Faced with a 2 day week, just before a 2 week Spring Break (if you don't know, don't ask - things have been difficult around these parts), I promised the Grade 8s that we would cook before the break, and I was determined to get the 6/7s started on their knitting.
The 8s made it through their Apple Crisp lab, some better than others, and the 6/7s are well on their way to becoming knitters, some more than others. Pretty good for 2 days work.
Block 7. Last block of the day. Friday. The 8s have finished their cooking lab, and the last batch of 6/7s settle in to learn to knit. About 2:30, someone says "It smells funny... like gas". And I realize that she's right, and I can smell it too. So can the rest of that group. So can the group closest to them. And the group further away who weren't paying attention to the rest of us.
Dig out my cell phone and call the office. Vice Principal is teaching and Principal has "stepped away from his office" (which could mean anything). I let out a Bad Word. I explain the problem and ask the secretary to send me a Caretaker a.s.a.p., which she does.
I move the students away from the odour while the Caretaker investigates. Noticing that it's nearly the end of class makes it easy to wrap things up without upsetting the kids. They gather their things and move into the hallway to wait for the end of the block.
Turns out that some gas was being purged nearby. I honestly don't know what that means, or looks like. I'm going to look it up.
Do you think that if you're going to perform a procedure near a school that smells like a gas leak, you'd call the Principal and let someone know? Jeez.
