A few fun facts for Monday....

There are a few interesting facts I didn't know until I started teaching, some of them, some....not so good. Did you know that in Texas all students say the Texas State Pledge right after they say the Pledge of Allegiance in the morning? I didn't even know there WAS a Texas State Pledge! I remember it shocked me when I started student teaching b/c we never did that when "I" was in school, I wonder if all states do, or it's one of those 'Texas' things...it's so true, if you ask someone while traveling abroad where from Texans will say "Texas" before they will say the United States. We also have a moment of silence each morning, which I really appreciate. There are also a lot of legal things we have to do as schools, one of them is celebrating Constitution Day (did you know there was such a day? I didn't until now....). So...this year, your's truly was selected to get this going (nobody else would do it I would imagine)......I have a couple little announcments my kids are making and then I've created our 'school' constitution, based on our mission statement. We have those little feather pens for the kids to then sign their names to the bottom, first names only b/c it is illegal to post a first and LAST name of a student ANYWHERE in the building (things have definitely changed). Law suits have been won over students passing out other student's papers (and seeing the grades) via the right to privacy etc etc etc....I think it's silly when I hear other teachers say it's almost impossible to get fired....ha, I could have thought of 15 different ways today to have put my job in jeopardy. Not that the reasons aren't a little silly, but it's all to easy. Remember how they used to put your name on the board with a check for each additional 'offense' you committed? I think that would make the news.....I was listening to this really big 'debate' the other day on the news station about a girl that got sent home b/c they actually 'measured' her skirt in school and made her go change it b/c it was too short....and.....? I always heard education was a cycle and things come in and go out and then you see them again 20 years later.....in some cases....I certainly hope so!