conditions of the environment. Not a bad way to spend a few minutes during a bathroom break. Unfortunately, the egg residue is still on the windows and walls a day later. (Maybe this will become a class observation project.)

One of our former students jumped another girl and hurt her fairly badly. This was not on our school grounds, but nearby. The police did not make any arrests because they claimed the assaulter was too young. Everyday I pass Alderman Dorothy Tillman’s office and everyday a police car is located directly in front of it. Twenty-four hours a day. Everyday. I asked. Perhaps if the police who are watching her office—last year locals broke windows over and over again (guess she’s not really as popular as she thinks she is), there would have been a faster reaction time to the scene of the violent assault.

Took a field trip on Monday so my classes could see the possibilities. It went really well. We saw up front and personal some of the art of Chicago, many of its great buildings, toured the Cultural Center (one of the most beautiful buildings in Chicago) and ended the day watching the Midnight Circus at Daley Plaza.

Report cards are due. Gotta go.