Friday, October 10, 2008

Please excuse us for a brief word from our sponsors on the subject of Senior Skip Day.

Some of you have gleefully (or grudgingly) shared with me that tomorrow, 10/10 (ten-ten) is some kind of Senior Skip Experience. Ahem. So. . .all of you are going to go to a central location and revel in being seniors? Or is this merely an excuse to go to the beach?

I am not opposed to revelry; revelry rocks. And several of you have had SEVERAL absences thus far this year, for everything from Justified Medical Woes to Existential Crises. And I was out Tuesday, too, although I would have rather been floating around 313 than where I was being X-rayed and whatnot. BUT. . .and here is the kicker. . .this supposed holiday makes no sense. Mathematically, it should have been September 9 for class of 2009. Or the 9th day of a month, or nine days before graduation, or, preferably, nine days AFTER graduation. No one ever asks me. If you're out, I won't make fun of you too much, but I want you to consider a couple of things:

1. You have a major test tomorrow, and the make-up version is truly heinous. I cannot lie--I might enjoy its heinousness a bit more than would be polite.
2. Due to the new seven period day, we are losing 30 days of instruction per year, per course. Do the math--we went from 61 minute periods last year to 49 minute periods this year. That kind of attrition adds up. We're already behind.
3. I do not teach AP Hang Out With Miscreants at the Beach. There are plenty of opportunities to beach it out--heck, with the new bell schedule, you could get up, enjoy sunrise at Daytona, catch a few waves, and be back in time for first period.
4. Skipping is not cool! If you need a mental health day, discuss it with your parental units and arrange an excused absence.

So. . .final analysis: I will give you a make-up test if necessary, but I would just ask that you think about it. Particularly if you are taking multiple hard classes--if you think I'm humorless on the subject, see how an American Government instructor, or AP Physics teacher, or AP calc doctor perceives it.

Back to our regularly scheduled program.

Sophys: Part II of The Count of Monte Cristo test.

APees: Mactest!!!