Read Online Star Teacher by Jack Sheffield - Free Book Online

definitely like ah said …
shootin
’ pains.’
    â€˜Shooting pains?’
    â€˜Yes – cos of t’recoil on m’shotgun when ah were shootin’ rabbits on Twenty Acre Field.’
    â€˜Oh dear, I see,’ I said with feeling. Having recently watched
Watership Down
, my sympathy diminished rapidly while Victor trundled away to get my change.
    When I walked into the school office Vera looked up from her late-dinner-money register. She appeared concerned. ‘Good morning, Mr Sheffield,’ she said.
    â€˜Good morning, Vera,’ I replied. ‘A lovely day.’ I gestured towards the window, from where we could see the children playing in the late-autumn sunshine.
    â€˜Yes,’ said Vera without looking out of the window. ‘I wonder if we can have a word at some time today?’
    â€˜Of course,’ I said. ‘Anne is preparing morning assembly so I’ve got a few minutes now if that helps.’
    â€˜Yes, thank you.’ She got up and closed the door.
    Suddenly the telephone rang and Vera hurried back to her desk. ‘Yes, Mr Gomersall,’ she said in her precise, clipped tone, ‘he’s here now,’ and she passed the receiver to me and dashed out of the office.
    Richard Gomersall sounded a little anxious. ‘I need to pass on some news, Jack,’ he said.
    â€˜Yes, go ahead, Richard.’ There was a pause.
    â€˜I really need to call in … perhaps at lunchtime?’
    â€˜Fine,’ I said, ‘I’ll see you then.’
    â€˜Thanks. Say around twelve thirty.’
    â€˜By the way, what’s it about?’
    There was another long pause. ‘Well, Jack … I’m afraid it’s
confidential
.’ And he rang off.
    As I walked out into the entrance hall Vera was in conversation with Anne.
    â€˜Mr Sheffield,’ she said, ‘before you go back to class could I have a word?’
    â€˜Yes, of course,’ I said. ‘I’m sorry we got interrupted. How can I help?’
    It was strange, but for once Vera seemed lost for words. After a few hesitant moments she said quietly, ‘I wondered if you could spare me a few minutes at the end of the day? There’s a matter that has arisen recently that I should like to discuss with you … in private if at all possible.’
    â€˜Of course, Vera,’ I said. ‘Let’s meet in the office after school.’
    She looked preoccupied as she nodded in acknowledgement and hurried back to her desk.
    It was a busy morning and the immediacy of the needs of the children in my care meant that the concerns of Richard Gomersall and Vera were soon far from my mind.
    I completed reading tests for all the children and was pleased to see that Damian Brown had finally achieved a reading age that matched his chronological age. The range of ability was remarkable and my best readers, the two ten-year-olds Stacey Bryant and Dawn Phillips, could read the final line of the Schonell Graded Word Reading Test: namely,
rescind, metamorphosis, somnambulist, bibliography
and
idiosyncrasy
.
    Meanwhile, next door in Class 3, Sally was developing the concept of history in her ‘Modern World’ topic.
    â€˜Can you think of something really important that wasn’t here ten years ago?’ she asked expectantly. A host of hands shot in the air.
    â€˜Yes, Miss,’ said Ted Coggins eagerly, ‘… me!’ Sally reflected that it was moments like this that made the job worthwhile.
    During morning break Pat was on playground duty and the rest of us gathered in the staff-room. Vera appeared to be in a world of her own and Anne, always quick to notice the concerns of others, asked, ‘How is Rupert these days?’
    Vera folded her Flowers of the Forest tea towel, sat down and picked up her
Daily Telegraph
. She smiled as if recalling a happy memory. ‘He’s taking me to see
Les Misérables
in London during half-term,’ she said. The