It was a LONG day. I made it to LC in time to grab lunch and make it to the interview with time to spare.

When I went to the board of education and signed in it wasn’t long before someone came out to say they were way behind and would resume interviews at 2:00 “go find something to do.” I hadn’t talked to BG in a while so I thought it would be a good idea to see if he was around. As I head out to my car the same guy who told us to find something to do caught up with me and said we would start back at about 15 til. Not a problem. I call BG, find out if he has any pull with anyone, then head back to the central office. When I go back in others who didn’t go anywhere are answering the written portion of the interview. I asked about it and just said oh well I will take care of it at the end. One guy tries to be cool about it and asks if I want to see the questions so I “have an edge.” Uh. . .no. The guy was so full of himself it was almost amusing, but annoying. You know the type. There’s something to be said about confidence but there is such a thing as going too far with it. Anyway, long story less long…admin guys kept coming out apologizing for how long it was taking. They were interviewing everyone for all positions that day and using the panel style interview. You wen tin the room and had ten people asking you questions. Finally, and by finally I mean 4 PM, they split the panel to speed things up. (They had interviewed 40 people for the elementary positions that morning, and had probably 25 or so for the social studies, math, and band director positions that afternoon.) After they split the panel I was the third person in. There were four people on my panel. They asked four questions and it seemed like rapid response interview time. It was obvious they wanted to cut to the chase and get this over with. I answered each as in depth as I could and as quickly as possible. They seemed to respond well and appreciate my answers and they said it was a good interview. The principals reserved the right to call with more questions if they felt it necessary. I was in and out in about ten minutes. Yes, I managed to get BG’s name into the conversation. He apparently knows several that were doing the interviews and said he would put in a word. I seriously hate the political aspect of this, but you have to play the game if you hope to win. :-/ Dagnabit I want to be hired on my merit! I was for UNA so *wah* guess that will have to do.

You know how you question yourself after an interview and think of something you should have said or how you should have phrased something better? Well, I didn’t do that. I answered honestly on each question and I think the answers were satisfactory. They asked me to explain my educational and professional background, what a typical day was like in my class, how students would know I care, and how I would help improve their social studies test scores.

I don’t know if I want this job or not, but I think the interview went well. With so many ties to LC it wouldn’t surprise me if it was offered. Strange and amusing story, I’ll have to share it for our 12th anniversary coming up soon. Will I take it? Yes, if BHS isn’t offered I probably will. I really want the job at BHS.

How many is too many? Regarding what? Anything. In this case, how many is too many chances? How many times do we allow students to redo an assignment? How many times do we beg them to complete an assignment? How long do they get to complete make-up work when they are absent? We have a make-up policy. Why is it not a strict policy? How many times do we beg them to attend grade recovery?

Isn’t it our responsibility to teach students to be responsible? Isn’t part of being responsible completing your work, on time? I firmly believe that students deserve a second chance. I have given my students numerous opportunities to redeem themselves. Why is it that we now HAVE to give them another chance? They’ve had second, third, and fourth chances. Now we do it again? Now we pay for it? Pay for extended school. Pay for summer school. Pay for the transportation. Pay for the snack. Pay for the teachers to do it. At least they ARE willing to pay teachers. I just feel like they are flushing money down the toilet. I know, I know…NCLB. These kids aren’t being left behind, they jumped off the bus.

At what point do we let them fall on their behind and become accountable for their actions…or lack there of? I don’t get it! I just don’t. I have given them at least three specific opportunities to make up ANY zero on their grade report. In addition, all students below 70 at term 3 were given a folder with all recovery work in it. They signed a contract saying they would do the work, come to tutoring, complete all work from here out, and not be a behavior problem. Most didn’t fully keep the agreement or they didn’t complete the entire folder. I gave credit for what they did do. Some didn’t bother to do the recovery work. I’ve given two extra credit projects. Only five takers on those.

Here we are with two weeks left and we have to do it all again. Forget the fact that some haven’t done a blasted thing for 16 weeks and they’ve done everything in their power to make life hell for teachers and classmates. I know I am lacking in compassion here, but I’m fed up. We are doing a complete disservice to these kids by not holding them accountable and by teaching them that you don’t have to do anything during the regular year because we will give you extended school if you will complete everything in a few days time.

It’s just wrong. It is also a load of work to do at a time when life is stressful enough.

