The Push For The Playground

Twice a week I have duty at school. On Wednesday, I have to sit at the playground and watch the students. I have no real job except to make sure they don't kill each other, or, a better way to put it, to make sure they get to the infirmary in time. At the end of the period I have to then round up the students and herd them back into the school, which is what I do -- herding cattle – no metaphor here. Everyday, the battle starts around high noon at 12:10. The kids come running out of a double period and fight their way to the toys they want. There is one toy that is highly prized and is fought over by two groups, which ends up being mostly boys versus girls. While this is going on, the teachers have to make sure the kids will make it out OK. The kids play very hard here which is obvious, because there are about 2o kids with casts on their arms. The infirmary is always full of kids with head injuries, and I have a minimum of one student per day who is injured. The injuries so far have included a cut on the head and a sprained ankle. I will let you know more as the situation progresses. The teachers seem to be more of a NATO peace keeping force on the playground.