Goodbye Amelia Earhart Middle School, Hello To New Beginnings

Hi all, Cody here. Happy Summer and all that stuff. It is gonna be a good summer. Not just a good summer but a good new beginning, yep I feel it, I feel it in my paws.

Don't know if any of you know but my Dad is a teacher. Or he was a teacher, well he could still be a teacher but for now he won't be teaching, he did that for a very long time. 35 yrs in fact. Barely missed a day. Dedicated guy my Dad is. Makes a kitty proud. I wasn't around for all of those years since I am only 3 but my Mom told me stories about it so that is how I know. Never doubt what I know. I know a lot you know.

My Mom told me my Dad was happy but also a little sad. For the 35 yrs he was teaching he taught in Detroit. He taught at  Amelia Earhart Middle School  for 26 of those years. He taught Special Ed. Not sure what that is but I think he taught pre-teen cats and kits  so I guess that is what makes it so "special" huh?

Well, Mom and Dad heard on the news that the Detroit Schools are in a financial crisis. To us cats it means they had no more money for tuna, mice and cool stuff like that. So the top cats decided that 40 schools have to be torn down. Just like that, they are gonna tear down my Dad's school. In just a matter of weeks it will be gone. That is sad. Teachers and staff abandoned and forced to be strays. I bet a lot of you kitties can relate to that. Many of the teacher cats and staff aren't sure where they are going to go and that is scary. I know. They are hoping they will be adopted by a new school that will appreciate all of their hard work and treat them nice and give them lots of money to buy catnip and cool stuff like that.

My Dad decided to retire and a few other cats at the school decided to retire as well. I didn't know what that meant so I asked my Mom. She said that means that my Dad will be home every day. (I thought it meant that when you "retire" you just get tired again and take a cat nap). Guess I don't know everything after all.

My Mom and Dad went to a party last week to say goodbye to all of the cool cats that my Dad played with all day at school. My Dad even emceed the party (ya know he's cool like that my Dad is). They had a good time but my Mom said it was bittersweet, (kinda like milk that spoiled I guess, kinda upsets your tummy).

My Mom told me they will still keep in touch with all of those hardworking cats. She is obsessed with Facebook and Twitter so she will keep a close paw on all of the teacher and staff cats to make sure they are doing well. She and my Dad are happy about that. But it is still sad that my Dad won't see them every day. He will miss them. He will miss his Linda Harper Cat the most because she kept a watchful eye on my Dad to make sure his school cage was neat and clean. She was very good to him and my Mom. She and my Mom are kind of like sisters. That is nice.

I think my Dad will be happier and I know my Mom and brother Dakota will be too. We get to have our Dad home every day. He will play with us and pet us and keep my Mom from going crazy having only a cat and dog to talk to all day. (She gets a little frustrated if we don't answer, you know how Moms are)

When my Dad came home from school last Friday I saw a slight tear in his eye. I saw it cause I ran to greet him when he got home. He was sad to say goodbye to those cats. He is excited though for a new beginning. 
I told him not to be sad. All of the great cats from Amelia Earhart Middle School that are not retiring are gonna get new homes and be just fine. The retiring ones are gonna have more time for lots of kitty fun.  My Dad will be fine too. I know it. I feel it in my paws. I know a lot you know.