Back in the seventies, our local paper developed a program that encouraged the use of newspapers in the schools. Like many of my colleagues, I was anxious to give it a try when I heard about it and began incorporating it into my instruction. I really liked all of the different reading strategies it gave me and I could really tell that my students benefited from the program.  One day our Principal proudly announced in a faculty meeting that the Editor in Chief of the paper would be coming to observe the program in our school. He would be bringing  along a photographer and a  reporter. I was honored  to learn that I was one of the teachers my Principal selected for our  visitors to see.

The day was set for the visitors to come along with our school superintendent and a school board member. We were all really excited to have all of these visitors of distinction coming to our school.  On the day they were scheduled to come, I was beginning to think that perhaps they had changed their minds. Then, about an hour before the last bell  for dismissal rang, in came the visitors escorted by my proud Principal.

As he was talking to the editor, the secretary made an announcement over the intercom. She announced to the Principal "Mr. L...., your strippers are here!" I had to chew on the insides of my mouth to keep from laughing out loud.  I watched the poor man squirm red-faced as he faced the shocked expressions of our guests. He hurriedly excused  himself and made his way to the office. I continued teaching the lesson while the photographer snapped away. The superintendent introduced me to the editor and we talked for a few minutes before they left. I looked around for my assistant and found her literally crying from laughter in the back of the room.

Later, we found out that the men who had come from the Central Office to strip the wax off the lobby floor had arrived and the Principal had told the secretary to be sure to page him as soon as they got there. Well, you have to give her credit for following directions! She had been a school secretary for forty years so I am certain it never dawned on her how her announcement might have sounded.

I have attached a picture from a newspaper clipping taken that very day by the photographer! I bet you never dreamed life in an elementary school could be so exciting! Can you remember a time when you experienced an innocent innuendo?

43 comments

  1. Shell // May 2, 2010 at 9:23 PM  

    LOL @ strippers!

    I loved the Newspapers in Education program. :)

  2. TheSmellyArmpit // May 2, 2010 at 9:27 PM  

    teehee! Funny!

    Thanks so much for stopping by! Yep, I've already turned my blog posts from 2008 into a book using lulu.com so I can have a hardcopy of my family 'journal'. I need to get working on it for 2009!

    Thanks again for stopping by! I enjoy reading your posts. This one is really funny!

  3. Unknown // May 2, 2010 at 9:43 PM  

    What a choice of words!!! I can just imagine those reporters thinking of how to write that one up into a good article. Sort of like blogging, right?

  4. Annesphamily // May 2, 2010 at 9:54 PM  

    That is just a cute story! Thanks for sharing.

  5. Crystal // May 2, 2010 at 10:04 PM  

    We have NIE in our town too... I would have cracked up over the strippers.

  6. DUSTINE // May 2, 2010 at 10:13 PM  

    OMGoodness!!! That is hilarious!! Loved this story!! So perfect that there were such important "witnesses" to the announcement!!

  7. Hannah Gold // May 2, 2010 at 10:35 PM  

    That story made me smile!

    You know, the sad thing is that a lot of today's kids would know what a stripper is. Back then it probably went over a lot of the kids' heads.

  8. Ms. A // May 2, 2010 at 10:38 PM  

    Priceless!

  9. Susan Fields // May 2, 2010 at 10:45 PM  

    LOL - that's hilarious! I have to feel sorry for that poor man, though.

    Thanks for you kind comment on my blog - that was so sweet!

  10. He & Me + 3 // May 3, 2010 at 12:37 AM  

    OMGosh...no she didn't announce that. That is hilarious. How you ever didn't laugh is beyond me. Too funny.

  11. Marlene // May 3, 2010 at 2:18 AM  

    *snicker*

  12. T.J. // May 3, 2010 at 10:56 AM  

    LOL Life in a school is super interesting- those not in the field don't know what they're missing (well, I guess the media figured it out ;))

  13. jayayceeblog // May 3, 2010 at 11:37 AM  

    That is hilarious! Never a dull moment ...

  14. One Photo // May 3, 2010 at 12:55 PM  

    That's very funny! Is that you in the picture?

  15. Stephanie // May 3, 2010 at 2:35 PM  

    LOL There realy is no recovery from that!

    Love the pic of you:)

  16. Anne // May 3, 2010 at 3:54 PM  

    A very funny story! Never a dull moment when you are a teacher.
    Have a good evening.

  17. Kathy // May 3, 2010 at 5:51 PM  

    I love your stories about school so much. Now I'm getting my daily dose of school news that I've been missing since retiring 5 years ago. That is so funny about the strippers! Kathy

  18. Shelley // May 3, 2010 at 7:32 PM  

    Oh my goodness!! That is so funny! I don't think I could have kept a straight face :)

    My daughter is going to be interning next year in a Kindergarten class...she is SO EXCITED! I think she has that 'special gift' to work with kids. She works with my son alot and loves to teach him new things!