Starting a system check at 12:30 AM is a bad idea. Here it is 1:07 and I’m still waiting for it to finish. Getting to explore Vista in the process. Not too terribly impressed, but then I haven’t explored the bells and whistles yet. Maybe I should take a tutorial to find out all that it does. I’m running a system check on my laptop. All my memory is gone! I’m wondering if each time I’ve redone the system if it simply installed the operating system on top of the other and not overwrite. I don’t even know if you can do that. I’m seriously considering just letting the laptop run until it goes to sleep and hoping the scan will continue tomorrow when I turn it on again. I’m tired.

Tweety turned the big 07 yesterday. We had a party for her today. Lots of kids and fun. It was great for me too because the parents stayed. (That means more people to run interference with kids!) I’m not sure what her favorite present is but I think the little mp3 player from Mawmaw is going to be a hit. I spent this evening putting songs in. Djembe is working on the PC installing our Vista upgrade. From across the room it looks cool. I’ll play with it tomorrow and see if it gets my seal of approval.

We almost burnt down the house last night. SCARY! Our mower has had issues. Jem got it running and finished 3/4 of the yard before it gave up the ghost. Maybe a blade broke??? Anyway, he pushed it back around to the garage to store it out of sight until we can take it to the mower doc. I took care of all securing the house issues last night and smelled smoke but thought it was just the neighbor burning. This morning when Jem woke me he asked if I had used something different to clean or bought a new plug in, saying it smelled smoky. When he went in the garage he discovered the mower had been smoldering all night. *FREAK* There wasn’t a lot of smoke or anything, we just had that hickory smoked smell going for us. It could have been really bad and we are very blessed that it wasn’t something more.

It’s been a long day, but one that was fulfilling. Nice to celebrate with family and friends.

On a sad note, my digi camera broke today. No clue as to why, but I’m very unhappy about it. Of course, this does mean that I will have to buy a new camera before we head to the coast. I can not go to the Pompeii exhibit or the beach without a camera.

I decided to spice it up a little and add a new theme. If you don’t like it the theme switcher is to the right, find one you do like. I think it’s cute though. So me. I’m drawn to earthy colors…boring I know. I love the picture. One of my favorite things is to walk along the waters edge. I don’t mind getting in the water either, but I am terrified of being in water where I can’t see my feet. I love to snorkel too so this is a bad fear to have. I have to have someone with me to feel brave. I can’t wait to have just me and Jem at the beach where we can body surf, snorkel, or just lounge all day without having to tag team with the kids. I’m feeling a little guilty about not taking them, but we need to recharge and I have made fun arrangements for them.

Now I have rested enough…back to work. (Not at school today, but I’m getting a lot done at home!)

So much to look forward to this month…the end of school, my last year here…our anniversary- #12! And…one of my favorite places, the beach!

I’m really excited about this. It will be a great celebration of a dozen years together and on the way down we will hopefully be stopping for a few hours in Mobile to see the Pompeii exhibit at the Exploreum. If you are not familiar with Pompeii it is an amazing story. Here is a site that quickly explains it.

or here’s a clip:

Though Mt. Vesuvius had once been a very active volcano, it had remained dormant for as long as humans could remember. Since no legacy of destruction had been passed down from their ancestors, the people living near the mountain didn’t realize there was any potential for danger. The first warning sign came on February 5th, A.D. 62. About midday, a “long, muffled roar” shook the town; nobody could tell what it was, or where it had come from. Soon the earth began to tremble, and buildings collapsed all around. People rushed out of the town and away from the falling buildings, only to fall prey to deep chasms that ripped open the countryside without warning. The town’s nearby reservoir also broke, adding floods to the chaotic scene. Though it was destructive, the first earthquake lasted for only a moment; an hour later, however, the area was seized by another tremor. The quakes continued to occur at unpredictable intervals, inflicting alternate moods of hysteria and hope, until nightfall. body.gif (250413 bytes)

For the next seventeen years Pompeii concentrated on repairing the damages the earthquake had caused, determined to make their town even more splendid than before. Campania was peaceful and prosperous once more, and their maritime trading industry continued to be successful. Signs of the upcoming eruption began at the beginning of August in A.D. 79. Small tremors shook the ground, but the quakes were so insignificant and caused so little damage that few paid any attention to them. Springs and wells also dried up, which in ancient times was often interpreted as a sign of the gods’ displeasure.

