Staff members have been back a week now and there is definitely a feeling of apprehension and anxiety in the school. There has been a big shift on campus as we had the lowest performance on the state assessment in the district. People are worried. Jobs are on the line. The principal especially is in an uncertain position as his primary evaluation is that test. If we don't improve, the Texas Education Agency will come into our school and clean house. Starting with the top. So he is being even more inclined to micromanage then last year.
Last year I started a sticky note campaign at my school. One of the district supervisors challenged us to improve the morale of our school and suggested leaving anonymous sticky notes with words of thanks, encouragement and praise. So I did that last year. The point isn't to take credit for the thoughts but lift up the staff when they are being beaten down by the reality of the challenges we face daily in our little ghetto. And it did help. People were talking about the notes, trying to figure out who was writing them and really pleased to be appreciated for a change.
The thing is that you can't indefinitely keep trying to build others up when you are being beaten down. It's like the story with the bucket (How Full is Your Bucket?), if people keep tipping your bucket over and causing it to spill over, then eventually it'll run dry. We all need the help of the people around us. I went dry about half-way through October or November. I was pleased not to have anyone figure out it was me leaving the notes. I've started leaving the notes again this year. With those test scores, morale is even lower than it was a year ago.
In baby news, I'm taking the birth control pill for the first time. Seems a little odd to take the pill to set up for getting pregnant. Tomorrow I have the mock embryo transfer. That needed to be done while I was on the pill and I was able to get into the local doctor that was recommended tomorrow. I'm supposed to have my procedure at 2:00. We have meetings tomorrow and then meet the teacher tomorrow evening. We're supposed to be able to go around 2 or 2:15. I'll need to leave at 1:30. Next week I have to have a pap on Thursday afternoon - new patients can't be scheduled later than 2:50. And then my Lupron evaluation that's supposed to be on the 31st will most likely be on the 30th. Since I'm not a true patient of DFW Fertility, it doesn't seem like they're willing to see me on the weekend, which is a shame as I'm already going to miss so much school. The protocol sheet once more seems screwed up vs. what the nurse first represented it to me. The "trigger" shot is 'around day 12' and on the worksheet the nurse originally mapped out for me, there were very exact blocks of dates. I know real life isn't like conjecture but now she says that the 'day 12' wasn't from the protocol start it's the 12th medicated day. Which on my cheat sheet it isn't... So she says that I don't have to go to MD so soon - I'm flying in on the 6th and she said I could come on the 9th - I'm thinking Friday evening or Monday evening? Not like there's much difference with the school schedule. I stay 3 days, have outside monitoring here and spend one extra day in school. She had first said it'd be 10 school days out, now it's 12. (Dear God, please let this work! I don't know what they'll do if I try to miss school again!)
I was able to get my leave sorted out. Apparently there's a form to be filled out by the doctor and the principal cannot complain or refuse to honor what the doctor states. Can't remember if I'd said but my principal wouldn't give me leave last October when I was trying. I was docked 2 days' pay... This time I have it all worked out and he won't have that chance!
