Back to School.

Yesterday was the first day of school for the good folks across the pond.  The kids here have been back for a few days already.   That whole "Labour Day Weekend"  thing is pretty much unheard of around these parts.  I'm not sure of the exact day when the kids went back,  but it was some time back at the end of August.
I wasn't really paying much attention,  since it's not really a significant day for me,  and neither is the first Tuesday in September any more.  It's a rather strange sensation,  but yesterday was actually the third "first day of school"  that I've missed,  ever since I strolled out of my former school back in May of 2008.
That first day of school was one on which the care-taking staff (um...that would be me)  got to find out just how "ready" you really were.  Was the place safe?  Had there been a party in the school yard over the weekend with smashed beer bottles or graffiti?   Did someone's dog leave a little present for you?

Best to get there early,  and hope it doesn't rain.

  If enough effort and planning had been put in over the preceding days and weeks,  the first several days of school were for the most part a rather calm lull after the previous summer storm.
This was in sharp contrast to the academic staff,  who were once again faced with a new crop of snotty nosed little buggers they had bit farewell to just a scant couple months earlier.

And to all of them I say,  "Good luck with that".

The reason I thought I'd mention these trivial little matters,  is that I happened to see this article in one of the local rags here yesterday.

They're basically talking about my former occupation,  and I rather like the way they've decided to do a little profile on one of the local caretakers from around here.  I don't seem to recall any of the local rags from around where I worked ever stopping by a school to do a profile on any of the Janitorial staff from our Board.  I'm sure I could come up with a host of reasons,  but I'll let you sort that one out for yourself.

I'm certainly not going to translate the article for you,  but suffice to say that this guy does exactly the same job we used to do in our schools over the summer,  which involved basically cleaning the place from top to bottom.   There are really only two slight exceptions.
First of all,  his school was built in 1888.  Do we have any schools that old?  None come to mind in our district.
Not only that,  but by now some really really clever provincial politician has made sure they were all torn down.

That link represents some further reading if you're at all interested,  and while I certainly wouldn't want to mention any names,  I'll just throw in a picture for you.

  Secondly,  since 1984,  he and his wife have lived in the school.   Not the politician*,  the Custodian.   But that does give one ideas,  doesn't it?



 Sure must cut down on his overhead,  but to live there?
Not really sure about that arrangement,  since where I come from,  it wasn't such a good idea to live too close to your school.

It's not like anyone is going to show up on the weekend and want to be let in,  since buildings on this part of the globe are locked up like Fort Knox pretty much all the time.

 I'm just thinking of stories here of Caretakers living too close to their respective schools,  and teachers actually having the Gaul to come to their house,  (empty handed,  I might add) wanting to be then let in to their school evenings and weekends.   Can you imagine?    And no,  there wasn't even any offer of cash.

I feel a rant coming on here,  so I'd better stop.


Plus,  while I'll admit that I may have ruffled a couple feathers by putting up a picture of one of our most beloved politicians in Ontario's history,  this is

after all

my blog.




So bite me.




*go to google,  type in "in praise of",  and that guy's name,  and let me know how you make out.











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