Project 365: Day 114 - Fri. September 4th, 2009

Today was our first AVID 12 birthday celebration. I decided to borrow an idea from my friend and fellow coordinator at Overlea High and create a new tradition to do with the AVID Seniors. Ms. Angela Single made cakes for each of her seniors on their birthdays. I thought that was a great way to feel even more like a family so this year we will be having 22 birthday parties. On the first day of class I asked them to fill out cards with the following information:

1. Birthday and age
2. Day of the week on which the birthday falls
3. The A day on which he/she would like it to be celebrated
4. Favorite type of cake
5. Birthday theme that represents his/her life and/or personality.

Well Dymon's birthday is Labor Day and she chose Friday, the A day before her birthday, to celebrate. She stated that her favorite cake was strawberry with white frosting and that her life's birthday theme could be depicted by Blue's Clues. Her explanation was that like Blue she is always searching for the next clue that can help her advance to the next level in her life.

And of course this first celebration would fall the day after an evening school event. God always tests my ability to stay true to my word. So after Back to School Night, Cody and I took a quick detour to Giant to get the strawberry cake mix and the vanilla frosting. If there is any scholar in this class worthy of staying up past midnight to stay true to my promise, it is Dymon. Her answer to the birthday theme alone just made me love that girl even more. Last year she had to take AVID as an independant study because of all her AP classes. I looked forward to our every other day 90 minutes together - she lifted me up and always helped me whittle away at my to-do list. Truth be told working with Dymon one on one was Divine Intervention. I have been touched by an angel and often catch glimpses of her ethereal wings and halo.

Dymon's immediate reaction to the cupcakes, personal cake, and birthday bag made the labor of love all worthwhile. Her genuine appreciation filled my tired soul with goodness. Wait till she reads the notes all the students wrote to her - Damion's was the simplest and the sweetest. His 5 words will be something that I know Dymon with cherish.

Right now the celebration seems like a dream. I don't even think I hugged her. I wanted to take a picture with her but I realize now I didn't do that either. I was seriously sleep teaching until the end of third period. The exhaustion I felt from 10, 10 hour days of preparation is difficult to bring to life with words. It's probably a good thing I was numb from sleep deprivation because I am certain I would have gone postal on the senior scholar who told me she was only taking classes on A days. I am still dumbfounded by the audacity of it all. And I am angry at this moment that it put a damper on Dymon's day but the comment stopped me cold in my sleep stupor. I shook my head and felt tears of rage and frustration making their ugly way to my eyes. What have I been saying for 4 years about a rigorous course load? About senior year not being a year of light classes and an empty schedule? Why does this student feel she is entitled to different rules? Why would an AVID scholar think it was OK to drop math????????????? What counselor allowed that to happen?????????? And it was not long before I was calling the counselor from the classroom phone with my left hand and calling mom from the cell phone with my right hand. After about 5 minutes of talking between phones, the student's schedule was modified to reflect math. When the scholar found out I had changed her schedule "without her permission" she was livid. But that's OK because so was I. I'm not sure who I'm angrier at - the student for thinking she is above the rules or the counselor who allowed her to believe that schedule was even an option. Good thing there is 4 days between our next encounter - time is always the best counselor and healer.