62% successful....

In any other profession, that would be abysmal. In teaching, however, it is to be praised (I guess). We finally got SOL scores in, and out of 13 students in my small group classes, 8 passed the test. Of the five who did not pass, three are eligible to retake the test this week. Now, we have to decide who needs to take my final exam. Of the 8 who passed the SOL, 3 of them are failing my class for the year. They were not happy campers when I told them I was not signing the exemption form for the final exam.

In this county, the seniors are subjected to a ritual called 'capping'. I'd never heard of this, outside of reading about it in my old "Cherry Ames, Student Nurse" books. Evidently, the seniors all choose someone (friend, family member) to place the mortarboard on their heads in a big ol' ceremony. This is happening tonight. Luckily, faculty members do not have to be present. I've been told it takes forever - the seniors are called up, one by one, and someone puts on the hat. Now, you know I've got a question about this. Last Friday, we had the senior awards ceremony. 2 1/2 hours in the gym, sitting on the bleachers, listening to all the awards and scholarships given to the senior class. The seniors were there, of course, in their gowns AND CAPS! I wouldn't think that was legal, since they had not yet been capped. Nobody asked me. I would have told them.

As a side note, I think this is one time during the entire school year when someone can say "I'm gonna cap your a**" and not get in trouble for voicing a threat. Not sure.

I think this is the final indignity the seniors must go through, before graduation. They are all finished on Friday, and will have a week to relax before the graduation ceremony on June 9. That's a ceremony I'm not looking forward to. My understanding is the faculty has to be at school by 8:00 AM that Saturday, all decked out in our gowns and regalia. Luckily, we don't have to wear mortarboards (who would I ask to 'cap' me? hmmmm...) I have been told we can wear other type hats - like big, floppy beach hats!?! I hope that's true... The hats may be necessary, since we will be on the football field, from 9:00 AM until God knows when, in the sun, IN JUNE, WEARING BLACK LONG-SLEEVED ROBES! I'm wondering what (if anything) to wear under the robe.

Better not to think about it.