diademlogs | School Mixer

Who: Anyone involved with the tent school
Where: The unspecified parking lot the tent school is set up in
When: A weekend in February
What: Mixer and planning for opening the tent school

Warnings: Will add if needed

It's taken months, and a few setbacks, but at long last everything has come together. Nadine's little idea for a tent school is finally ready to be realized. The structure is set. The supplies are gathered. The amount of support and help has been outright overwhelming.

The structure itself is constructed from gathered materials, an assortment of weather-treated fabric and tarps stitched together to make a canopy covering. It's held up by sturdy metal poles, and should handle wind and rain just fine. The sides can be rolled up or down as needed, to let in air or keep in heat. The furniture has all been cleaned and painted to have a bright and cheerful air. An assortment of chairs and beanbags and padded stools make up the seating, various bookcases and standing shelves contain a variety of books, writing and crafting supplies, binders, and various other things that may be of use in a classroom like this. Mechanic and engineering manuals, models of car parts, and gear that would seem more suited to a scouts' clubhouse.

Nadine aims to cover all bases.

The only thing left is to organize the volunteers who have stepped up to help actually teach. That's what today is all about. There's already been discussion of who can teach what, but there's still scheduling and everyone meeting everyone else and hammering down any details. Of course non-teaching volunteers are welcome to drop by, too, and see the fruits of their efforts.

She's laid out pastries, a few pizzas, a tray of various sandwiches, soda, and coffee. Also blank name tags. She's wearing her own, identifying her as 'Miss Nadine - General Studies'. The nametags, the sign with them says, are optional. She just likes to be organized, and all of this has been a good way to focus her mind. It keeps her from thinking of her past, of all the things last month's adventure had stirred up, and of very nice men who want to spend time with her. And she's excited to be able to teach again. It's surprised her, how much she misses it.

Hopefully all of this will be a success.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"My teachers would've taken a ruler to my knuckles if I called them by first name." Which is perhaps not the most cheerful way to slide into this little get-together, but Clint's smiling, so it's either a joke, or he doesn't mean anything by it. He doesn't plan on being a teacher--hasn't suggested he could, at any rate, though he knows that he's at least occasionally helped along the way to get this school up and running. Supply runs and furniture refurbishing, mostly.

Maybe someone should suggest he be a phys ed teacher. Imagine.

"So. You get any interested parents or guardians hitting you up for enrollment?" Y'know. Such as it is.

"Mine too." Nadine offers a welcoming smile. She's glad to see him here, he's helped out a lot and has been a strong supporter of the project from the start. And maybe she's just glad to see him in general.

"I was scared of some of my teachers when I was little, and I never want my students to be scared of me. Besides, I think 'Miss Nadine' makes me sound like a character in a cozy British mystery book and I like that."

And that she can still call herself 'miss'. She's neatly side-stepped 'Mrs'. Or whatever her title would have been as Randall's wife.

"And there's been a little interest. I think some parents are just happy for a potential place to send their kids for a few hours every other day. Especially for free."

Something that's been prominent on the posters and flyers. This is a completely free service.

"Not that I blame them, sometimes you need a break."

"God bless the idea of free daycare," he agrees. Even when he'd been home for longer stretches of time between missions, at least when the kids were younger, having somewhere safe for them to go so he and Laura could have some time to themselves was a lifesaver. He tries to let the thought pass him by without a wrenching pain in his heart. Think of the positives.

"Especially in a place like this. Strange and always changing, even jobs in the city aren't guaranteed. Anything to take even a little stress off. You're doing a great service."

"Let's be honest, at low enough grades, there's not much difference between school and daycare. I did my stint in kindergarten rooms. And really...if we can be a safe place for kids to spend time, that's just as important as educating them."

For all the benefits of Panorama, it's a rough city. And not exactly what she'd call family friendly.

"Maybe at some point we can move into an actual building. Make something of a real school. But that's getting ahead of myself, I just hope the tent school is a reasonable success. I just...want to do something good for the kids. It's hard enough being a kid, but being a kid in a world like this...."

Nadine shakes her head. There's so little stability, as Clint just pointed out. It's strange and scary, even for kids born here. At least younger ones. So little of the world makes sense before a certain age. Hell, even after a certain age, some of the things that happen here can be beyond a younger mind's comprehension. It leaves a mark. It cuts childhood short.

"It's gotta be hard to just be a kid."

"Building would be nice when the weirder weather hits." You know, like crystal meteors in the middle of the night. "But yeah, one step at a time. At least this way you aren't dealing with rent or leases. Though...if you are renting this space, let me know, I'll chip in to pay." The nice thing about a tent is that it's mobile, at least, even if it would take a lot of effort to move it around if need be.

But being a kid in any aspect in a place like this has to be hard. No real parks or playgrounds to speak of, wouldn't want to let a kid run around outside the city lest they run into zones, not to mention raiders might find them easy pickings--either to steal from or to recruit. Having a place for impressionable young minds to exist without any of that...

"Or anything else you need help with, just give me a shout."

"Thank you, Clint. But no, this corner of a mostly empty parking lot is free. It's not an ideal spot, but it's close to a big residential block and has enough space to set up."

Which is probably the best they can hope for.

"And you've already helped so much. I don't know how to begin to thank you. I know, I know, I don't have to, you're happy to help. But it means a lot."

He's a good person. Nadine knows that she's not always the best judge of character, but there's no doubt in her mind that Clint is a good man. He cares. He's always quick with an offer of help, and god knows how much he's helped her. Both with the school and in general.

"It's going to mean a lot to the kids, too."

Amy's honestly not too sure what draws her to the place. Maybe she's looking for something a little more soothing to participate in than stealing joolies from car cup holders, or swindling people out of cash with card games. Since Frank had found her, she's been trying to be a little more... focused? Focused is the word. If there's something she can do that's good and decent and keeps him satisfied that she's not totally being a terror out on the streets...

Anyway. She wanders over to Nadine with some wariness. It's been a years since she's faced any kind of teacher, and the last time ended in a suspension, so...

"Uh, hi. I know you're looking for teachers, but I was wondering if there were any spaces for — teacher's aides, maybe?"

Or at least a place for a wayward teen to help other kids not drop out like her.

"Hi."

Nadine doesn't recognize the teenage girl, but she greets her with a friendly smile and her full attention anyway. Anyone who wants to lend a hand is welcome, in whatever capacity.

"We've got room for everybody who wants to help out. Experience not necessary, just a bonus."

It's not like she'd expected other actual teachers to be involved, they're already ahead on teachers. That the young woman has approached with interest like this is a very good sign.

"I'm Nadine. And despite what the nametag says, only my students need to call me 'Miss'."

School Mixer

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