My day starts early. I mean really early. Today is no exception. I was up around 5 am so that I had time to do my yoga, take a shower, and spend a few minutes meditating to start my day. Luckily I live in The Academy complex so the commute is a short one. I needed to be in the office today by 6 am for a staff meeting.
Today's topic was whether or not to make changes to the starting age for martial training. In the outside world, kids start as early as 5 with karate and such. Here we do not allow them to start until 8 and that's only if they reach out or express an interest. Their parents do not get to choose it for them. They have to request it themselves. I believe that people are only motivated in an activity if it is their choice. If they choose it, it doesn't matter if they are 8 or 108, they will work for it. Anyway, there is a group who feels that it is a skill better learned young and they want to offer a special introductory class to all students at age 6. While I generally disagree with that on many levels, that is my opinion. It is also my opinion that keeping an open mind and listening to others is important and so we had a meeting.
The case for early training was basically what I had expected. Students learn more easily when young. It's better to get their bodies into the movement when they are still young and flexible. The discipline of martial arts is a discipline that helps them to be more in control of their lives. An introductory class will help those who aren't aware of martial arts realize that it is an option they can choose. All very good points. The other side talked about how it is better to let them grow into and learn their bodies first. Most do not have their transition to being a winger until later in life and this would give the early bloomers a lead which may make those who transition later reluctant to enter the training.
After listening to all sides I decided that rather than offer it as a formal class to those under 8, we would instead have a demonstration on club day which would expose all children to the opportunity and allow them, if they choose, to join the club. Formal training will continue to be offered to those eight or above.
That seemed to satisfy both sides, so it was a good compromise and I was glad I had made the time to listen.
From 7 am to 7:45 am I worked on the proposal to add a smaller flight practice pad inside of The Academy itself. While we love the training in the main building, it can be intimidating for many of the students. This would also allow us to host intramural flying events with other Rookery Academies. We could have aerial acrobatics, flight dance, aerial martial arts, etc. I think this will get approved as I know that some of the adults have been complaining about the kids goofing off and being loud in the main building, and well, Sals is a bit competitive with the other Rookery Leads.
8 am is time for class to begin. I spend the time from 7:45 to 8 welcoming students and generally circulating in the building. I like to get to know the students and since I no longer teach, this is the best way outside of having them to my office. As no one really wants an invitation to my office, walking around before classes, during lunch, at recess for the young ones, and after school are my best opportunities, and also my favorite parts of the day.
I talk to one little girl who brought her toy bunny for show and tell. Its name is Henry and he's a good bunny. I told her that I could not only see that he was a good bunny, but also that he is very loved and loves her very much as well. She beamed. Those are the moments my friend!
At 8 am I was meeting a parent who was concerned about their child's grades and extracurricular activities. I can't mention details because of confidentiality, but let me just say that the parent was really upset that the child was not pursuing the life they wanted for them.
The child themself was doing just fine. The parent was new to our school and still hung up on the ideas from mainstream schools. Here, we aren't as worried about grades as every child will find a place sooner or later. It's okay to try different things, experiment, and learn about yourself because we have colleges, trade schools, and work/study programs for basically everything. I think the parent has the beginnings of an understanding and I recommended that they join the Academy Parents Organization. The parents who have been here longer will help far more than I could in one meeting. These things just take time.
Around 9 am I finally ran out to grab some breakfast at the Staff Food Bar. It's a cool little automat set up by Chef Igneia so that the teachers and staff can always grab a bite. You don't actually have to pay at the machines, you just swipe your card, get your food, and you can either take it on the go [which we discourage!] or sit down for a few minutes to enjoy your meal. I got a bowl of fruit and some granola along with a Chai Latte. I allowed myself 20 minutes to eat before I needed to head to my next meeting.
