Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Quiet Start

The first day after the kids leave is a uneasy quiet. One Ms. Mortensen's official summer acts is to turn off the bells. That silence adds to the still and somber halls. The place is normally voices and locking shutting and bells ringing and all the sounds of activity and energy.

But it is quiet now. That lasts for about a day then the mess starts. Cleaning instantaneously kicks in for the summer. Papers come out of lockers, desks are emptied from classrooms, and the dust and dirt of a full school year ends up in the hallways - one hall at a time.

It takes a couple weeks for the summer to really start. People still have school on their minds. Those last minute details and thoughts hang around for a few days. The closer we get to July the less school is noticed.

The Community Education Summer Program starts and all the little feet will be pounding the hallways. Then the quiet will be broken by different sounds.

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