THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 6, 1996 TAG: 9609060061
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E13 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 77 lines
You know how teachers act silly and freshmen act clueless on the first day of school. It seems everyone is a bit off center. High school correspondents from across the area filed reports on goings on at their schools.
7:45 a.m. - Chemistry class, Norview High, Norfolk
Already a teacher has come in to borrow a desk. Now, a student is returning it. He's wearing a T-shirt with a Spam can sprawled across it.
``Ohhh,'' the teacher says earnestly. ``I like Spam!''
The student's face turns redder than Spam.
``Leave me alone,'' he grumbles. - Rebecca Mann, junior
8:30 a.m. - Electronics class, Norview High
The guy who was late all last year is late again.
``You must come to the class on time,'' the teacher says.
``I got lost,'' the student says.
``Nice try,'' says the teacher.
- Shanel White, senior
8:32 a.m. - Science class, Tallwood High, Virginia Beach
The teacher is going on about what students should expect from Earth science class when a black fuzzy thing falls off the desk and onto the floor. The teaching assistant scoops it up with a piece of paper.
``This is a woolly worm and this will be our class mascot,'' the teacher announces. ``I'm testing it to see how smart it is.''
He explains that if he puts the edge of the paper near the sink and the caterpillar inches off the paper cliff, he's dumb. If not, he's smart.
Five minutes later, the caterpillar inches off the paper and into the sink.
``He must be really dumb,'' the teacher says.
- Jessica Spute, freshman
9:10 a.m. - Communication technology class, Granby High, Norfolk
It's the first day and one teacher is already learning a valuable lesson. For homework, he asks students to bring in magazines for a collage they will be making on a theme - surfing, shoes, jewelry, whatever.
``Bring any magazine you want,'' the teacher says.
All the guys begin to laugh.
``Let me rephrase that, you can't bring any magazine you want,'' the teacher says, laughing.
- Caitlin Stine, junior
9:15 p.m. - Honors freshman English, Norview High
A girl walks into class wearing a gold Cheerios T-shirt.
``Mmmm,'' another student says. ``It must be honey nut.''
- Sheena Mann, freshman
11:40 a.m. - Cafeteria, Tallwood High
A gaggle of girls moves through the lunch line checking out the new, higher prices. One grabs a carton of milk, and hands the cashier $5. The cashier returns $3.70 in change.
``Excuse me,'' the girl says, ``I know the prices have gone up, but I didn't think they'd gone up that much.''
``Yes, it did,'' the cashier says.
``Oh,'' the student answers. ``That's a lot of money.''
Then the cashier looks again, apologizes, and hands over another bill and the student fondly recalls last year when milk was a quarter.
- Chera Reid, senior
12:47 p.m. - Photography class, Kempsville High, Virginia Beach
``I'd like to know why you all decided to take photography,'' a teacher asks, adding that he wants to know the real reasons.
Various students respond. ``It's easy!'' ``I needed the credits!'' ``Schedule mistake!''
Slightly deflated, the teacher addresses the class once again. ``Now tell me some I'd prefer to hear.''
- Danny Valentini, senior
Monday, Aug. 21, 3:08 p.m. - Aboard Bus 37, Gates County, N.C.
Four minutes after pulling out of Gates County High School, the bus rolls up to the middle school to collect more students. The driver opens the door and a steady stream of students files onto the bus. They keep coming, even after there are no seats left. Two unlucky seventh-graders must sit on their book bags until some students get off the bus.
``I'm supposed to be getting a bigger bus, but not until next summer,'' the driver says. ``If this bus stays overloaded like it is today, I may get one sooner than that.''
- Eric Nickens Jr., sophomore by CNB