Kylie & Jack 1: Humble Beginnings

34. Time Flies When You're Having Fun

April

With the return to school, came a brief shake up to everyone's routines because Matt wanted to be a teaching principal. In a staff meeting at the end of the first week back, he had suggested rearranging the set up Lynne had put in place when Jack started teaching at Murruma sixteen months ago.

"So, I'm thinking ... how about we spread these classes out a bit more?" Matt had asked them both as they all scooped up their bits and pieces, ready to leave last Friday afternoon.

Kylie, bent forward over the table to gather her things, froze and frowned.

"What do you mean? I thought you said you were taking this job on in a non-teaching capacity?" Kylie asked, clutching her daybook to her chest, with Jack seated beside her stuffing his things into a bag and listening.

"No, no. I'm a teaching principal. Thought I made that clear? Anyways, I can see you have two classes and Josh has three -"

"- Jack." Kylie corrected him tersely before Jack could even look up.

"So who wants to drop a class?" Matt said, completely ignoring Kylie's little interruption.

"Sorry mate, but we've got it covered. Surely we can leave things as they are for the year? Or the semester at least, seeing as we have to start writing reports in what - the next two weeks?" Jack offered to Matt, who pulled a dissatisfied face and then turning to Kylie, to confirm if he was right about when they would start reports.

"While that is fair, I just wonder how easier all of that would be if we share the load." Matt replied in a rather defiant tone. Kylie didn't like it at all - but it was possible she was still feeling riled about him getting Jack's name wrong.

"Yeah, look it would be great - but Matt, we have a routine in place here. For as long as I've been here -"

"- how long's that then?" Matt interjected suddenly. Jack frowned at him - having to spend his working days with five to seven year old children, Jack frequently drilled respect and manners into his students - and interrupting someone was one of his "big no-no's", because as he had explained it, meant that you were not respecting the speaker nor taking the time to at least understand their point of view.

Kylie clenched her jaw blatantly hard and folded her arms, fixing Matt with a hard stare ... but answered, nonetheless.

"I have been teaching here for just over four years. We've had a few special needs students here and being a small, remote school we don't necessarily have access to the types of support that bigger schools might have." Kylie replied firmly, her voice gaining volume and confidence the more she spoke.

"Also, those particular families didn't have regular access to support services either, so it was down to Lynne, me and the previous teaching staff to ensure those students at least had consistency -"

"- but there are no special needs students here, at least none that we can claim added funding for, at present -" Matt interrupted again.

"- that's hardly the point, Matt. All Kylie's saying is that consistency has proven to be the most effective strategy here -" Jack said and although it annoyed him to lower himself to Matt's level by cutting him off, he was more irritated by his disregard for Kylie (the fact Matt had thought after a week here, that Jack's name was Josh simply washed over him).

"- plus, Jack's doing an exceptional job with the Kindies - which is where I think you're going with this. Besides, Kindergarten takes the first semester to develop a strong routine and changing their teacher in week two of term two is only gonna set you up for twice the work -"