Tuesday the 28th of August was a normal day. It was to be our first full day of school. At 10:15 AM my 8th grade social studies class came in and were told to continue to work on their maps of California. These maps are hand drawn, an art that is being lost, I think, in schools. They complain but their maps turn out to be great works of art. But, I digress. Around 10:45 AM one of my students wanted to know if a pipe broke because water was coming in quickly in the patio. Sure enough, it was gushing forth as a raging river would. Mrs. Ellison walked in and said to make sure my sliding door was closed because the other classroom got lots of water. One of my students asked, "Is this a tsunami?" We made sure the door was closed, but some water did come in and ruined the corner where my desk is.
Well, the water kept gushing at an enormous pace that the 4 picnic tables were carried by the current. The water level reached about a little over knee high and the pressure could probably break the class. My principal told me to send the kids to the kindergarten room to be with their buddies. Water did come into my room from the sliding door and from a window in the back where it was seeping slowly.
Told the kids to put boxes from the floor on top of desks. I went to get my 6th graders and escorted them to get their backpacks.
Meanwhile, outside, apparently a pipe at the intersection exploded and caused the street to open up creating a giant sink hole. This caused the gushing forth of water. Words cannot explain nor describe the scene...it had to be seen to be believed. We came to learn that the parish hall and the convent also got flooded...the convent big time, so the sisters that live there will be at other convents for at least three weeks.
A little after noon we were ordered to evacuate and under the guidance of the San Francisco Fire Department and Police Department, over 250 students, teachers and staff made a mass exodus to the nearby Visitacion Valley Park where parent would pick up their children.
It was there that Univision 14 was trying to find the Spanish speaking teacher for a first hand account. Yours truly made his debut on TV.
As of today, school is still closed but we are reopening on Tuesday, the day after Labor Day. Unexpected extra vacation, but I do miss my students!
Meanwhile, outside, apparently a pipe at the intersection exploded and caused the street to open up creating a giant sink hole. This caused the gushing forth of water. Words cannot explain nor describe the scene...it had to be seen to be believed. We came to learn that the parish hall and the convent also got flooded...the convent big time, so the sisters that live there will be at other convents for at least three weeks.
A little after noon we were ordered to evacuate and under the guidance of the San Francisco Fire Department and Police Department, over 250 students, teachers and staff made a mass exodus to the nearby Visitacion Valley Park where parent would pick up their children.
It was there that Univision 14 was trying to find the Spanish speaking teacher for a first hand account. Yours truly made his debut on TV.
As of today, school is still closed but we are reopening on Tuesday, the day after Labor Day. Unexpected extra vacation, but I do miss my students!
Luckily no one was hurt or lost
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