Ka Mate! Ka Mate!

This week, I've had the first words of the Haka stuck in my head. Ka Mate! Ka Mate! Ka Ora! Ka Ora! Meaning, "It's death. It's death. It's life. It's life."

The reason for my slightly morbid musing? The Elementary Winter Luau.

So, remember the Halloween Party debacle? How I walked into the gym to find tons of screaming children, and all that careful planning we had done proved fairly useless? Adults abandoning the ship left and right?

Yesterday, I had the chance to go through that experience again. But this time things were going to be different. THIS time, I was going to be ready.

So I enlisted some vital key players: the secretaries, my coteacher, my teacher's aide, and the librarian.

The secretaries battled like She-ra to enforce the permission slip deadline, taking on angry parents and belligerent coworkers.

My teacher's aide and coteacher made phone calls, took trips to Walmart, and helped design the craft.

The librarian taught my Social Studies classes for an hour and a half on the day of the party.

And I had help from unexpected sources as well! During the party, I looked up and spotted two middle school teachers in there helping with the kindergartners! Even my sixth graders rose to the occasion when I marshaled the troops and sent them off to help with the various activities.

End result: Elementary Winter Luau

Number of kids in attendance: 145 (k-6)

Number of adults in attendance: 14

Cheesy Hawaiian outfits for the Senators: Check!

Limbo contest: Check!

Teach the Haka: Check!

Games in small groups (Hot Coconut, making lifesaver leis, playing volleyball with an inflatable octopus): Check!

Everybody gets a popsicle: Check!

Parents there at 4:00 to pick up the kids: Check!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is redemption.

Many thanks to all those who made it possible for me to make it through without killing anyone!

Now, all I have to worry about is the Spring Carnival....