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Authors: Anna Myers
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familiar number. "Hello," I said when she answered, "what are you doing?"
"Nothing," she said. "Mom's driving me to school. It's so good to get to talk to you and everything. What are you doing?"
"Nothing," I said, and then I laughed. "Well, nothing except being the principal of Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Prairie Dog Town, Oklahoma."
Katie screamed, "What?"
I told her the whole story. She got excited, talking loud and laughing. "Shush," I said. "I don't want your mother to hear and know what is going on. She might call someone."
"Oh, Bird," Katie said, "that's such a wickedly funny story. I really want to see the movie about the new girl getting to be the principal." I knew then that Katie's mother had been listening. "I can't wait to tell Ivory."
"Turn your phone on after second hour. I'll call you then, if I'm not too busy with business. There's a lot of work to be done around here." I hung up. For a few minutes, I sat in my chair taking deep breaths. This was like a roller-coaster ride, lots of fun, but scary too. Really scary!
Chapter 4
I didn't have long to sit and breathe because the phone rang and the first button flashed a white light. That meant the secretary wanted me. Her name had gone completely out of my head, and I grabbed up the list, Nancy, Nancy Simpson. I cleared my throat and picked up the phone. "Yes?"
"I don't like to bother you," she said, "but I was wondering about an announcement. Shouldn't you make an announcement, telling everyone that you are here?"
"An announcement?"
"Yes, on the PA system."
"The PA system?" This was not going well.
"Yes, of course, the public address system."
"Oh, yes, the public address system, the thing you use to call kids to the office." I looked around. What did a public address system look like? My eyes fell on a box sitting on a stand in the corner behind my desk.
"Should I come in and show you how to use it?"
"That would be nice."
She came right away and did go to the box. "See these switches and the room numbers below them?"
I nodded.
"You flip the switch to the room you want. You can speak or just listen. There's a schedule in your top desk drawer to tell you what teacher is in each room during a certain period. Teachers can call us by flipping a switch in their rooms too, but those calls go first to me. I've got one of these boxes behind my desk too. I flip a switch to pass the call on to you if there is an emergency, like some kid has passed out or something. See this green button? Push it if you want to do an 'all call.'"
I felt like it might be the new principal who passed out. "What's an call call'?" I asked.
"When you want everyone to hear you, like the announcement you're about to make." I guess I looked kind of clueless because she went on. "You know the one introducing yourself to the students and faculty."
"Oh, yes," I said. "Yes, of course." I considered asking Mrs. Simpson for advice about what I should say, but I remembered Superintendent Morris's warning about not letting her take over my job. You're the principal here, Bird, I told myself. "Thank you, Mrs. Simpson," I said. "You may go now. I'll make my announcement soon."
Mrs. Simpson looked at me, one eyebrow raised like she was sort of measuring me in her mind. I felt she did not approve of me, but she did leave the office.
I took a piece of paper from a drawer so I could write out what I would say, but Mrs. Simpson called me on the phone. "You might want to say something about expecting the kids to behave. In some classes they've acted up."
"I might want to say that," I said, "but I'll decide in a few minutes. Thank you for your suggestion, Mrs. Simpson," I said. I was glad she was on the phone because I wouldn't have wanted to say that to her face.
"Of course," she said, and her voice wasn't as friendly as before.
Pretty soon, I had my announcement all written. I read it over several times, practicing sounding like a principal. Then I pushed the green all-call button.
"Nothing," she said. "Mom's driving me to school. It's so good to get to talk to you and everything. What are you doing?"
"Nothing," I said, and then I laughed. "Well, nothing except being the principal of Thomas Jefferson Middle School in Prairie Dog Town, Oklahoma."
Katie screamed, "What?"
I told her the whole story. She got excited, talking loud and laughing. "Shush," I said. "I don't want your mother to hear and know what is going on. She might call someone."
"Oh, Bird," Katie said, "that's such a wickedly funny story. I really want to see the movie about the new girl getting to be the principal." I knew then that Katie's mother had been listening. "I can't wait to tell Ivory."
"Turn your phone on after second hour. I'll call you then, if I'm not too busy with business. There's a lot of work to be done around here." I hung up. For a few minutes, I sat in my chair taking deep breaths. This was like a roller-coaster ride, lots of fun, but scary too. Really scary!
Chapter 4
I didn't have long to sit and breathe because the phone rang and the first button flashed a white light. That meant the secretary wanted me. Her name had gone completely out of my head, and I grabbed up the list, Nancy, Nancy Simpson. I cleared my throat and picked up the phone. "Yes?"
"I don't like to bother you," she said, "but I was wondering about an announcement. Shouldn't you make an announcement, telling everyone that you are here?"
"An announcement?"
"Yes, on the PA system."
"The PA system?" This was not going well.
"Yes, of course, the public address system."
"Oh, yes, the public address system, the thing you use to call kids to the office." I looked around. What did a public address system look like? My eyes fell on a box sitting on a stand in the corner behind my desk.
"Should I come in and show you how to use it?"
"That would be nice."
She came right away and did go to the box. "See these switches and the room numbers below them?"
I nodded.
"You flip the switch to the room you want. You can speak or just listen. There's a schedule in your top desk drawer to tell you what teacher is in each room during a certain period. Teachers can call us by flipping a switch in their rooms too, but those calls go first to me. I've got one of these boxes behind my desk too. I flip a switch to pass the call on to you if there is an emergency, like some kid has passed out or something. See this green button? Push it if you want to do an 'all call.'"
I felt like it might be the new principal who passed out. "What's an call call'?" I asked.
"When you want everyone to hear you, like the announcement you're about to make." I guess I looked kind of clueless because she went on. "You know the one introducing yourself to the students and faculty."
"Oh, yes," I said. "Yes, of course." I considered asking Mrs. Simpson for advice about what I should say, but I remembered Superintendent Morris's warning about not letting her take over my job. You're the principal here, Bird, I told myself. "Thank you, Mrs. Simpson," I said. "You may go now. I'll make my announcement soon."
Mrs. Simpson looked at me, one eyebrow raised like she was sort of measuring me in her mind. I felt she did not approve of me, but she did leave the office.
I took a piece of paper from a drawer so I could write out what I would say, but Mrs. Simpson called me on the phone. "You might want to say something about expecting the kids to behave. In some classes they've acted up."
"I might want to say that," I said, "but I'll decide in a few minutes. Thank you for your suggestion, Mrs. Simpson," I said. I was glad she was on the phone because I wouldn't have wanted to say that to her face.
"Of course," she said, and her voice wasn't as friendly as before.
Pretty soon, I had my announcement all written. I read it over several times, practicing sounding like a principal. Then I pushed the green all-call button.
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