Thursday, June 12, 2008

another update

AUUUUGGGHHH!!!!
This lack of information and poor communication is making me crazy!!!! Ok the whole Mercury thing is stressful enough, but could we please get some answers?

Yesterday I was called about the lockdown at school, but not until it had been in place for over an hour. Jamie never got that call. Then I got the all clear call, which Jamie never got either. (Factor in that Riss has a super cool teacher who was letting her call me personally, which happened before the school ever called) Now, maybe it is just me, but when HAZMAT gave the all clear and dismissed students, I foolishly assumed it meant that all was clear. Following me?

It wasn't until last night at 6:30 and I was in Food Lion that I got a call saying that school had been cancelled for today and that the EPA guys from Washington DC were truckin' their bootys down here to do further testing. This was the first call Jamie ever got from any official. We came home, tied up the bookbag, clothes, shoes and clarinet, and all the artwork she had brought home. Washed hands, took a good shower, and went to bed.

Now this morning I get a call saying "Attention 5th grade parents. Yesterday your child received their school t shirt. Please be sure that this t shirt is also placed in a bag and placed outside of your home. Thank you." No other details. Jamie has not received this call either. A quick check on my email, and I find an announcement dated yesterday that didn't come through until today, about the testing and school being closed. I trotted over to the WTOC website and found an announcement that school is closed for tomorrow as well but no other details. Well, the shirt was still in her pack when we put it outside yesterday so that wasn't a concern, but.......

WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON??????

Why are we getting info from the news channel and not the school officials? Why are our kids clothes and belongings tied up in trash bags? Why is school closed again tomorrow and everyone is acting so nonchalant about this? What are we not being told?

And while I believe that the school automated calling system is good, it is also obviously flawed as we are not all getting the calls! What's up with that?????

******UPDATE*******
Just checked the email again and found the email that states the school was undergoing a hazardous materials cleanup. That announcement was made yesterday about 1:30!!!! It just gets emailed alomst 24 hours later? Also, oddly enough, I got an emailed "parent satisfaction survey" from the school board? BWAH HA HA HA HA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dude! Over here in my hole in the ground...knew nothing about all this mess. Wow, I'd be pretty freaked and frazzled too. Mercury? Weird. I'll stay tuned...

Amanda Phillips said...

For years we have all been exposed in many ,many ways to mercury mainly through cavity fillings. Do we know if the boy that brought the mercury in the school has been hospitalized for exposure, as he was actually playing with the stuff. I understand the chemical came from a over the counter chemistry set????Correct me if I am wrong. I just think "hopefully" that this has been made into a bigger drama than needed. Taking a safe than sorry approach is positive but tends to make others fear unnessecarily. Please take care of your frazzled nerves...I am sure they aren't helping with the way this entire situation has been handled. Ya know...It just came to me...Pooler Elem. has LOTS of serious problems ( chemical exposure/bad PTA)..How soon can we get Riss to that other school?

Cecile said...

I hope that everyrthing is better now!Keep us updated...

About Me said...

I think the school board should have been more fothcoming with info. The news only tell what they want you to hear. I hope your daughter is okay and all the other students as well.