Lock down

"Adios chicos! Have a safe and fun weekend! Ciao! Hasta!" I called out to my students over the blare of the bell. Three periods down, one to go before I was free for the weekend. I took up my duty post outside my door to monitor the halls in between class. It was the Seniors' last day, and there were tears, hugs and pictures as students realized this was really it. Last period of the last day!

Suddenly, screams erupted. The hallways flooded with kids. "ALL STUDENTS MUST ENTER A CLASSROOM NOW!" The secretary yelled over the PA. "ALL TEACHERS PLEASE ADMIT STUDENTS, ANY STUDENTS NEAR YOUR DOOR INTO YOUR CLASSROOM. THIS IS A LOCKDOWN SITUATION I REPEAT A LOCKDOWN SITUATION, ALL STUDENTS YOU MUST GET TO A CLASSROOM IN THE NEXT 30 SECONDS."

Lockdown?
Lockdown?
My heart leaped to my throat. Why a lockdown? A gun in school? A trespasser? It really could be anything. We've never had an actual lockdown before.

"Come in, all you all down there, come in!" I yelled, suddenly militant. I herded at least 20 kids into my room and shut my door.

"What's going on?" I asked them.

"Rats!" A girl screamed.

"Rats! And snakes! And CRICKETS!" Another boy said, waving the news-bearing text message in the air.

"AND STINK BOMBS! TWO STINK BOMBS!" another one reported.

Nope, not a gun. Not a trespasser. But instead, a carefully plotted and rather impressive Senior Prank on the last day of high school. An entire menagerie released in the school's main hallways. And best of all? Every administrator distracted by an enormous food fight in the cafeteria- a purposely planned diversion.

As a survivor of the Wahconah Regional High School smoke bomb/cricket invasion of '05, I couldn't help but laugh. But just like the idiots in my day, the students were about to see some punishment. As they'd say, our principal "don't play." Last I knew, she was on her way to PetCo to check out the security cameras and find the perpetrators.

What a way to kick off a weekend!
It's been an equally exciting week. Updates soon.
Peace and love!