On August 20th, the earth began to rumble and crack, and the usually calm sea gave way to giant waves. Horses, cattle and birds became uneasy and restless, as if they could foresee the disaster that awaited the town. Finally, on the morning of August 24th, 79 A. D. the volcano burst open with an earsplitting crack. Smoke, mud, flames and burning stones spewed from the summit of the mountain, sending a rain of ash and rock through the surrounding countryside. The mud seeped down the sides of Vesuvius, swallowing nearby farms, orchards and villas. Adding to the destruction were the mephitic vapors that accompanied the falling debris; the fumes first caused deliriousness in their victims, then suffocated them.

Some people of Pompeii grabbed their beasts of burden and attempted to flee the area; others perhaps chose to wait until the streets were clear of the panicked masses; still others sealed themselves up in rooms, supposing that the ashes and poisonous gasses would not harm them there. The unfortunate people who could not escape in time to avoid disaster were killed by falling buildings, overcome by the mephitic gas, or simply buried by the rapidly falling ash. Their bodies were quickly covered by the volcano’s mineral deposits, which covered Pompeii in a layer more than 30 feet thick.

When you have an addiction the first step is to admit it. Yes, I need a program. Hi, I’m Kontan and I’m addicted to Roller Coaster Tycoon. Froggy received this game for Christmas and really hasn’t been too “into” it. It take patience and time to figure everything out. Well she finally sat down with the tutorial, you know- when all else fails read the directions. I took a look to see if I could encourage her interest. Four hours later my park was doing pretty well, but I had trouble with the maintenance staff sweeping the walkways. I fired two sets and the third wasn’t much better. I haven’t been able to fix this little problem either. My first park is not going to reach its goal, but I will call it a learning investment. See, yes, addiction. Have you ever played any of the “sims” games? Wow, it is easy to get sucked in!

Let me tell you about RC Tycoon. There are several levels to choose from and parks. You can design the park or take over one that is already created. It is monopoly on speed, theme park style. You have a specific goal for each park and you are the manager that has to make it all work. From ride designs to maintenance you are in charge.

Froggy is figuring it all out too. I’m not alone in the obsession. Try it, I know you need just one more way to waste an afternoon…call it relaxation.

In an effort to procrastinate packing our book closet I am searching my favorites sites for the strange. This first story certainly fits that category:

70-Year-Old Ham Back on Display in N.C.
A 70-year-old slab of blackened pork went on display in a downtown Raleigh restaurant this week in a curious tradition that began in 1937.

The Mecca Restaurant put the rock-hard country ham in its window Tuesday with a sign saying the 25-pound slab of meat would be displayed for only one day, ”for security reasons.” It was the ham’s first appearance in a dozen years.

Why? Does anyone else find it strange that the Mecca Restaurant has a ham on display? Not just because they have a ham on display, but the irony of the name. Hmmmm.

Meet Mr. Hiasl:

Austrian activists want chimp declared a ‘person’
VIENNA, Austria (AP) - In some ways, Hiasl is like any other Viennese: He indulges a weakness for pastry, likes to paint and enjoys chilling out watching TV.

But he doesn’t care for coffee, and he isn’t actually a person - at least not yet.

In a case that could set a global legal precedent for granting basic rights to apes, animal rights advocates are seeking to get the 26-year-old male chimpanzee legally declared a “person.”

Wouldn’t be easier to get an addition to the law that allows donations to maintain an animal rescue facility, or have donations made to the person who wants to take care of Hiasl? Granted, he looks very intelligent, but still- he’s not a person!

Despite what my posts may seem like not much has changed at THS. We go about our daily routine. A sub is upstairs. The students don’t ask questions. They know we can’t give them many answers anyway. They know how things are. They usually know more than we do about situations going on. A student asked me today if she could borrow my computer to look for an article on Mrs. Beatty. This was my cue that there was something new. I checked at lunch. From what I gather she left a letter after the first suicide attempt. It may answer a few questions, but it raises more. The rumors seem to be true and just as bizarre as we thought them to be. It is there son that I feel terrible for. I often say that more times than not the public is only given part of the story. The full story must be something to raise an eyebrow about.

Here’s the latest…and possible last:

Beatty death case could be closed today

5/4/2007 12:52:59 AM
Daily Journal

By Lena Mitchell
Daily Journal Corinth Bureau

IUKA - Corinth police released a statement from Dorothy “Anne” Beatty saying her husband Donald Beatty’s death was accidental, but authorities say the investigation disproves this claim.

Corinth investigators expect to close the file soon - perhaps later today - on the suspicious death of Donald Beatty of Corinth.