By 9:30 am I was on my way to one of the faculty meeting rooms to discuss how to best structure lunches. Right now we gave the students one hour to eat lunch. We offset each lunch period by 30 minutes in order to ease the rush, but we were enrolling more students and we were starting to feel the pressure. We allowed the older children, currently high school and above, to leave the premises to get lunch at home, or in one of the many restaurants nearby. This meeting was to discuss allowing children ten and up the same option. It would ease the strain at The Academy certainly; however, we did not want to cause problems for other eateries. We had invited Chef to the meeting and she had agreed. By the end, we all agreed that the issue wasn't the food prep but the time spent in the lines waiting for food and the limitations of room occupancy. Chef proposed opening three nearby locations for student lunches and restricting them to students during those times. It shouldn't be a problem because they were not previously open for lunch anyway. She suggested that in order to ease worries for parents and staff that those in the fifth and sixth grades be escorted to one of the restaurants per day on a rotating basis. That would leave the other restaurant open for seventh through senior year if they chose to leave The Academy for lunch. We will put it in front of The Academy Board and Sals prior to presenting it to the Academy Parents Organization. I think it will end up getting approval.
At 10:30 am I headed for the main Rookery building to observe flying class. I wanted to see for myself how the students behaved and what the limitations were. I had my phone to take videos if it seemed appropriate as well. While I did not observe anything dangerous, I did see how the students at times were loud enough to disturb those who worked and lived off the central flight zone. I also saw several occasions where Internal Affairs had to leave the flight area and take ramps to avoid the erratic flight patterns. I opted not to take photos but I did take a few names of those who have to leave the flight area. They all said that they did not mind and in fact loved to see the younglings; however, I would include the names as witnesses to added workload. Still, their response got me thinking that maybe it would be better to reduce classes and not eliminate them, or maybe to have more advanced fliers remain here. It did seem to improve morale and put a smile on their faces. I was so engrossed in making my notes and observing from every angle that I didn't realize I was being watched until I heard him speaking to me.
"Good morning, Ms. Felicia," Tony said. He has a lovely, rich bass voice that rumbles from his chest. You can almost feel the vibration in your body and not just your ears. it was very comforting. I still jumped.
"Oh! Tony. Hi."
"Did I startle you? I didn't mean to but I guess you were very focused on your work. I apologize for interrupting," he said and started to turn away.
"Oh, no, not at all," I said quickly, not really wanting him to leave.
"What are you so focused on?" he asked turning back to me.
"I was trying to decide if I should continue with a proposal to have a flying arena at The Academy. I wanted to see if the students are a disruption here, and if so, did it warrant that request or just a modification of our current program."
"Hmm," he murmured looking thoughtful.
"I know you didn't ask me, but I have to say it's a bit of both. Sometimes the kids screaming and carrying on is a real pain, but at other times it is wonderful to see kids laughing and having a wonderful time learning to use their wings. I'm sure everyone has mixed feelings. Have you seen enough to make a call yet?"
"I am thinking of asking for the arena for the brand new fliers, but not cutting off classes here entirely. I think maybe the ones here would need to be earned through both advancing in skill so that they won't drive the Internal Affairs out of the air, and advancing in responsibility so they won't be as disruptive. Flying here would be an earned privilege and therefore more desirable. How do you think that would work with Toby?"
Toby is Tony's adopted daughter. She was living on her own outside of The Rookery until Tony found her and took her in. She had it pretty rough and faced some serious rejection, and she was a complete charmer. She had a wild streak for sure and was very independent but I was sure she would succeed at whatever she set her heart to do. She is also really good for Tony. He needed to get shaken out of his routine at times! I know it sounds silly but he's almost too responsible. He needs to have more fun. Of course, I'm one to talk!
"That sounds very well-considered and like a great plan to me. I'm sure you'll get approval," he rumbled.I nearly blushed like a schoolgirl, but it felt really good to get his praise. Instead, I grinned and said, "Thanks. Will you be at the Parent's Organization meeting tonight?"
"Yes. I hear that you will have an interesting presentation and I wouldn't miss seeing you." He paused for a long breath while looking straight at me, "You know, seeing you present. I love your presentations." He crooked a little smile and I felt my breath catch. Was he flirting? Do I want him to be flirting? I kind of do, yes, but I'm not sure he actually is. Maybe I'm just making it up. I must be.
Pulling myself together, I looked at my watch and squeaked. "Oh! I have to go. I have a meeting in ten minutes and I need to be back at The Academy. It was great seeing you, Tony. I'll see you later," I said. Turning, I spread my wings and took off at a good pace. I mean, I do have to set an example.
