Ready for removal!

July 28, 2014

Quite a bit has happened since Thursday!  The upstairs windows are all taped off, and the transformation has begun. The caulking around the old windows has some asbestos/PCB content, so it needs to be properly removed and contained before the new windows can be installed. As you may know, asbestos is not a problem until it is disturbed, which is happening now with our new windows. Luckily, my office is far away from the process! I have certainly learned a lot about building repairs and maintenance issues over the past 7 years. This knowledge has helped me immensely at home when the water heater blew and when the frozen pipe burst! The insurance agent was surprised when I discussed my own mitigation plan!  Now I hope the weather cooperates so the installation can move ahead smoothly and be ready for the opening of school – fingers crossed!

My job as a Principal can be a 24/7 commitment if I let it happen. Finding the “balance” can be very difficult some days. I have a 23 year old son at home, and I take care of my 83 year old mom who is fairly independent, but beginning to show signs of dementia/Alzheimer’s. Since the unexpected death of my husband three years ago, I have been searching for something that would help me find that balance. I found it at the CT Humane Society, where I volunteer in a few ways: I am a foster caregiver, I attend functions to share the mission of the Humane Society, and I assist staff weekly in the Medical Department.  It is here where I witnessed the incredible compassion of a few staff members.

When I joined the staff for my “shift” yesterday, I saw a few technicians with the veterinarian huddled around a scared and shaking 7 year old chihuahua. This poor little one had a large hernia and bone cancer, and in obvious pain. They were discussing his case and determining whether he should be saved or euthanized. They could fix the hernia and they could amputate the leg with bone cancer. They just weren’t sure how far the cancer had spread, and whether the surgery would cause him more pain and suffering. Having had to make this decision with my own dog many years ago, I know how heart wrenching it can be. But looking at a group of people who didn’t even know this dog existed a few hours ago, I was amazed to witness the incredible level of compassion, caring, and concern.

Although our decisions at school are not as life threatening as the one I shared above (thank goodness!!), I know that my staff cares deeply about each and every one of the students that enter our building year after year. They are excited when a student passes a difficult test, they share in the happiness when someone wins a dance competition, and they are sad when the pet hamster dies. We become a family at Brownstone for the two short years that your children visit us, and I am so happy and proud to be a part of your lives.

And that little chihuahua? The staff agreed to make him comfortable and run more tests in a few days in order to make a more informed decision about his future. He is so lucky to be a part of the CT Humane Society family.

One of the many things that happens over the summer is building repairs and/or construction. We are lucky this summer because the Town approved Capital funding for new windows on the Middlesex Avenue side of the building, both floors. As a homeowner, I purchased new windows about 10 years ago. I signed the contract, picked the day, and voila, the windows were installed in one day. Wouldn’t that be a treat here at Brownstone!

There are 10 classrooms of furniture in the hallways. One of the emptied rooms now contains all of the windows piled up against the wall. The installers are hired and ready to go, but we have another project that needs to be completed first (the very old window caulking needs to be removed and contained). Once the mitigation is complete, the windows can be installed, and the classrooms can be put back together.  I am told the entire project will be completed by August 15th. I sure hope so, because we have students walking in the front door two and a half weeks after that!

In the meantime, the custodians are working around the “construction zone”, trying to clean up as much as they can, knowing that window replacement will raise a LOT of dust, which will then need to be cleaned up before we can reassemble the rooms.

I know we will be very happy with the new windows. The old ones leak so much that papers left on the window sill might be blown off during a stormy day with the windows closed!

I’d really like some classrooms painted, however, with the window project, I fear we will run out of time for that! Anyone ready for a “painting party” in the fall???

It’s July 14th. What have I done so far, you ask?

• I have created my “Welcome Back” letters for students and staff
• I set up my parent emails
• Grade 5 class lists are just about finalized, grade 6 schedule is in “draft” form
• I registered a new 6th grader
• I created all the templates for the teachers for math facts, math testing, and prompts
• I check in supplies as they arrive
• I weed (and weed, and weed) the front entrance
• I attended the ribbon cutting ceremony for our basketball courts
• I mailed records for students transferring to new schools
• I started the “piles” for the back-to-school packets
• I have begun to clean my office – this task will take all summer!

I think I am doing pretty well!

I am fairly new to blogging, so be patient as I add new things along this journey!