Today was my last day of school, but we were asked not to come to school. There was a small team of admin and teacher who would greet the parent–just one from each family was allowed. Parents could pick up report cards and contents from the lockers and return school items like library books and sports uniforms.
It was hard for me to keep working on the paperwork that I still need to finish. I will have to do it eventually, but today I wasn’t getting it done.
At noon I got a phone call from my vice principal asking me to come to school for something, she didn’t explain what it was. “OK,” I said, “Can I have 30 minutes?”
“Sure, that’s fine,” she said. So I finished the document I was working on and walked to school. I sat in the office for a bit and visited with my sweet friend who is leaving the school next year. Then she was called into the principal’s office. I started figuring out what the “something” was that I was there for.
We missed out on our end-of-the-year party, where we would have had a wonderful meal and celebrated highlights together. We’d say goodbye to staff who are leaving and honor employees who have been there for 10, 20, 30, and more years. But that celebration was not to be.
When it was my turn I saw another friend who was holding a gift for her ten years at the school. I went to the principal’s office and they told me thank you for everything I have done for the school. They said nice things.
It was a sad reminder to me that I didn’t sign my contract for the next school year. My husband’s visa is due to expire in December, so we will retire and move back to California. However, because of Covid-19, who knows what will happen. I’ve told the administration I’ll be here volunteering for the first semester.
My principal said something like, “We know you’ll be here in the fall helping, or maybe filling in for the new teacher if she can’t get her visa, but anyway, we wanted to give you this gift.” It was a tiny blue handbag. Hmmm.
We took a socially-distanced photo with the three of us–principal, vice principal and me all wearing our masks.
I definitely would have preferred the end-of-the-year party.
I guess this Slice of Life post and the photo we took are a way to document our history from this outrageous era.
Today I felt aimless and unmoored.