I just made it to my meeting in time.It was an informal meeting over lunch so we were in the Staff Food Bar at a table for six. This meeting was about how to best celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day. We had about two weeks to get a plan in place and implemented. You might think that the Staff Food Bar is an odd place to have this meeting but since it was actually lunchtime there weren't any teachers present. They were all with their various classes supervising lunch. Four of those present were parents, and the others were myself and Sherry Bellcraft, my assistant. We discussed food options but the parents were quick to dismiss that. Sure, that works in the outside world, but with Chef feeding us, what's the point. Also, funding of school supplies was unnecessary since we were provided for well in The Rookery Operating Budget. Eventually, they decided that they would commission jackets from Jaqueline Harver. They would include a stylized Academy mascot, an updraft, and their name. Sherry would provide them with the names, wing types, and sizes of the teachers. I think the teachers will love them.
I needed to get to my 2:00 pm appointment across town. I was attending the New Houston monthly school board meeting. We have recertification coming up in two years. I attend the monthly meetings in order to ensure that we are complying with state and city educational standards. While we are a private school, we still have to meet certain criteria and maintain good relations. This is one of those meetings where I listen far more than I talk. Most of the board are white male human business owners. Their interest is in ensuring that the educational system looks good for their prospective employees so that they can hire the best talent. Sadly that means that The Academy, and other private schools, need to ensure that we have plenty of other resources and political might behind us. The current head of the board is, and I don't say this lightly, prejudiced against those who have transformed. He has forced out several of the more tolerant members and frequently makes barbed comments at the meetings to those transformed who do attend. Luckily we are a strong community and between the various transformed-special schools and the active community, we hold him at bay. No matter how unpleasant he is, I attend every meeting. Sooner or later, the tide will turn against him and those like him if we just stay strong.
By the time that was done and I flew back to The Academy, it was closing in on 4 pm. I spent the rest of my official workday enjoying the smiles on the children's faces as they told me all about the ups and downs of their day. The best story was from one little boy about how he had done his first aerial somersault. He was so proud and gave me all the details including his worries and how happy he felt to have done it. All his classmates were cheering him. He was so proud. He even had a certificate he happily showed me that his best friend had made for him. Moments like that wash away all the heartache and drama of a school board meeting.
Once the children had either left for home or for the after school activities I headed back to my office. Sherry was still there.
"Sherry, what are you still doing here?"
"Waiting for you. How'd the meeting go? How are you feeling?"
She is such a dear to worry about me so much. "It was awful as always. He made the usual snide comments and insinuations. Nothing that could really be reported, but skirting the line. As for how I'm feeling... Well, I was feeling pretty fragile but I got back in time to say goodbye to the children so now I feel at peace and happy. He won't win."
"You bet he won't! I do think you should tell Tony and bring him with you one of these months. I mean, that jerk would think twice about making those comments with that big lug around."
Fighting to keep from blushing at the very idea, I said, "Tony has better things to do with his time. He is head of security for The Rookery after all."
"Yeah, and you're a part of The Rookery, right? An important part. And an even more important part to him!" She laughed, and I really did blush.
"You don't know that," I blurted out.
"Oh come on! Everyone thinks so. We all see how you two are when you're together. It's so cute! Y'all are so kawaii!"
"Well, I don't think so. We both lead very busy lives and he is kind and attentive because that's who he is, look how he is with Toby. He's a good man. Now I need to get some dinner before I present to the APO, and I've already eaten at the Staff Food Bar twice today. Would you like to go to The Patio to grab something?" I asked.
"Okay, sure, sounds good." She grabbed her coat and we headed out. It was a short flight to the landing for The Patio and we had about an hour before I would need to be back. I need to prep the room with the snacks and drinks and set up the AV before the meeting at 7 pm. We laughed over dinner and she continued to tease me about Tony. I know she ships it. I just don't know how he feels. I mean, I like him. He's a great guy and seeing how he treats Toby really gives me warm fuzzies. He has his hands full with all he does; his job, raising Toby, his volunteer work. I've never had time for romance, and now I have so much going on myself. I wouldn't even know how to start at this point. I'm hopeless. I'm sure he is nice to me because he appreciates all I have done for Toby and the kids at The Academy. I put it out of my mind as I headed back to the school to set up.
