Our weekend started out with some trick or treating with the neighbor kids on Thursday evening. Our little Pagmill Point cuties looked adorable in their costumes:
Friday Morning Danny and I took the girls to school and headed to the airport - we went to LAS VEGAS!!!
Flight was good - we landed safely and checked into our hotel. We stayed at the Hooters Hotel and Casino - we have stayed there before and really liked it.....not so much this time.
We put our bags in Tony and Sammy's room and had lunch there in the hotel - the hotel is not that good anymore - but still the best Hooters I have ever eaten at.
We walked over to the MGM to pick up our KA tickets and get the gambling started. While I was in the gift shop waiting I got a text from our friend Tina about Makaila. Unbeknown to me, something had happened at school early in the week and while I was in Vegas it started to unravel - I'll go into the details of this later. But I will say that it changed the mood of our trip completely. I felt completely angry, confused, and just pissed.....and Danny was a tad irate - he was ready to hit something or someone - but from 3,000 miles away there wasn't much we could do. I talked to Makaila to try to get some information and she was pretty worked up so I told her to write the statement the school requested and then put it behind her for the rest of the weekend. She and Issy were doing the Katy Tournament and staying with Ceci and I didn't want her weekend ruined anymore than necessary!
We moved on in Vegas and walked around the strip for awhile checking out a few hotels, and then at 8 we went over to Treasure Island, had something to eat and then went into the Mystere Theatre to watch the Joy Koy Stand Up Comedy show we bought tickets to. I was really excited. I love Joy Koy (You may have seen his stand-up or his frequent visits to Chelsea Latelys panel). The show was freakin hilarious! We had a great time - the seats were outstanding and we really enjoyed it all.
After the show we walked the strip and gambled in the different casinos until the wee morning hours. It was alot of fun! I set my alarm for 4:30 to be able to call the girls to wish them luck on their tournament....
We were out of our room by 8 am and back on the strip at it again. We hit up a few landmarks - took tons of pictures and did tons of gambling. Ceci was sweet and send us pics of the kids throughout the day! There was a ton of fun going on back home too.
The kids went to their Katy tournament and both placed! Makaila won 2nd place in Forms which will give her 5 points toward her state championship title. Isabella placed 3rd in one-steps! We are so proud of our baby girls! They were pretty happy to have had such a great cheer squad as well. Ceci, Alec, Victoria, and Jason all came to cheer them on so that made it pretty exciting for them.
Over the evening Isabella lost another tooth and was visited by the tooth fairy! She loves the tooth fairy. As you may have read here in the past - the tooth fairy is pretty awesome! She even came by to Tia Ceci's to pick up her tooth! And we got this awesome pic to celebrate as well:
The girls also attended Lucas's Minion themed birthday party which looked to have been pretty darn awesome! Ceci sent us a few pics:
Back in Vegas we walked through a ton of really nice hotels took tons of pictures and gambled like crazy! I even had to stop into a mall to buy me a new pair of shoes. I had packed flats to be comfortable - but it turned out that they weren't all that comfortable afterall. I ended up buying a pair of red Toms to wear the rest of the weekend and I also bought me a pair of black sequin shorts!
At about 5 we headed back to our hotel to get ready for KA.
We all got dressed up and walked over to the MGM for our show! I was pretty excited to see it and everyone looked really nice:
After the show we headed back to our rooms to change and then took a cab over to Freemont street. It was a good time. They had different bands playing old school 90's music and I was jammin. I got a great daiquiri and we had a pretty good steak and lobster dinner. We only stayed there for a little while because Sam was bothered by all the smoke and stuff, and was looking pretty unhappy.
We headed back to the strip and walked through a few hotels and gambled for the rest of the night again until we were too tired and headed back to our rooms.
Sunday morning we took the bus over to the Riviera on the opposite side of the strip and walked the entire strip checking out different hotels, had breakfast at Tacos El Gordo (which was really good), and ended up gambling in the Excalibur, making a few friends and hitting some great hands in 3 Card poker and Crazy 4 Poker tables.
Monday we did a little shopping and a tad more gambling and had some lunch (paid for with casino courtesy vouchers) then headed to the airport. I spoke to the school a few times and was anxious to get back home!!
The girls were with the neighbor Nina at this point and wouldn't you know it- Issy lost another tooth!!! I'm really starting to worry how she will eat with so little hardware in there! LOL
We made it home safely from a great trip. We spent way more than planned but we had a good time and were ready to be back home. We picked up the girls from Nina and got them into bed! I missed my little boogers!!
I came to work on Tuesday morning and did all the reports and updates that I needed to get done for our close. I left early to go to the middle school to talk to the principle in person.
Ok - here is basic breakdown. Makaila's teacher put her hands around Makaila in a choking manner on Wednesday at school (which she failed to mention to me at all), Thursday Makaila tried to talk to her about it and understand why she had done it and expected an apology - however instead she was told by this teacher that no one saw her do it and Makaila could not prove it so it didn't matter what she said! Wait - it gets better!!!!!! This isn't even the most angering part!
