Empty chairs at empty tables

It's been a busy week for me. On Monday we were scheduled for our Legislative meeting. Before that meeting began though, we voted an a HR issue. You can read about it here...

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120410/LOCAL18/204100324/IPS-may-ditch-policy-staff-members-transporting-students


That was a good night. A really good night.

On Tuesday we held a Resource meeting. At the end of the meeting we were handed the new IPS plan that Dr. White will present at the Central Library on Monday April 16th. Try and make it if you can, there will be a sign up sheet for questions and comments.


And last night was the highlight of my week. I skipped the Educational Meeting that was scheduled, because I had received an invitation weeks ago to do something else.
If you remember I posted about visiting Manual HS. During that visit Mr. Lloyd (choir director) told me that he takes his students to see a Broadway show every year. They go to a nice dinner beforehand and then off to the show. I was so impressed with his dedication and excitement and I was more than thrilled when he extended the invite to me! This year the show, part of the Broadway Across America, is Les Miserables. I was SO EXCITED. Of all the shows I have seen, I have never seen Les Mis. I know most of the music, just never seen the show.

Finally the show night came. I must say a quick thank you to my family. It turns out my daughter's conference at school was this night as well. The all jumped through some hoops for me so we could get there early and I could make it to the dinner reservation on time.

I met Mr. Lloyd and his students at Canal Bistro in Broad Ripple. I was very excited to see Mr. Lloyd's wife, Stacia, there as well. I have heard about her from Spencer himself and through Matt Tully's book. My sister also knows the Lloyd's which shows once again how small the world really is. There were around 30 students, a few teachers and alumni, then me.

At first I thought, do they really want a Board Member apart of their "family" for the evening? Was this one of those uninvite invitations? Like the wedding invite you sent to your mother's great aunt once removed because you feel you have to, but you don't really want her to show up and you even leave her out of the dinner count? As I was waiting for the big yellow bus to pull up I thought, "What if I am that aunt?" Five minutes later, I was welcomed into this group and that aunt didn't cross my mind again.

One thing I noticed was the behavior of the students. Not once did I see Mr. Lloyd or the other teacher present give a reminder of behavior expectations. They just seemed to know. I was really impressed with the students at dinner. I served for many years, and a table of 30 teenagers would have been my complaint of the night. But these ladies and gentlemen were just that. They were kind, considerate, patient, and appreciative. The dinner itself was delicious.

The talk was even better. One student shared with me her frustrations about other students not caring. She talked about the test scores, the behavior, and the overall attitude. We discussed the fears with the takeover process, and the hope of it bringing much needed change. We discussed the bureaucracy BS that seems to overpower and stifle so many great ideas in IPS. I heard about their programs, their accomplishments, their trips. I saw the shock when one student heard there were gangs at the school. The adults talked about the children they left at home to attend this evening.

I was reminded how very real and sometimes quite painful young love can be as one of the young ladies struggled with some heated texts. It made me think of my daughters and hoping they won't hurt like that, but knowing they probably will. I wanted to tell that young girl that she has her whole life in front of her and the boy that makes her cry doesn't matter. How can I say that? I loved my husband when I was 15, and I cried over him many times. Maybe I should have told her that this moment won't break her, this moment will make her. It will help define who she will be later in this life.


Dinner was wrapped up and we headed to Clowes Hall. I drove myself to the theater. I had a long walk from my parking space and not much time. By the time I made it to my seat the show was just beginning. The show was awesome. The sets and the effects were some of the best I had seen. The students seems to enjoy it as well. They reacted to the more mature moments in the show. Stage performances seem to be pretty risque and I heard some giggles. One thing I also noticed was the use of cell phones among teenagers. They are so connected to their phones I worry they couldn't be completely connected to the show. In fact, I had a hard time staying connected to the show because of the lights of the phones. One young lady even talked briefly on her phone. This wasn't so much of a problem for me, but I felt sadness for these kids. I am sad that they can never quite be free. As a parent it makes me consider having some rules that I am sure my kids will think are completely unfair. But I don't want them to be accessible to anyone at anytime. I don't want them to be so worried they will miss something when they are actually missing what is happening right in front of them.

I am so thankful to Mr. Lloyd for inviting me. I am thankful to the staff who welcomed me. I enjoyed meeting and getting to talk to Mr. Weber, the band teacher. I appreciate all he has done for his students. I adore Stacia Lloyd, who is everything you would imagine her to be. A kind, sweet soul. Without her strength, guidance, and her willingness to share so much of her husband, he would not be able to be the choir director that he is. I think it's awesome that she is so involved. I am grateful to the students who didn't mind me imposing on this night. I am thankful and surprised that I came home to an awesomely clean kitchen! It was a wonderful night.