I’m not sure why the public schools have gotten so crazy about guns or knives – any tool that could be used for destruction – But can tell you this. I think Petra School might have to instate a No Knives While Mom is Waiting to Help You in Math Policy.
2 Hours. Two. TWO STINKIN HOURS!!!!! I snapped. I have a tick in my left eye right now. A new strand of grey hairs.
First you have to change all the blades in the knives around. Then you have to figure out that the blades don’t work in the other knives, no locking mechanisms. Next work really hard to figure out which parts went with each knife in the first place. THEN sharpen a pencil. Now another one. Another one. Um. One more. Next get out a pencil sharpener and sharpen a really long pencil. I don’t advise making the sharpening sound so close to the math page – or your teacher might snap when it draws her attention to the fact that you are on question # 2. Looking extremely busy for 2 hours while your teacher plans the next geography lesson across the table buys you time to have all of your pencils sharpened.
Sigh. We’re wondering if he broke the world record in time spent sharpening a pencil . . . . Do you have a record in your house?
(I’m reading on Free Range Kids about a boy who has been kicked out of school for having a toy gun in his backpack – from the description – It sounds like Nerf Gun. – Boys with nerf guns in class is a whole other post though . . . .)
+Angie Wright
Pebblekeeper 
I might have laughed out loud through this whole post… but I’m not telling 😉
amy in peru
I had a sense of humor even while it was happening. Hard to be stern and amused all at the same time. 🙂
We have had a serious problem with knives this year…not on my end but when my 12th grader who goes to his welding class. It is held on the high school campus and they have a “zero tolerance” policy about knives (or any weapons). My boys wear a knife on their belt every day…just like their dad does. It is standard equipment around here.
Now everyday, I have to go through the drill. “Did you take your knife out of your pocket, off your belt or not?” It is driving me crazy because we have never dealt with this issue before. I know one day we are going to slip and that knife is going to end up getting my son kicked out of his welding program. Sigh.
Anyway, I enjoyed your post. 🙂 It made me smile. I have been in your shoes with the the NXT stuff too but thankfully they now do it all on their own.
We attended a VBS at the local elementary school. Serious signage all over the school. Good Gravy the signs, the threats. Well – Not threats – posted immediate consequences. It was a pad down all five days. I couldn’t imagine doing it all year long! The kids that see Nate around town all say they are going to tell about his knife on the belt. We get horrid comments about it all the time. I’m glad he carries a knife, it comes in handy daily!
Looks like fun. But why switch the blades? When I last saw then, they all seemed to be in good condition, except for needing a little oil 🙂
I hope the tick has disappeared… this post was one of the best I’ve read today 😉 My daughter asked what you were doing with the pencils! Lol I said “Sharpening them again and again!” And no, no records in our house…maybe we should work on that 😉
Thanks. Now I have Lego Robotics Programming Tick. I have to learn the programming software to teach it to some 8 year olds tomorrow. . . .Joy. 🙂 Maybe a glass of red wine and a mindless book should be in order tonight. 🙂