This article was given by a teacher at St Joseph’s Wyndham.
Is This Your School?
The other morning I made my way towards the school.
I’d had a very busy morning at home, nothing seemed to go right. I had so much to do before school began-forms for the Catholic Education Office to be filled in, plans for the year three camp to be made.
Someone met me in the yard and said ‘One of the dads wants to see you’
That was all I needed. As I opened the office door, I couldn’t help wondering who this man was. Had I seen him at our functions? He looked pretty ordinary. I would dismiss him quickly.
He entered my office and I asked him to sit. ‘Can I help you,’ I asked.
He took awhile to answer me. ‘No, I just called in to tell you what a good job you are doing in this school. My son is at this school and he tells me so many things about the teachers who are caring and understanding.
That little girl in year three who lost her dad recently-she needed a lot of support.’
I felt uncomfortable. Who was that kid? I didn’t know.
‘And that year seven boys who has been in so much trouble lately certainly appreciated a listening ear to tell about his alcoholic father and the fights at home.’
‘Yes.’ (I must find out who that boy is.)
‘My boy noticed one of the teachers crying lately, but he felt you didn’t have time to talk to her about it. My son has only one complaint about this school. Everyone else gets time to talk to the class. Even years one and two have Show and Tell and all the children listen. You know, he has some very interesting things to tell them if you give him a chance.’
I wasn’t game to ask his son’s name. I was too embarrassed. I realized there were so many important things happening that I hadn’t even noticed. The father got up to go. I noticed his eyes rest on the picture of Jesus over my desk.
He said softly, ‘My son must be pretty popular in this school to get his picture in the principal’s office’.
With that he left silently.
Was that your school?
