The Bubbly Librarian

I’m into the third week at my new school.  I am loving it, but that’s a post for another day.  Today I have to give kudos to all the brand new teacher librarians out there, especially those who are working without clerks or assistants.  I have all I can do to learn the ins and outs of my school culture.  I only go to lunch every other day (I force myself to be social) I can’t imagine how I’d survive if I didn’t already have an arsenal of lesson plans and classroom management techniques to rely on.

If you’re new to this wonderful field, my hat is off to you. If you’re a veteran, I wish you could experience the invigoration of a totally new assignment.  (without the unpleasantness of being excessed).

I need to thank my readers for their kindness and concern since my last post.  Sadly, there is nothing new to report about Erin.  The police have named a “person of interest” but no arrests have been made.  There have been many letters to the editor of our local paper criticizing those of us who worked with Erin for failing to get involved.  I’ve spent a lot of time reflecting and I can honestly say that I did the best I could. I never suspected anything like this was coming. Erin was a happy, positive kid who never showed signs of physical abuse.  She wasn’t fearful or timid. Even now, knowing what I do, when I look, I still don’t see any red flags that I missed.  She was a sweet girl who had the misfortune of living in filthy house. All I ever hoped for was for DSS to make her family get rid of some of the cats and clean up.  As it turns out, DSS was called at least three times.  Their handling of the case is also under scrutiny,  but that’s not something I’m prepared to write about.

I am writing this post with a heavy heart.  Last night I learned that one of my students has died. And the police have ruled it a homicide.  She was 11 years old and the sweetest little girl.  She died at home, though there are no more details being released.  I can’t help but remember sitting in my principal’s office discussing whether or not we should call social services regarding her living conditions. I know they had been called in the past for the same concerns.  She lived in a home with over 120 cats and the smell was overwhelming at times.  I had to throw away a couple of her library books because I couldn’t get rid of the smell. I feel horrible about telling her she could no longer take books home during vacations. I wonder if I should have pushed harder for another call to DSS. She always seemed happy enough; I never thought she was in danger; I just didn’t think her living conditions were appropriate. I don’t understand how anyone could have hurt this sweet tiny girl.