Most questions had been answered by the time the body of his wife, Dorothy “Anne” Beatty, was found in McNairy County, where her death was ruled a suicide, said Corinth chief of detectives Capt. Ralph Dance. Anne Beatty was considered a prime suspect in Don Beatty’s death.

However, detectives in the Tishomingo County Criminal Investigation Division had laid the foundation of the case between April 9, when Don Beatty’s body was found, and April 18, when the case was handed off to the Corinth Police Department after evidence indicated Don Beatty’s death occurred in Corinth.

The Tishomingo County case remains open until Corinth closes its case file on Don Beatty’s death, said Detective Don Kirk, who with Det. Jeff Sparks led the Tishomingo County Sheriff Department’s investigation.

Kirk and Sparks revisited the scene Thursday where Don Beatty’s body was found by fishermen near the boat ramp on the north end of Scruggs Bridge, on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.

Fishermen who found him had not removed the body from the water, Sparks added.

Don Beatty’s body was fully clothed, but he had no identification.

“There was massive head trauma visible, which could have been accidental or purposeful,” Kirk said. “Our procedure is to treat such a death as suspicious pending further investigation.”
(more…)

The story is below.

This is still shocking. The article below does not paint her in a good light and it even indicates, IMO, that she had been planning this. Yes, she sold her horses, but there is more to that story. Yes, I think he was going to leave her. It is believed he was having an affair, but you don’t find that mentioned in the article. You know, IF he was, I think she was the type that would say get out, and make his life hell for the rest of it…not end it early. Even if it is true that she did this, and all evidence seems to indicate that it is, it is hard for me to believe she acted alone. You know, she came to school last year with a black eye and when someone asked about it she said he did it, but promised he would never again. The police are ready to close this case and it is very convenient that their main suspect is dead as well.

I really don’t think our school has done a good job handling the teachers. Nothing has been said to us, or done for us with regard to coping. We are doing well and someone has been permanently placed in her room, but we are still in shock. A member of our faculty is gone. A member of our building is gone. They didn’t move away. She killed herself! AND she is accused of murdering her husband. HELLO! Some of us saw this woman everyday and we had lunch with her. No, we were not in danger from her, not at all. But she was a colleague and for some a friend. Teachers, even though they have their differences, have a common ground. It seems when I am traveling I can find other teachers to talk to. We have personalities that attract other teachers. Maybe I am the only one that sees it that way, but it is what I have experienced. When in a group of people that I do not know I am not comfortable. I can usually find at least one to talk/relate to and that one, more times than not, turns out to be a teacher.

In my building a teacher is gone and there is a void.

Beatty deaths: Police seek to be sure about details

5/2/2007 1:36:39 AM
Daily Journal

By Lena Mitchell
Daily Journal Corinth Bureau

CORINTH - Officials expect to close the Don Beatty homicide investigation by the end of the week, the lead investigator says.

“What I’m doing now is making sure there’s not any accomplice out there,” Corinth chief of detectives Capt. Ralph Dance said earlier this week. “I don’t think anybody helped her, but I’m still looking at bank records, phone records, to make sure nobody else helped her.”

The body of Don Beatty’s wife, Tupelo High School teacher Dorothy “Anne” Beatty, 59, was found Thursday on private property in McNairy County, Tenn. A coroner ruled that she died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

When her body was found, Dance said, he was pretty certain Don Beatty’s homicide had been solved. His wife had been a suspect in the case.

It was not her first try, Dance revealed: Anne Beatty had made another suicide attempt - overnight April 17-18 - and he thought “it was only a matter of time” before she’d succeed. No suicide note was found after either incident, he said.

The body of Don Beatty, 65, was found the morning of April 9 in shallow water near the Scruggs Bridge boat ramp on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in Tishomingo County.

A coroner’s examination determined he had not drowned but had died from a blow to the head. Further investigation led to the Beattys’ home on North Polk Street in Corinth as the site of his death.

Although Anne Beatty was 5-feet-5-inches tall and weighed 135 pounds, police believe she was alone in carrying her husband’s body - he was 5-feet-9-inches and weighed 165 pounds - and disposing of it in the water “based on what information we were able to gather from her house and different places,” Dance said.

Couple in trouble
Interviews with family and friends indicated the couple had experienced marital problems the past couple of years.

“He told her about the first of April he was going to leave her, which is what I consider the motive behind all this,” Dance said.

(more…)