Free Remembering Mrs. Rossi (9780763670900) by Heather (ILT) Amy; Maione Hest Page A

Rossi.

    I never heard of a Complaint Box until the first day of sixth grade and Mrs. Rossi was telling us all about sixth grade and Matthew said, Homework on the weekend?? No fair!! Mrs. Rossi usually gets mad when you call out, but that time she said, File your complaint in the Complaint Box, Matthew . And there really was a box! And you’re honestly allowed to write your complaint on a green card and drop it in the box and you don’t even have to sign your name! I know a fancy way to say you don’t sign your name. ANONYMOUS. Sometimes Mrs. Rossi uses big words so we all know a few big words before the end of sixth grade and she wrote ANONYMOUS on the board one time and we had to write it in our notebooks. It’s my favorite big word. Once I was mad because I wanted to go to the park for recess and it wasn’t even raining that hard and we had to stay in. I filed an ANONYMOUS complaint. Once my dog stole my assignment pad so I didn’t do my social studies homework and Mrs. Rossi said, Under the circumstances, Lola, you should have called a friend . She said it in front of the whole class and I turned red. I filed an ANONYMOUS complaint.
    Every Friday Mrs. Rossi put the Complaint Box on her desk so she could read all the things we wrote on green cards. She said maybe those cards would make her a better teacher . . . but I think she already was the best teacher in the world.
    ANONYMOUS COMPLAINT
    Mrs. Rossi forgot to say goodbye. I really wish I could see her again.

    Mrs. Rossi used to get mad if you called out and she used to get mad if you didn’t raise your hand and if you forgot your homework and passed notes in school and talked under your breath and slouched. Mrs. Rossi used to get mad if you laughed when someone messed up and if you said something mean to a girl and threw food in the cafeteria and didn’t empty your tray. Mrs. Rossi used to get mad if you ran up the stairs or down the stairs and if you said yeah instead of yes. But watch out if you’re ever in a fight, because that’s when she got really mad. One time I got in this teeny little fight with Joe in the cafeteria (which he started) and he got a bloody nose. Mrs. Rossi was super-mad. Everyone went to the nurse’s office (me, Joe, Mrs. Rossi, Mrs. Owens). Joe got to lie down. I got to stand in a corner. Now they’re all looking at poor old Joe with this blue ice pack on his nose. I was hoping they’d forget about me but no luck. Mrs. Rossi made me call Joe’s parents to explain about the teeny little bump on his nose. She made me call my parents, too. It was exhausting. I was supposed to have gym but Mrs. Rossi would not let me go to gym. She made me stay there with Joe until he felt better. I was mad. Then we started fooling around. When the nurse wasn’t looking, we had a catch with the ice pack.

    **This is Mrs. Rossi’s wagon. Every week she drags it all the way to the public library and all the way back, just so we can have a new supply of books in room 222. I really hate reading. I would rather watch a scary movie on TV. Or run around the basketball court — it’s a lot more fun than reading.

    Chapter 1: My Father and I Walk to School
    My father likes walking me to school. He says walking me to school always gets his day off to a good start. We’re supposed to leave the house promptly at 8 . Sometimes we do. Sometimes we don’t. Then he’s late for work, I’m late for school, and no one’s day is off to a good start.
    Chapter 2: Two Muffins
    One day we leave at 8:15. Not my fault. Halfway there, uh-oh, it’s raining! No umbrella. Not my fault. We get a little wet . . . He says, Poor me, soaking wet! Passing Carmen’s Diner — mmnnn — steamy hot muffins in the window.
    Pleeeeease, Daddy, please!! The lady puts two in a bag. One for me, one for Mrs. Rossi ( That Olivia’s such a nice girl ). I think I’ll eat mine now, walking in the rain. Father says, Bad idea, Olivia . . . but I open the bag and pull out my beautiful