I Know I Said

that I would not post the news article about what happened at our school. You see, it's just like I told my principal, I must be THE most obtuse person in the whole world. I seem to go blithely through my life trying to see the best in everyone. I'm friendly with people from work and I truly believe that this is the best school I've ever worked for. We have wonderful hardworking teachers and I honestly believe that the majority of them are professionals who care about the students and their educational success.

This is why when the email from Dr. Evans came alluding to the "incident" that happened the Friday before break I honestly was clueless. What is he talking about? What incident? I turned to the Internet and I was shocked. I was shocked not just at the allegations but also about the person against whom the allegations had been made. This was an instructor who seemed to have a natural energy in the classroom and went the extra mile for his students. I feel I can say this because this was my impression and the impression of so many who knew him.

I very seldom get shown off to visitors from colleges but I know it's a privilege and an honor. This is a teacher who was always on the MUST SEE list. When I read the first article I actually cried because it was almost as if a friend had died. I had no clue who had brought forth the allegations and I really didn't understand why. It honestly seemed so out of character. Again, this is not a person who I spent every free moment with but it was someone I spoke to a few times a week. We generally spoke about smart boards, computers, creating a wiki, you know computer stuff.

We all want to believe that we can sense that a person is bad. Sometimes this is true but no where near always. We want to believe that we can look at someone and know that they do bad things. If only we could. There is a public service commercial I have seen recently. A woman, a man, and a little girl are riding in the elevator. The man seems like a loving father who is holding his daughter's hand. He chats amiably with the woman. The little girl is silent, almost sullen. As he leaves the elevator he bids the woman a cheery goodbye. Then you see the back of his t-shirt and it says child abuser. The commercial says "If only it was this easy to spot a child abuser." Still I berated myself because I either missed the fact that this man was capable of such a thing and at the same time I wanted to yell "This is CRAZY there's no way HE could have done such a thing."

As a rape survivor my thoughts then went to the alleged victim. This is high school after all. There will be talk. The victim will not have the ability to deal with this in his own way. EVERYONE will want to find out what he has to say and the kids will either pony up with him or against him. My heart went out to the child whose name was not mentioned.

What I didn't know until Thursday was that the teacher was still in jail until his bail hearing on Friday. I just didn't realize he was still in jail. All this from an allegation. If it was true then he belongs there. If it is false then his career as a teacher is over.

This morning, after reading the bail hearing, I decided to post a link to the article. Sodomy charge stands in Rome High School teacher case; evidence showed he had pictures of former students, police said

The article rocks me to my very core. Things I thought I knew for certain have been challenged. An unplugged Web camera in the classroom led investigators to the confiscation of Lee’s computers. The investigation showed Lee had pictures of several male students not wearing shirts on his desktop computer, Hill-Hudson said.

“Some are former and some are now Rome High School students,” she said.

They found other pictures on the computer too. Pictures that shock the sensibilities.

OMG it just doesn't make sense. It just doesn't make sense. The photo of my colleague sitting in a courtroom in an orange jumpsuit handcuffed just doesn't make sense.

Mr. Lee's bail was set at $60,000 with multiple conditions after hearing testimony from friends, family members and colleagues. He was released from the Floyd County Jail late Friday.

He will be restricted to his home and cannot leave without the permission of the court. He also cannot have Internet access, is restricted from text messaging and cannot have any contact with any present or former student of Rome High School.

So now you know everything I know. The papers tell a different story about a man I thought I knew. It's all so surreal.

After Darryl came down a news alert came on to say another mass shooting happened today. This time in Pittsburgh. Three police officers were killed. Friends said he had been upset recently about losing his job and that he feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns. Poplawski once had an Internet talk show but that it wasn't successful. Vire said Poplawski had an AK-47 rifle and several powerful handguns, including a .357 Magnum.

I think things like this cause me to sweep because I can try to do something mindless and avoid thinking about what is going on. Sort of the ostrich lifestyle. I keep looking for that something good that will happen. Like today i received one of the pairs of glasses I got from eyebuydirect and i received my sweepsheet magazine. So I focus on that and my sweeps and not all this other absolute craziness.

Here are the sweepstakes I entered.

Prizes (5): Autographed River of Soul CD or Marcome discography in mp3 format.

Prize: EarCheck ear infection detector (ARV $49).

Prize: Set of three Little Pim Mandarin Chinese Language DVD (ARV $49.95).

Prize: Mystic Wonders Laundry Ball and two Dryer Balls (ARV $49.95).

Prize: Windex All-In-One Window Cleaning Tool starter kit.

Option 1: Registration to attend BlogHer '09 July 23-25, 2009 in Chicago, IL; includes airline and hotel vouchers (ARV $1,000).
Option 2: $1,000 Visa gift card.

Prizes (5): Copy of Urban Italian: Simple Recipes and True Stories from a Life in Food by Andrew Carmellini.

Prize: NeatReceipts or NeatReceipts for Mac (ARV $199.94).

