2000-2001 THE ONE WHERE I GOT TO GO TO BOSTON: Wichita Public Schools: Funston 2-5 Library

THE ONE WHERE I GOT TO GO TO BOSTON 2000-2001: Wichita Public Schools: Funston 2-5 Library

2000-2001 School Year Photo
I felt pretty fortunate that I was offered the job at Funston Elementary. The school was 6 miles from my home. I was happy that my friend Bianca Butler was able to take care of our Kindergartener and Second Grader. This made my returning to work full time not that bad.

I remember an incident at the book fair I was hosting during conference time at my new school.  Due to low sales at the book fair before I was the Librarian, Scholastic decided to not send a cash register as a part of the book fair I was hosting. OK, no problem. I would get a cash box and a calculator and do all sales by hand. I was going great until one out of control parent did not like the line he had to stand  waiting for me to cash customers out. By the time he got to the front of the line he had thrown his checkbook in my face. He cussed at me for having to wait so long. It was the last book fair I EVER hosted. Not worth it to be abused. Years later when Funton Elementary closed and blended into White Elementary the PTA ran the book fair and gave me the profits to spend.  I never ever had to run a book fair again!

Pretty great that I got to go to Boston AT NO COST!
Funston had applied for a grant to https://www.coreknowledge.org/ and had obtained funds to teach their curriculum at our school. I was familiar with the curriculum as I had used the “WHAT YOUR ____ GRADER NEEDS TO KNOW” books at home with our boys. I am not sure but I believe our building won the grant over the “offical” Core Magnet School Minneha Elementary? Perhaps Shari Edwards or Mary Schumacher knows the answer to this? I know that the winning of that grant allowed several of us to attend the Core Knowledge conference for several school years. I was a part of the group that attended the conference in Boston. It was an incredible vist where we were able to tour the many sites, including going to Cheers. Meg Schimmels who was the Campus Support Librarian was my substitute for me when I went to Boston.  The Core Knowledge grant also allowed us to have extra books purchased for our Library. I forgot to mention in some of my other blog entries that I was not allowed substitute teachers at most of my USD 259 Schools up to this point (with the exception of my maternity leaves). This made it incredibly hard when I had to be gone with sick children or illness of my own. Teachers REALLY resented you if your absence caused them to miss their “break.” Since Library was not contractual planning time, Librarians (like my School Psychologist husband) did not get substitute teachers. It was a nice change that my Principal allowed me to have a substitute when I was absent. 

Lunch Library Helpers at Funston 
Funston was a 2nd-5th grade building. Around this time period several bond issues were passed in Wichita which allowed for the expansion of many schools. Some schools were razed and new buildings were built. We knew that at some point Funston School would close and that our school would join White Elementary ( a few blocks away) which housed our neighborhood PreK-1st grade students. Because our district had automated our district Libraries the previous year, I was able to use the online card catalog for both schools to begin thinking about the blending of two book collections.

Funston also had a large TV/Gateway Computer. It was a great learning tool for my students and it allowed me to present online card catalog lessons that all of my students could see at the same time. Speaking of Technology, I had 5 Windows 98 computers in my Library. 
On a personal level I had been running on and off since my high school years. It was around this time period I began to wonder if I could run further than a 5K? Between 2000-2002,  I was able to move from the 5K distance to the 10K distance. 
I looked into beginning my Masters degree. Unfortunately I called too late and the fall 2001 cohort was already filled. Looks like I would be working another year without a pay raise as I had bottomed out on the pay scale with a Bachelor's degree + 30 graduate hours. Getting my M.Ed. was risky because if there was a freeze on the pay scale I would not be compensated for my advanced degree. Unfortunately I know of SEVERAL teachers that had to wait out a pay freeze for several years to get their M.Ed. raise. I am VERY fortunate that this did not happen to me. 
Look for my next blog entry on 11/20/21 entitled THE ONE WHERE WE WATCHED THE TOWERS FALL  2001-2002: Wichita Public Schools: Funston 2-5 Library

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