A FEW WEEKS AGO, our class volunteered to make the morning announcements over the school speaker system. 
Here’s a little story about one of our experiences:

THE MORNING ANNOUNCEMENT

By Alina P.

     It was a bright, Monday morning.  I had no idea that it was going to be a mixed-up morning!  Well, here it goes.  I will tell you about my messed-up Monday.

     It was a usual Monday morning.  Ms. Park all frustrated and tired, we were hanging out in the closet, some kids complaining that they didn’t get much sleep last night, because they forgot that there was school today, and so on.  Then when we were all seated and were waiting for Ms. Park to begin.  Ms. Park got a phone call.  She hung up really quickly, then she said, “Uh, Jack and Alina, go out into the hall!  Right now!”  So we ran out into the hall.  Ms. Park went out too.  “Listen, do you guys think you can do the morning announcements?” she whispered.  Jack and I looked at each other. 

     “Uhhh..” we stammered. 

     “Go to the office,” she said, “Run!  Hurry!”  We walked quickly to the office.

     “Are you scared?” I asked.  I bit my lip.

     “Yeah, sort of,” Jack replied, “I’ve never done the morning announcements before.”

     “Me neither,” I agreed. 

     We hurried down the hall.  Then we got to the office.  I trembled as I opened the door.  A lady asked us, “Are you two doing the announcements?”

     “Yes,” we replied.  She handed us a sheet of paper.

     “You are supposed to read this,” the lady said, “Practice it.”  So we did.  “Are you ready?” she asked after a while.  We nodded.  “Okay,” she instructed,” Hold the phone.”  We looked up.  She was holding a small black phone.

      “Do we speak through that?” Jack snorted. 

      “Yup,” the woman replied cheerfully, ignoring Jack’s snooty tone.  My body trembled with nervousness as the woman gently pressed a button on the phone.

      Jack began, “Good morning, please stop and stand still during the morning announcements.  Today’s announcers are Jack M. and Alina P..  Please stand for the flag salute.” 

I stamped my feet quietly.  Why did he say my name?  I wondered, Why didn’t he let me say it?  Jack’s voice suddenly shook my thoughts.  “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and…”  Jack’s voice trailed off into the phone. 

     “Not so fast!  Start over, Jack!” The woman grumbled.  So Jack began again. 

     “I p-l-e-d-g-e o-f a-l-l-e-g-i-a-n-c-e t-o…”  he stared over slowly. 

     “That is better,” the lady smiled and commented.  I felt my face getting red.  What will my class think we are?  Weird? I thought, Jack is ruining our first turn to do the announcements!    Before I knew it, Jack handed me the phone.  I started to read the part I was supposed to read.  Wow!  Thought as I read, this lady writes sloppy!  “Student council meetings will meet from 1:00 to 1:30 in Mr. Pauciello’s room,” I read. 

     “No!  11:00 to 11:30!” the lady corrected.  I was about to say that her handwriting was sloppy but I stopped myself and went on. 

     “Sorry!  11:00 to 11:30.”  When I finished, Jack and I started to leave. 

     “Nice job, guys!” the lady told us.  We started at each other and rolled our eyes.  Nice job?  We were horrible!  I thought.

     When we were walking in the hall, Jack exclaimed, “Oh my goodness!  We really blew that one!” 

     “Yeah,” I agreed.  When we reached the classroom, my class was doing morning meeting.  Nobody looked at us, or said anything.  “Great job, guys!” Ms. Park exclaimed.  She game me a high five.  Some people stared at her like she was from Mars.  For the whole day, I was silent.  I wondered what my class thought about me.  At the end of the day, I went up to Brittany.

     “Was I bad?” I asked. 

     “Huh?  At what?” she demanded to know curiously. 

     “I was doing the morning announcements, remember?  And then I messed up!  Do you remember?”  I yelled.

     “Oh!  That was you?  You were doing the announcements?  And you were the one that messed up?  Oh!  I thought it was a weird kid,” she laughed.  I stared at the ceiling.  Couldn’t she recognize MY voice?  Oh, well.  Brittany is like that – she always thinks I’m someone else!    

     In afterschool program, I asked all my friends if they had heard me on the announcements.  Nobody seemed to know!  “I thought I heard Jackie Moose and Allison Penny,” my friend Victoria told me, “I never realized it was Jack M. and Alina P.!”  I began to get mad.  By the end of the day, I counted how many people I had told: 26!  And guess how many people recognized me?  3!  Only 3! 

     I went home and told my family about the crazy day.  Guess what?  They started laughing!  I usually laugh along with them and forget about it, but not this time.  I was disappointed!  Don’t they understand my feelings?  I guess not.  Oh, well.  I stomped up to my room and thought it over.  Maybe it was sort of funny, but it was sad also, at least for me.  I guess I can forget about it.   On the second thought, I will not forget this day, ever.