Prize: Large assortment of Tootsie Roll traditional or Easter-themed candies.

Prize: SweetPea3 music player.

Prizes (3): 8" fresh water pearl bracelet with silver heart charm from Cheerios (ARV $65).

Prize: 16lbs of Tootsie Roll candies.

Prize: One large buttercream and six chocolate truffle Easter eggs from Cladnestinearts.

Prize: 14 pounds of Easter-themed Candy from Tootsie Roll Brands, including Tootsie Pops, Blow Pops, Dubble Bubble Gum, Andes Mints, and Tootsie Rolls.

Prize: Winner's choice of Slanket.

Prize: Secrets of the Furious Five DVD.

Prize: 1-Year Subscription to FlexJobs telecommuting job listing service (ARV $49.95).

Prize: Excalibur 3500 food dehydrator (ARV $189.95).

The End Of A Difficult Week

As you know, at the beginning of this week I was nervous about how this week would go. It was difficult and very busy but I did make it through. I also mentioned that it was easier to comment on a tragedy when it was not close to home. I guess why it's easy to comment about today's news events.

A gunman opened fire at an immigration services center in downtown Binghamton on Friday, killing 13 others before taking his own life, in what's being described as a "classic spree killing," according to CBS News correspondent Bob Orr.

Authorities say the rampage began when the gunman barricaded the rear door of the American Civic Association building with his car before entering through the front door, firing his weapon, the official said.

Orr said a senior law enforcement official told him after entering the front of the building, the gunman shot the receptionist in head and killed two others at front desk.

Officials said the receptionist had played dead after being shot, and heroically called police, before she apparently later passed away

The official said the gunman, who was also carrying a bag with two guns -- a 9 mm with an extended clip, and a .45 mm, never took any hostages. He was also carrying a bag that had survival gear, extra ammunition and a hunting knife.

The dead gunman was carrying identification with the name Jiverly Voong, age 42, from upstate New York, reports CBS News correspondent Bob Orr. He apparently acted alone although investigators are still questioning a number of people who were inside. The motive is not known.

I've heard that the motive might be that he lost his job. This whole economic reality is difficult for so many people right now. You see unemployment zoomed to 8.5 percent last month, the highest in a quarter-century, as employers axed 663,000 more workers and pushed the nation's jobless ranks past 13 million. The hard times were only expected to get harder -- a painful 10 percent jobless rate before long.

So many people are affected by our economic situation. I can name five different teachers who are in the same situation I'm in, that is they are the primary breadwinner in the house. Everyone knows someone who has lost their job. I was talking to someone yesterday and her grown son and his wife had lost their jobs. At least Darryl is getting unemployment.

People are worried and frightened and this fear can drive people to do things they never would do under normal circumstances. I'm not saying that all this killing is right or justified. It is not. Not under any circumstances is it OK. I'm just saying that the incidents of depression are on the rise, as is alcoholism and drug use. When this happens the incidents of spousal abuse and child abuse go up.

God I hope things get better soon.

Here are the blog contests I entered:

Prize: South Beach Diet swag bag.

Prize: Exergen TemporalScanner thermometer.

Prize: Epson Stylus NX400 All-in-One printer (ARV $99).

Prize: 8GB Picture Keeper.

Prizes (6): Coppertone NutraShield.

Prize: Box filled with over $50 worth of candy.

Prize: $25 Bangerang Bake Shop gift certificate.

Prizes (5): Box of Finish Quantum and bottle of Jet-Dry Turbo Dry.

Sorry I Wasn't Here Yesterday

We had Eighth Grade Orientation Last Night. This means I didn't get home until late.

Today I'm trying to get caught up on other things. I promise I will be back tomorrow.

Here are the blog contests I entered:

Prizes (3): Banana Nut Cheerios gift basket.

Prize: Exergen TemporalScanner thermometer.

Prize: Windex Outdoor All-in-One starter kit.

Prize: Exergen TemporalScanner thermometer.

Prize: Exergen TemporalScanner thermometer.

Prize: One dozen Easter egg cookies from The Cookie Boutique.

Prize: Windex Outdoor All-in-One starter kit.

Good Luck!!!!!!!!!!

Parent Teacher Day

The kids got out of school early today because of parent/teacher meetings. I had four of them. Two of them at the exact same time. Now is that amazing or what?

At the end of the day we teacher met for a faculty meeting. My principal's voice broke several times when he spoke to us. I've never been in a meeting like that before. He addressed some things that were very painful for him to say and uncomfortable for us to hear. This is just such an upsetting time for us all.

Darryl has a telephone interview tommorrow. He seems more excited about this job. The job would be in Hunstville, Alabama. I found the job and submitted his resume to the company. It's going to sound strange but I had a good feeling about this position. I hope that I'm right about this.

Looks like I won a JC Penney's canvas tote bag!!! The email I received made it sound like I only had until this afternoon to respond. So I don't know if I will get it or not.

