WE ARE THE PARK!!!!

After driving home from my demolished school yesterday morning and watching our school's reputation get demolished in the news all day long, I figured we would not have school today - or maybe the rest of the week! The damage was so extensive, I just couldn't see how it was humanly possible to get it all cleaned up before school started this morning at 7:30.

To get caught up on the scoop, go to
http://www.woodtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7830998

My room was not touched, thank goodness! Anyway...back to my day...

I laid in bed an extra 15 minutes waiting for the phone call to tell me that it was just not safe enough to come back. That call never came. When I got to school, I expected a class to be in my room (I have first hour planning) because their own room was unuseable. No one was in my room. The halls were all cleaned up. The classrooms looked like they did before yesterday.

Quickly I found out that over 30 teachers, parents, and STUDENTS came in yesterday (when no one was required to be there), and cleaned, repaired, and put things back. There was so much outpouring of care and concern, they had to turn people away!

Knowing that everyone was ready and willing to pull together and get the Park back on it's feet literally brought tears to my eyes - and everyone knows that takes some WORK - especially in front of people!

Our students were so wonderful today - even though they knew it was their own peers who did this. They were sad and confused, and of course angry - but they had too much pride in their school to stoop to the same level as the vandals.

Today I was truly the proudest I have ever been to be a member of the Park Family!

So where were the cameras when the teamwork and rehabilitation occurred? Our principal offered one local channel the opportunity to come back tomorrow when we have school spirit day, but I guess that is just not enough dazzling drama for them because they turned the offer down.

We ARE The Park!!!