At the end of the first day of my second week, darkness fell and lightning filled the night sky - I knew this would be another long and busy week.
Life at the beginning of any school year is always full of unexpected interruptions – as Monday finished and I finally felt on top of tomorrows plan, a cry of ‘Davies’ rang down the corridor (not using teachers first name is something I don’t think I will ever get used to). I stopped, closed my eyes and said a little prayer – hoping that whatever it was, it wasn’t going to be a biggy!
Boy, was I wrong – testing, testing and more testing. I don’t think that I have photocopied so much in my whole life – 2 reams of paper (500 sheets in each) later and many trees were falling all over the world and I was ready to go. My plan for the next day changed and a day of testing was ahead.
After a lot of testing (and marking) the week is finished. Along the way I managed to get a new bed, break the key off in the lock of my apartment door (had to call the after hours guy to come and change the whole lock system – I have issues with keys in this country as my classroom one doesn’t work either, and I can’t lock or unlock it – go figure), pass my physical and TB test, renew my car rental, buy a TV, get my pay check and deposit it in my local bank, get my social security number, hook up my internet and cable, and finally plan for next week.
It has been a big learning curve with a lot of interesting hurdles along the way. Different is the word I tend to use – and am trying really hard not to compare but the similarities and differences are often glaring. I have found one lady at school though that is completely fascinated by the New Zealand school system, so she often drops by my room to ask how we do things back home. She laughs and says I knew there could be a different way to do that. It is really cool to be able to share our teaching culture and education system.
I often feel blessed to come from a one schooling system in NZ, as I sense the frustration from the teachers and management as they try to please the county, the parents and provide a quality education for the students. As I said it is different and I am seeing the positives on both sides and truly enjoying the ride I am on.
I have discovered that I have been blessed with a great 5th Grade team of colleagues that are professional, passionate and kind hearted. I had to go and apply for my Social Security number and as per usual in our profession the people in my team allowed me to go while they looked after my class. They took it in their stride and didn’t see it as a problem at all – this happens back home as well but being new to the school I was unsure if we were allowed to do this in my new school.
The trip to the Social Security office was an adventure in itself – at times throughout this week I found myself in my car with the radio turned up really loud and screaming in frustration at the situation I had found myself in (needless to say this screaming was often followed very closely by uncontrollable laughing as I looked at the cars around me hoping that no one had spotted me losing it).
So my adventure to the Social Security Administration building in downtown Fayetteville began on Thursday afternoon directly after school. Hopping in my car I raced (within the speed limit) downtown, knowing that they closed at 4pm – I hoped I would make it in time. Arriving a 3.35pm I jumped out of the car, congratulating myself at the fact I had made it with 25mins to spare – enough time to do the interview and be back at school for a staff meeting.
Walking towards the door of the building, I noticed a Security guard (packing a gun – which I still marvel at) turning people away. Upon reaching the door I noticed a sign that said that they closed at 3.30pm – I asked the guard why and he said that congress had cut funding so they had to close early. Unbelievable! I stepped back from the door, with my mouth open and yelled at the building (yes, the guard looked at me funny, but the look on his face told me that he felt my frustration). So back to the car, I headed off to school.
Social Security take two – it is now Friday and I have permission from the principal to drop my students at lunch and then take off to the Social Security building for another chance to obtain my elusive number. So armed with all the documents I was told to take with me I headed back, hoping that this process would only take 40mins at the most. Walking into the building I knew I may have underestimated how much time it would take – I discovered that not only could you get a Social Security number here, but there are other services too - it is very similar to the Births, Deaths and Marriages Department and Social Welfare all rolled into one. There were seats all in rows – kind of like when you come through arrivals at the airport – everyone stares at you when you walk in.
The process goes like this, you take a number and sit down and wait. There are approximately 27 numbered windows that you will be called to - you just have to listen carefully for your number and the window you have to proceed to. So there I was waiting for my number to come up and watching the time slowly slipping away – after 25mins my number was called.
At this point I would love to say that it went smoothly and I was back at school by 2.30pm. Alas it was not to be, I managed to meet a lovely lady that had never issued a new Social Security number to someone from overseas – you can stop laughing now because the hilarity does not stop there. I handed her the piece of paper with all my information on it and then she proceeded to ask me all the questions I had already filled in on the form – I kept pointing it to her but the questions still came – eventually she got it. After 10mins she realised she didn’t know what she was doing so had to leave and ask someone what to do. This was not the first time this happened – after the third time I knew I was not going to get back to school in time for anything.
We were nearing the end of the interview and she asked me for a letter from my employer – “What?” I said, I wasn’t told that I needed that – yes we cannot proceed until we see it. So even though I had my Cashwell Elementary shirt on with a Cashwell ID card, it was not enough.
Now I had to race home pick it up and get back before the place closed. Another screaming fit was due and it was going to the loud and long. To try and convey how far away I live from downtown Fayetteville, is like having to get from Lincoln Road in Henderson all the way to Avondale via the motorway. Oh yeah, and school was about to be let out and you are only allowed to drive 25mph in the school zones – I passed 3 of them along the way!
To cut a very, very long story short – I got home, got the info, got back in time, sat for another 10mins and then saw a lady who processed me and had me out the door in 7mins. I was back at school at 3.15pm after all the students had left – thus ends the 2nd week of my time here in North Carolina. In 2 weeks time I will receive my Social Security Card and will be all legal.
After this little adventure I ended up staying and working at school until 7pm and missed the cable guy so I am now sitting in my apartment waiting for him to come – sometime between 8am – 5pm. I have done nothing all day and that is a good thing. It has been a busy time and I needed a forced time out – really enjoying sleeping and listening to music.
It is Labour Weekend here and Monday is a public holiday – yay! (Actually I think it is more time for me to do school work). So until then…
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