The next day Makaila takes it upon herself to write this teacher a letter (very well written and detailed I might add); letting her know that what she did was inappropriate and unacceptable, and that she was dissapointed in her as a teacher and as somone that she considered a friend that she wouldn't apologize for her actions but instead make her feel threatened and unsafe. Makaila mentioned to her that as a mother and a teacher she should know better than to have done that and how would she feel if someone would have done that to her daughter. She finished the letter in saying that she no longer felt any trust in her, and only wanted an apology but instead was even more hurt by her reaction and felt sick to her stomach at the sight of her knowing the true person she really was to have ignored her feelings and not apologized for what she had done.
She gave the letter to this teacher in class before a test (watched her read it durring the test) then asked for it back when she turned her test in. The teacher refused telling her she would give it to the counselor and have Makaila's schedule changed if that's how she felt. Makaila left that class in tears to Tina (our friend who was subbing at the school). She came back to that classroom in tears to get her belongings and was escorted to the principles office where the incident was finally reported.
Makaila wrote out everything that happened in a statement over the weekend and on Monday several students were interviewed. To no avail - turns out no one saw anything happen and the teacher was adamant that she didn't touch Makaila. They changed Makaila's schedule and she is no longer in this particular teachers class.
I at this point am not angry at what the teacher did phsyically - becuase I have no doubt that it was done in a joking manner (which I understand is still no excuse becuase a teacher should know better than to put her hands on a student like that); but the part that pisses me off the most is that this woman broke Makaila's trust. She made her feel unsafe and unimportant. She basically told this little girl that her word meant nothing and her feelings didn't matter!!!
Makaila would not have made this up - if you know Makaila you know that she is not that type of person. She can be dramatic at times but she is not a liar and she has a huge heart. When I came to the school on Monday - it was to get more details on the events that took place and to give Makaila a voice. Now I understand that that without any witnesses or proof they can't do anything abut it - but damnit she will be heard and she will be told that her word means something and it matters and most important that her feelings matter.
We spent a solid two hours in the principles office talking it over, crying and trying to uncover the truth. Quite frankly - my main concern is Makaila knowing that I trust her and beleive her regardless of what can be proven or not. For her to know that having another adult person who is supposed to be a techer and role model to make her feel that way is unacceptable and regardless of what that teacher or anyone tells her - her word matters. Her feelings matter. SHE MATTERS DAMNIT!!!!
It boils down to this - she was hurt by this persons actions and then made to feel like a liar and a fraud - her feelings were hurt and she was scared. I was angry that I wasn't told immediately and that I wasn't there to support here.
If you are a student who has been made to feel this way or have some crazy feeling that you don't matter or you are unimportant - STOP THINKING THAT WAY!!! I don't care what some crazy teacher or student or anyone says to you - YOU MATTER. The way people make you feel matters. You are not unimportant! YOU ARE IMPORTANT! Most importantly - when you are in a situation with another person and they are an adult - get help...tell another adult. Tell your parents. We might be embarrasing or uncool, or whatever - but bottom line is that we love you and would do ANYTHING to make sure you are safe and protected. There is no limit to what a parent would do for thier kids. Me included - like I said it wasn't the physical act that pisses me off - it's that this person, this adult teacher no less bullied my baby. She made her feel unsafe and unimportant, threathening her that her word was nothing. People who use thier titles and authorites over others are pieces of trash! For someone to clearly have hurt another person like that and have no remorse is just sad. I read Makailas letter to this teacher and my heart broke to know that she was so effected and so hurt - how could this teacher have read the ame note and not had a reaction; not feel bad???
It doesn't matter. It's over and done - the lesson learned is tell your parents things that matter! Let them help you. Most importantly know that you and your feelings and your word matter. You are important!!!
While we have had some amazing teachers over the years and love our school system - I am extremely disappointed by this event, and how it unfolded on both Makaila's part and the schools.
If you are a parent reading this story today - talk to your kids. Be involved in their school activities, and thier everyday. I thought I was. I check her grades constantly, talk to her about school every day and yet it still took 3 days for me to find out about this. I don't know that I could have done anything different; but I sure wish I had known sooner. Ther are some battles our kids need to fight alone - but this was not one of them!!
My anger is diassapting and my concern now is only for Makaila to know and truly beleive in her worth as a person! To know that she is important and she matters. That I will ALWAYS be there for her and she can always trust me and tell me anything. If you have a daughter or son - hug them today - kiss the top of thier head and let them know that they matter! Love them in ways they will remember. Remind them that they are special and loved and blessed!!!
It's in God's hands now - Say a little prayer for us tonight. Pray for this teacher, for the school, and the students at these schools. Pray for safety, honesty, value and self worth. Pray for my sanity too!!
Have a great weeek!!!
Loving you more than the chachinging on the slot machines!!!! AND I LOVE THAT SOUND!!! - S
Post a Comment