It starts off with markers, and then what?

Last week, I lost my pencil bag (or so I thought). I put things in the bag that help with school work. You know, permanent markers, highlighters, post-it notes, staples, stapler, markers, and a mirror that Caroline gave me. I couldn't find it one day last week, and i thought I'd put it in Jason's car because I had to take his car twice last week. Anyway, I looked and it wasn't there. I looked all through my room but couldn't find it, so I assumed it was at home somewhere.

Today during intervention (extra reading period) I had the kids working on an assignment. One of the groups wasn't meeting with the teacher today, so they were in my room. As I walked by one student's desk I saw that she had a set of marker just like mine (which isn't unusual because I've noticed the girls getting that type because they have smells). However, when I looked down into the girl's pencil box, I saw at the bottom was the mirror Caroline had given me. I asked her whose pencil box that was and she pointed to the girl sitting next to her. I asked her where the markers had come from and she said that her mother had gotten them for her. "Hm-hum" I thought. I took the pencil box and had her come out in the hall with me. I asked again. Same answer. "Okay," I said. "So, if we call mom she'll say she bought the markers for you." Yes, was the response. I told her I would call during band/orchestra (one hour away). I called Jason and asked his opinion and he said I should call mom.

So it was that we went through the science lesson and she acted like nothing was wrong. During band/orchestra I went down to the principal's office and told my principal what was going on and that I was going to call the mom, but I already knew what the answer would be. She was curious as to how I knew what the response would be, and so I told her that the mom might have gotten markers for her, but the ones in the box were not hers. I knew they weren't hers because they had my initials on them. Every item that was mine had my initials on them. So I called mom, and sure enough she had not bought any supplies for the girl. She was shocked that she had taken my items, but mentioned they had been having some trouble with her lying. The mom understood that I would be giving her a detention.

So I went and pulled the little girl out of band and asked her again where she got the markers (I was hoping she'd fess up). She stuck with her story. I explained that I had called mom and she contradicted her story and said that she hadn't bought any markers for her daughter. So, now her mom knew. I asked her again, and this time she said she took them off of my desk. I asked where the purple pencil bag with the rest of the items was and she said it was in her room. I told her I expected to have the pencil bag back tomorrow. I informed her she'd have detention, and that if I were a heartless, unfeeling person I'd call the police because she stole from me. But in reality, I knew she was sorry and wouldn't steal from me again, so I was going to give her a detention for stealing. At this point, my principal walks by and I'm thinking, "Great, just great. She's come in in the middle of my talk and it sure does look bad." I reiterated to the girl that I knew she was sorry (and crying horribly now) and that she needed to come to the room and calm down. The principal took her to the counselor's office and had her write a letter of apology and then talk to the counselor. I then had to cal another student's parent because of an incident in science, and my principal walked in just as I was leaving a message for that parent (again, looks bad because I'm supposed to be working with a small group but instead I'm having to deal with stuff - see blog below). The day ended with me letting the girl know that we were moving forward and not dwelling on what happened. Because I knew that she was about to go home and who knows what happened (I know what would have happened to me if I'd done that).

Is it a full moon?