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The Regent Park Hill

dedicated to: Mr. Berthelet, Principal, Regent Park Public School Orillia, Ontario. By Lauretta Reid –{The kid in ZOOM}

It was early Monday morning, again. The howling wind was bending the trees and bushes, again. It was snowing, heavily again. The Principal, Mr. Berthelet was sitting alone in his office waiting for the kids to arrive at school, again. He looked at his watch and thought “9:00!? Where are all the kids?”

He threw on his coat, ran outside, looked down the driveway but saw NOTHING! Then he heard HONNNNNK! He ran and looked down the street and saw all of the cars with all the children and parents in a hapless heap at the bottom of Regent Park hill. To his surprise he watched as one car, then another and another drove half way up the hill) slid back down and land right in the middle of the heap.

“Oh goody! It must be a snow day! I’ll call the Board just to make sure.”

He scurried back to his office, grabbed the phone and called the Board explaining what had happened! The Board replied with ” NO MORE SNOW DAYS! YOU MUST GET THOSE KIDS TO SCHOOL! DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO!

“What!” he said in shock. “It must be a snow day! I’ll call the Superintendent!”

The Superintendent said “NO MORE SNOW DAYS! YOU MUST GET THOSE KIDS TO SCHOOL! DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO!”

“No, no, no, no, no, no, no! I’ll make one last phone call to the Trustees!” cried Mr. Berthelet.

The Trustees gave him the same reply ” NO MORE SNOW DAYS! YOU MUST GET THOSE KIDS TO SCHOOL! DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO!

Mr. Berthelet sat back down in his luxurious, black chair to think. Then he got the most greatest idea he ever had! He dialed “CAA” and explained that the cars would go half way up the hill, slide back down and land in a hapless heap at the bottom. He said “I need the biggest, boldest and most beautiful tow truck you’ve got. Please send it to the top of Regent Park hill. FAST!”

In the blink of an eye the tow truck had arrived. Mr. Berthelet dashed outside and looked at the tow truck in shock. It was the biggest, boldest and most beautiful thing he had ever seen. It had flashing lights and the winch was the size of an elephant! The tires were as big as vans!

The driver stepped out of the tow truck, hitched the cars one after another to the winch and pulled them up the hill. Mr. Berthelet was so full of glee because his plan had worked. He said to the driver “Congratulations, on a job well done! Just fax the bill to the board.” Then he went to his office to relax for awhile.

He hardly got his feet up when RRRINNNNG! Mr. Berthelet picked up the phone and sighed! It was the Board. He heard them yell, “THAT TOW TRUCK WAS TOOOOOO MUCH MONEY! IT COST $10,000.00.”

It was Tuesday morning. The wind was still howling and bending the trees and bushes. The snow was still heavily falling. Mr. Berthelet was sitting alone in his office waiting for the kids to arrive at school again. He looked at his watch and thought “9:00!? Where are all the kids? Where are all the teachers?”

He threw on his coat, ran outside, looked down the driveway but saw NOTHING!

Then he heard, HONNNNNK! He ran and looked down the street and saw all the cars with the children, the parents and the teachers in a hapless heap at the bottom of Regent Park hill. To his surprise he watched as one car, then another and another went halfway up the hill, slid back down and landed right in the middle of the heap.

“Oh goody, surely it must be a snow day today. I’ll call the Board just to make sure.” He scurried back to his office, grabbed the phone and called the Board explaining what had happened!

The Board replied with, “NO MORE SNOW DAYS! YOU MUST GET THOSE KIDS AND TEACHERS TO SCHOOL. DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO!”

“What!” he said in shock, “It must be a snow day! I’ll call the Superintendent!”

The Superintendent said, “NO MORE SNOW DAYS. YOU MUST GET THOSE KIDS AND TEACHERS TO SCHOOL. DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO.”

“No. no, no, no, no, no, no! It must be a snow day! I’ll make one last phone call to the Trustees.

The Trustees gave him the same reply. “NO MORE SNOW DAYS. YOU MUST GET THOSE KIDS AND TEACHERS TO SCHOOL. DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO.”

Mr. Berthelet sat down in his luxurious, black chair to think. He realized he couldn’t get another tow truck. Toooooo much money! Then he got the second, greatest idea he ever had. He dialed the phone and ordered the biggest crane ever!

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