School Tales: Good Citizenship

So I've heard plenty of whining from my "big", "tough" middle schoolers on "how unfair that we don't get all of our Thanksgiving break". Waaaaaaa. Since the Texas legislature passed Senate Bill 108 which requires that no school in Texas start earlier than the 3rd week in August, many of our holidays have been stripped. Instead of a full week at Thanksgiving, we get Thursday and Friday only. SB 108 irritates me plenty because I don't think it should be up to the "big-wigs" in Austin to decide what is best for the teachers, students, and parents in a school district across the state. But let's be honest, I'm most irritated by the rather anemic schedule of holidays.

Needless to say, the kids seem to think I created the new schedule and decided to unleash their fury on me. Are you kidding, little children? I LIVE for holidays! Why do you think I teach, except for June, July, and August? Certainly not the children :) Just kidding...sort of.

Well, I'll get to the point of this sad little story. I was fed up with the whining and boo-hooing about the stolen holidays so I told them we could either cry about it (in the snow) "Stepmom" style :) or do something about it. Our latest and greatest upcoming project will be to inundate the Texas Senate with handwritten sob stories by middle schoolers about the lack of a Thanksgiving break. Shouldn't they learn to take an active interest in our government rather than complaining?! Ahhhhh, well since it is good citizenship that I am modeling for them, I made sure to omit the fact that a) I did not vote in the last election and b) writing letters to congressmen makes zero "difference". It only guarantees tasks for interns. Yes, I'm cynical. Even so, as a former congressional intern, I remember how annoying it was to get letters like that from the constituents...and have to respond to each one :)