    Thanks for visiting today, and I hope you have a wonderful night!

    Shelley

  19. VKT // May 3, 2010 at 8:34 PM  

    I loved it too Shell. I hate that they stopped it.

  20. VKT // May 3, 2010 at 8:35 PM  

    Good for you Magee Mommy! I wish blogging had been around when my daughter was little.

  21. Kyrstin // May 3, 2010 at 8:39 PM  

    Too funny! I love a good laugh :) I love the newspaper picture.

  22. VKT // May 3, 2010 at 8:59 PM  

    Kyrstin,

    That picture was taken almost thirty years ago...lol. I hope you have had a wonderful day today. Blessings sweet lady and thanks for commenting.

  23. Cheeseboy // May 4, 2010 at 12:27 PM  

    This is my 6th year and not once has anyone announced that my strippers are here. I am very jealous.

  24. Barbra The Bloggess // May 4, 2010 at 1:52 PM  

    LOL.
    VTK, I have one, we made butterfly wings with stockings over hangers on Spring in an after school program. As the kids decorated them the stockings proved to be to delicate a material and had runs and fell apart. We rushed out & asked a male troop leader buy tights (and it worked great)...until he announced over the intercom.
    "Will the Teacher that needed her pantyhose changed please come get her tights at the main office!"

  25. Hautemama // May 4, 2010 at 9:25 PM  

    That's funny! I, unfortunately, cannot keep my composure when something like that is said...I would have lost it! Tee-hee! Neat picture! I was a reporter for my school newspaper.

  26. Debbiedoos // May 4, 2010 at 10:04 PM  

    What a great clipping of you! Very funny story! I truly would have lost it though, I just can't hold laughter in....I have tried, to no avail!

  27. Alexandra // May 5, 2010 at 1:07 AM  

    OH my gosh...That is so funny...

    the words that sound ok to us, but not on the other side, right?

  28. Theresa Milstein // May 6, 2010 at 4:50 PM  

    Wow - look at you!

    To think, if the secretary had used the word "wax", this wouldn't even be a story.

  29. Bits-n-Pieces // May 8, 2010 at 9:26 AM  

    last year, one of my 1st grade boys came to me and said, "Mrs. M...my mother is having an affair at work."
    taken aback and not sure what to say, I asked, "oh she is?" (thinking he must've overheard mom and dad arguing or fighting about said affair or something.)
    he said, "yes...and we are taking a picnic basket, and there will be games and races and things like that there." ...AFFAIR....like Event!! LOL yes...I was quite relieved to learn that!

  30. VKT // May 15, 2010 at 5:34 PM  

    Good point Steadfast Ahoy....lol. Thank goodness it wasn't mentioned in the article.

  31. VKT // May 15, 2010 at 5:34 PM  

    Glad you like it Annesphamily!

  32. VKT // May 15, 2010 at 5:34 PM  

    Crystal,

    It was all I could do not to burst into laughter. Whew!

  33. VKT // May 15, 2010 at 5:35 PM  

    Dustine,

    For some reason, I don't think my Principal would agree...lol.

  34. VKT // May 15, 2010 at 5:36 PM  

    That is sad, MommyMommyMommy,

    As I recall, at the time, it went right over the children's heads. They had no idea in the seventies what one was I guess.

  35. VKT // May 15, 2010 at 5:38 PM  

    Susan,

    I have to admit, I felt sorry for him too...but it was so funny.

  36. VKT // May 15, 2010 at 5:38 PM  

    He,Me ....

    I almost chewed the insides of my cheeks though so that I wouldn't!

  37. VKT // May 15, 2010 at 5:51 PM  

    snicker back at you my bloggging bud

  38. VKT // May 15, 2010 at 5:52 PM  

    Lol TJ,

    You are so funny!!! Good point.

  39. VKT // May 15, 2010 at 5:53 PM  

    So true Jayay...,

    That is one thing I can say for an elementary school. There is never a dull moment.

  40. VKT // May 15, 2010 at 5:55 PM  

    It is me Aging Mommy....over twenty five years ago....sigh

  41. VKT // May 15, 2010 at 5:56 PM  

    Thanks Modern Mom....that was a longg time ago.

  42. VKT // May 15, 2010 at 6:02 PM  

    Thanks Anne dear,

    and thanks for commenting. You do the same.

  43. VKT // May 15, 2010 at 6:11 PM  

    So glad you enjoyed it Kathy!

    Blessings