HORMIGAS!

Word of the day.  Ants.

This morning, I got to school early because I wanted to take some pictures for my presentation in DC.  I arrived around 8:15 and went straight to the Computer room to drop off my things.  When I entered, however, there were already 4 other teachers.  They were preparing for our meeting.  Great. 

The principal was meeting with parents in classrooms to discuss the upcoming possible change in schedule (to full day, where PE, computers, and English are in afternoon only, 1:30-5) and feel out the parents.  Meanwhile, the teachers were in the computer room discussing worries, thoughts, etc with the authorities (of the zone, not the school system- this is an unofficial change done only on-site as a pilot trial basis) and the students, you guessed it, in their classrooms "working" on homework left by the teachers.

We were there for over an hour, but we got lots discussed.  Basically, we have to have more meetings with parents to get them on board.  It's complicated, but that's the basis.

What does any of this have to do with ants, you ask?

In the middle of the meeting, my arm is itching, so I scratch it.  It continues, so I look down.  I have an ant on me.  I kill it, and focus back on the mouth of the person talking.  Only to feel another.  And another.  I try to get them off and see that there are some on my shirt.

Yikes!

I excuse myself and head to the office for some privacy where I hop about like an idiot.  I finally see the HERD of them on the back of my jeans.  I don't know if I stepped in something, or what, but there were millions on the back of my jeans carrying little pieces of food.

UGH!

I swatted them off and they scattered.  Then I hopped about some more, took off my shoes and hit them together.  I finally got to a happy place and went back to the meeting.  As I went to sit down, I saw the pseudo-anthill at the base of my chair and chose a new seat.  I'm not one to judge who does their job and who doesn't, but my thought is this...

If the custodian's requirements were to clean each room more than once a week (this is his literal requirement), we might not have ants!  And if he spent more time in rooms cleaning instead of chatting with teachers and attending meetings about schedule changes...

I'm just sayin'.