squirrels

I am the squirrel of the month. No, seriously. I was given the squirrel award at the faculty meeting Friday.

Squirrel awards are given to staff members who make fools of themselves.

A few weeks ago, my principal and I were the last two people in the building. Her hands were full, so she said, "Let's go out together and you can swipe us out." We walk to the swipe box, I swipe the card, the alarm activates and we walk out. When we were outside, however, she tested the doors and found them still unlocked. Needing to go back in for the hex-key to lock the push bars, she said, "You swipe us back in and I will get the hex-key." OK, simple enough. We enter, I swipe, she goes to the office door. The light is still blinking red. I swipe again, still red. I swipe again and it says "Zone 1 alarm, zone 1 alarm." I say, "It's not de-arming. Is it because you are already in the building?" Principal says, "No, that shouldn't matter. Swipe it again." I do, still red. She says, "Hand me your card." I do. She laughs, then says, "Amber, this is a Visa."

Yes, I was swiping in with a debit card. Apparently the school only takes MasterCard.

She calls school security and tells them there is no zone 1 alarm, just a special ed. teacher swiping in with her Visa instead of a prox card.

Later that night, as I reentered the building, the security staff gave me a hard time, then said I am probably not the first one to do it, I am just the first one to get caught doing it by my principal.

The bad thing is that I am in the building more than any other staff member after hours. Due to the guinea pigs, I go to school EVERY weekend, either on Saturday or Sunday, to check on them, feed them, etc. Also, with the one car issue and dropping the man off at OTC classes, if I have things to get done at school I usually just go back there instead of driving home. It's closer and I get something accomplished! So, in my hundreds of after hours visits to school, swiping in and out, I have NEVER screwed it up. I have never swiped the wrong card or activated an alarm. The one night I do, of course, my principal is standing there to see it.

So, I am now the proud recipient of a ceramic squirrel....until I hear of a new "squirrel" to pass it along to.