Lack of Communication

So, I'm a little confused at the moment with the lack of ocmmuncation between the administration/front office/whoever and me regarding a student of mine. About two weeks ago, while I was teaching my sixth period class, the principal came into my classroom and asked for my fourth period seating chart. I immediately gave it to her and then went back to teaching but was slightly confused as to why she wanted it. was this some sort of a test to see if my seating chart was updated? Was I supposed to know she was coming in? Was my seating chart correct? What was going on?

So, after school that day, I popped into her office and asked her why she needed it? Apparently one of my students in fourth period had thought he or she (I don't know who this student is so let's call him/her Taylor) had seen a BB Gun in the backpack of another student, let's call him Jimmy. However, Taylor did not know Jimmy's name (and apparently this is a major theme in my classes as always there is a student passing out work who doesn't know the names of everyone else in the class. Come on, people, if I can do it when all 150 of my kids, can't you do with the 19-32 people that are in your class?) Anyway.... Taylor did not know Jimmy's name but knew where Jimmy sat. So the principal came to borrow my seating chart and used it to find otu the name of the kid (Jimmy).

So, this was on a Thrsday and Jimmy isnot in class on Friday. Nor is he in class again on Monday. Nor Tuesday. Finally, I got up to the office and ask about Jimmy. Apparently, Jimmy has been suspended and will be out of school until Thursday. Never did I receive any notification about this. Not a note in my box, a meeting, a quick visit from the P or VP, nothing! I asked if I could arrange to have homework sent home since at Timberline, in-school suspension REQUIRES the student to do their homework. They said I could put the homework together, so I put it together and got it ready for Jimmy's return on Thursday. When Jimmy returned, he fit right back into what was going on- he had the homework that he was supposed to turn in from before his suspension, he fit right into the activity that we're doing although he's missed a day, he seems to understand my direction for the homework, life is good.

I'm not in school Friday so I don't know if he's around or not but today, not only is Jimmy not in class, but Jimmy's name is crossed out on my attendance sheet once I get it back after school. I assume this means that Jimmy is no longer in m class but again, no notification? A quick note saying "don't worrk about Jimmy, he's being taken care of, etc." Is this the type of communication I am to expect regarding all of my students? How do I know if an absence is an illness, a truancy or a student in suspension? What if the kid is dead? Hopefully this won't be an issue I'll have to face but in general, that's my confusion. I don't know, I guess I expect to receive communication about my students just as the administration expects me to communcation about the progress of my students.

So yeah, tomorrow, hopefully the Mystery of Jimmy shall be solved and I'll know if Jimmy is permanently gone from my class or just again on a week-long suspension.

Poor Jimmy.....