Jan Term Journal – Day 1

Well, today was my first day at St. Columbkille School down here in the South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. St. Columbkille is a private, Catholic elementary school/junior high (K-8). Two of my Jan Term roommates are working there as well: My cousin, Tyler, is a classroom assistant with the first-grade class. There are 35 students in his class, so his teacher is grateful to have the help! Our other roommate, Barrett Redelman, is a Technology Specialist in the library, and also supervises some recesses. I will be working in various Junior High classes in the morning, and spending the afternoon in the third-grade class with Ms. Barba.

To get to school, Tyler, Barrett and I ride the Dash, a 25-cent bus that runs through the borough during commute hours. The school is only about a mile away, but the bus is quick and safe. Although the South Central neighborhood has improved greatly in the past ten years, it is still better to be safe than sorry. Tyler says that he and his roommates have not witnessed any crime in the 2+ years that they have been down here, and I generally feel safe walking around with Tyler.

This morning, I was introduced to the school – yes, the entire school – at the daily morning assembly. The students giggled when I was introduced as “Mr. Knox,” because they already know Tyler as Mr. Knox. This has led to quite the game amongst seemingly all of the students – a game called “What Do We Call The Mr. Knoxes”? Most of the students call me Mr. Knox, but I’ve also been called Mr. C. Knox, Mr. C., Mr. K, Mr. Knox 2, Mr. Knox the Second, and Nick Jonas. As someone who often assigns nicknames like “buddy” and “joker,” this game is fun for me, too. At least, so far.