The Activity

It was Wednesday at the continuation high school. Advisory. 

Advisory is a short period between periods one and two that occurs only on Wednesdays. Back in the day (I've been doing this a long time), it was the time when the students would get printouts of their graduation status. With computers and access online to their records, they don't need this information once a week (they still get those printouts about once a month), so advisory has evolved.

On this day, the ASB was conducting an activity. While I was reading the usual announcements (this is the time when they deal with administrative stuff the students need to do), the counselor came over the intercom to let us know to release the students to the quad. 

I've been at the school for games of musical chairs. I've seen some interesting games. But this was the first time the students were lined up for something and I didn't hear any sort of explanation as to what they were doing. 

They all seemed to understand the game already. 

I gleaned the rules from watching. After, I asked a student what they had been playing.

It's a game called Sharks vs. Minnows. Apparently, it's a well-known elementary school playground game. 

This is actually a good tip for dealing with teenagers: they do like doing stuff from their "childhood". (The trick is to do it with full awareness that they are Too Old for This.) 

Unlike the earlier games I had seen, this time they had plenty of volunteers. We only had one injury when a boy slipped and fell. (He complained that he was wearing Crocs which don't really work well for a running game.) 

As for the game: in the middle of the basketball court, four students lined up. They were the sharks. At the edge of the court ten-ish students lined up. They were the minnows.

At the start of the game, the minnows were to run across the court and make it to the other side. If the sharks tagged them, they were out (and became sharks, although some just stepped out of the game). They went back and forth across the court until all the minnows got tagged out. (I would have assumed that someone should win, but they had that last kiddo run across one last time. With four plus sharks, the kiddo was doomed.) 

Cute game, but completely new to me. Have any of you heard of this game before?

Karaoke

On Wednesdays, the continuation high school has a thing called "advisory". Back in the day, it was when the "advisors" (read: the teachers) would pass out an itemized list of what credits the students had and what credits they needed. 

The "status reports" do still get passed out, but only about once a month. (If the students are curious as to how many credits they have on any given day, most of the staff can pull that up for them.) 

So, nowadays, the weekly advisory "period" (of about 20 minutes) gets filled with other sorts of activities. This past week, it was an ASB activity. (ASB is the student government.) They were playing Around the World for prizes (tickets to a local miniature golf course). 

While those that participated (a small percentage of the student body) played, a couple students in ASB manned the sound system. They had music playing. 

At the beginning, I wasn't too shocked at the choice of song. Nor was I that surprised that one of the students pulled out a microphone and began singing along. Then their friend joined, and the two of them duetted. As the rest of the students were either playing the game or ignoring the proceedings, it wasn't like they were really performing for anyone.

Then the song changed...

And I was rather surprised by their choices. Choices that they continued to sing along with. 

While they were singing, the ASB advisor came over and tried to get a picture of them. That's when they got bashful. (The advisor did get his picture, though.) 

What Day Is It?

"Advisory on a Monday!?! This is stupid. Why are we having advisory on a Monday...?"

Wednesday. The continuation high school. I was covering an English class, but this boy was outside during the passing period before advisory, talking loudly enough for everyone to hear.

Every Wednesday this school has a twenty minute "advisory" period. It's a time for announcements, passing out transcripts (so the students know how many credits they've earned), and general counseling things (every month they get to adjust their schedules).

Every Wednesday after first period, I make the same announcement: "Remember, go to your advisory class, not second period." Every week they forget.

So, I was amused at the boy's loud complaints. His first period teacher had said the same thing I did. But clearly he didn't know what day of the week it was.

I saw a girl quietly talk to the boy as he entered his advisory classroom. Apparently she informed him it was Wednesday, because his complaining stopped.

What I want to know is: Had he been absent all week? Because, while I may mistake Wednesday for Thursday or Wednesday for Tuesday (frequently), I know when it's the first day of the school week.