I did receive the DVD's I won today. One of them was the movie Sideways, which Darryl and I have already seen. The other one is a movie called Bottle Shock. We haven't seen that one.


Here are the blog contests I entered today:

Prize: Digital Foci Pocket Album.

http://mywoodenspoon.com/2009/03/30/paula-deens-the-deen-family-cookbook-tsv-at-qvc/

Prize: Windex Outdoor All in One starter pack.

Prize: Handy Manny: Manny’s Green Team DVD.

Prize: Fairytale Brownies.

Prizes (5): Five Lean Cuisine free product coupons.

Prize: Apron from SpiceRak Designs.

I'm Back

I was running late and had to hustle up to the cafeteria for morning duty. I walked down the hall that looked so familiar to me. Maybe it was all a bad dream. Maybe the news was wrong. I had questions. I didn't know who to ask. I prepared a statement that I would deliver at the beginning of each class.

I would say, "We will not discuss any inappropriate gossip in this class. If you feel sad, confused distressed and need to talk to Guidance let me know and I will send you. No problem. You are free to make up your work. If you don't want to go to Guidance but you do want to interrupt my class with gossip then I will have Mr. Johnson speak with you about the situation." I wasn't going to write the kids up. I would send them to Mr. Johnson I just didn't want to tell them that I wasn't going to write them up.

I was amazed how well things went. Kind of amazing considering they just got back from break and prom is fast approaching. Not only that, but the kids will be getting out early tomorrow. So even without the gossip there was a lot to cause the kids to talk. We didn't need this.

Today eighth graders went on their tour of Rome High School. Tomorrow parents will come for conferences. Wednesday the parents of eighth graders will be at school. We didn't need this.

It's interesting that I'm quick to comment about other tragedies in other places. It's easy to speak about things when you have no vested interested in the story. It's easy to develop commentary about people you don't know.

When you know the people behind the story there are things you want to say but can't. There are things you wish you could get out there but you know that it would be inappropriate to do so at this time. I even debated posting the news article here on my blog but i decided against it. Even though it was straight from the paper with no comments I just don't feel comfortable in doing so. That I guess is the difference between a newstory you hear and one to which you have a front row seat. Maybe I will rethink my decision but for now I just can't post the news article.

Here are the blog contests I entered:

Prizes (2): Rain-X Latitude Wiper Blades, Rain-X Weatherbeater 2-in-1 Glass Cleaner & Rain Repellant, and Rain-X X-treme Clean.

Prize: $100 Marriott gift card.

Prize: iRobot Roomba Pet 562 (ARV $399).

Prize: Fairytale Cocoa Duo.

Prizes (3): Copy of Copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms: 101 Stories Celebrating the Power of Choice for Stay at Home and Work from Home Moms by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Wendy Walker.

No Comment Today

A local story that is so egregious has come to my attention and I can't bear to comment about it at this time. Lots of calls coming in and that's all I can say.

Eerie Figure Haunts Scottish Castle

I was very blessed to have won a trip to Scotland last year. It was an amazing opportunity to see the land where some of my father's people had come from. One day I hope to win a trip to Ireland where the ancestor's on my mother's side come from.

While we were there we saw the infamous Loch Ness as well as some famous castles. That's one reason this news story caught my attention.

Tourist Christopher Aitchison caught the eerie image in a photograph taken by in May 2008 at Tantallon Castle, which sits on a rocky outcrop along the Scottish coast, east of Edinburgh. The "person" appears to be wearing an old-style greenish ruff around the neck.

Tantallon Castle was built in the 1350s by a nobleman and soon became the stronghold of the Douglas dynasty. For 300 years, the Douglas earls of Angus held sway at the castle as one of the most powerful families in Scotland, according to Historic Scotland, which looks after historic sites for the Scottish government.

The castle also was the scene of violence, enduring three great sieges: in 1491, 1528 and 1651. The last, by Oliver Cromwell's army, resulted in such destruction that the fortress was abandoned.

It remains the "last truly great castle" built in Scotland, with enormously thick and high stone walls enclosing large courtyards, and high stone towers.

Michael called today. He said a car bomb woke him at 5 in the morning. He also said that someone tried to hit his vehcile the other day with an IED.

He did tell me that he plans to ask his girlfriend to marry him when he goes on a cruise with her. Mike's Dad is looking for a ring for him to give his girlfriend.

Well here are the blog contests I entered today:

Prize: Windex Outdoor All-In-One Starter Kit.

Prize: Any pair of non designer prescription eyeglasses with single vision lenses from EyeBuyDirect.com (ARV up to $49.95).

Prizes (2): Copy of Chicken Soup for the Soul: Power Moms: 101 Stories Celebrating the Power of Choice for Stay at Home and Work from Home Moms by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Wendy Walker.

Prizes (3): Yoplait Yo-Plus gift bag.

Prizes (3): Yoplait Kids Get Active prize pack.