The Circle School Blog

An occasional thing

The Circle School Blog

I’ve been marveling that not a week goes by (sometimes not a day) without something brand new happening, that’s never happened before in the school’s 30 years. Here’s (one of) this week’s first-time happenings, an interesting cascade of events:
  • Wireless internet access device malfunctions briefly.
  • Student loses internet connection.
  • Student connects laptop to empty port on the wall (that looks like an internet connection).
  • Empty port is really an unused TELEPHONE connection.
  • Computer connected to phone port shorts out the two phone lines, causing loss of dial tone to all phones.
  • Somebody notices the phones aren’t working.
  • While troubleshooting, the fire alarm panel is briefly disconnected from the phone line.
  • When reconnected, fire alarm system is reset.
  • One fire alarm sensor fails to reset properly.
  • Because of failed reset, fire alarm goes off… just as 12 buses start arriving for pickups.
  • Trained students and staff stream out of the building into the backyard.
  • Smart fire alarm system calls 911.
  • Swatara Township sirens go off and fire department is dispatched.
  • Bus drivers look impatient, some honk.
  • Parents arriving in cars are trapped by motionless buses.
  • Architect and engineer arrive for new building design session.
  • Staff improvise.
  • All’s well.

This morning we covered the empty telephone port.

Jim Rietmulder