"Good evening! I want to fill you all in on the progress we are making on the new art wing! For those of you who are new to the APO, the organization held several fundraisers last year to fund two new art programs. One will be dedicated to digital arts and will have tablets, software, and such for organized classes and also for student use outside of class. I am happy to let you know that we have found a teacher! Will you all give a warm welcome to Ms. Decker?" I said, motioning for her to stand and be seen. "She is actually a professor at the New Houston Community College and does work for an indie anime company as well. She has graciously agreed to come in to provide instruction and guidance two days a week and to be the student advisor for any related clubs. We are so happy to have her. That allows us to open that room up to students in the next semester." The parents all clapped and extended welcomes.
"While we haven't made as much progress with the second program, we are making some progress. The idea was to have a room and classes for the fabric arts. While we have the equipment we are still in negotiations for an instructor or co-instructors. Unfortunately, I can't tell you with whom, but let me just say that if we are successful it will be a high-demand class!" I smiled at that. If we could snag Jacqueline Harver as the instructor, even for one class a semester, it would be a huge win. She was really known for her clothing, of course, but her degree was in fabric arts and I know she dabbles in quilts, knitting, crochet, decor, and art styles as well as the clothing. The hang-up was just waiting to see if she could fit in the courses around her other projects. Right now it was looking like we might need a co-teaching arrangement with her just teaching some special classes.
I sat back down as Edmund Neil, the APO president, came up and took over the meeting. I took the empty seat Sherry was holding for me, right next to Tony! She is so conniving! I was going to have to convince her to let this go. I don't want Tony to feel uncomfortable volunteering at the school. As I approached he briefly stood and pulled out the seat for me.
We listened to the rest of the meeting and then it was time for the snacks. I had set out some assorted desserts ordered from The Rookery Catering. We also had coffee, a selection of teas, and water. Everyone grabbed something and sat back down to chat and catch up. I sat with Sherry at our back table in case anyone wanted to come by and chat. I noticed Tony making the rounds of the parents helping them to feel comfortable and welcome if they were new.
Finally, the meeting was ended and the stragglers were starting to leave. By this time it was close to 9 pm and it had been a very long day. Sherry and I started cleaning up and putting the chairs away. Tony and Edmund helped out. Once the room was in order, Edmund volunteered to take the trash to the dumpster on his way out, and Sherry said she'd show him. There were still some desserts left that would need to go into the staff fridge, and then I realized that they had left me with Tony. Eeep!
"Um. Thank you for coming tonight. I need to get these into the staff fridge so I can call it a night." I said, looking at his feet.
"Let me help," he offered.
"Oh, okay." He took one box and I took the other and we headed for the lounge. We reorganized things a bit and got them into the fridge. When I stood up he was right there behind me. He was so close and I looked directly into his dark gray eyes. I drew in a sharp breath, and started to step back. I felt a strong arm slide behind my back.
"Careful," he said quietly, saving me from backing into the fridge. Once he was sure I was back on my feet his arm withdrew. I felt a chill settle in it's place. Of course I did basically have my butt in the fridge. He took a big step back and I turned to shut the fridge, and spare myself the embarrassment of him seeing me flustered. I turned back around to apologize for my clumsiness, but before I could say anything he spoke.
"Felicia, would you consider having dinner at my place on Friday?"
My mouth opened and shut like a fish. "Sure. Of course." I heard myself say.
I was treated to a glowing smile in return. "Wonderful. Thank you. I'll look forward to it."
"Me too," I said.
"I'd better get home. Toby will be waiting, and I need to get her into bed with lights off so that you don't get angry with me for her being late or sleepy tomorrow," he said with a bit of a grin. "Have a great night, Ms. Felicia." He turned and practically skipped from the room.
I was left just standing there. Had he just asked me out? It sounded that way. Then again, it was his place and he lived with Toby too. So no, it must just be a friendly invite to dinner. Right?
To be continued...
