‘Twas the day before break, when all through the way

Not a student was studying, not with break the next day;

The backpacks and books were quickly forgotten;

In hopes of no homework-that would be rotten;

The seniors were huddled with Starbucks in hand;

While visions of scholarships were frequent and grand;

And girls in their leggings, and boys still in shorts,

Freezing their butts off with their fellow cohorts,

When out in the lot there arose such a racket,

Students fled from their seats to snatch up their jackets.

Away to the athletic entrance with haste,

Picking up their pace, with no time to waste.

The sun reflected off the snow in the lot,

As students longed for their cars in each spot,

When what a glorious sound did reach their ears,

The bell signaling their sweet release from here.

With a principal who was so caring and loving,

They knew in an instant it must be Mr. Cumming.

Quicker than late students, the teachers they came,

And he bellowed and summoned, and called them by name:

“Come Winkler! Come Weiten! Come Lamkin and Picot!

On Okun! On Ozar! On Bondy and Tulppo!

Away to the classrooms! Away down the hall!

Now go back to class! Go back to class you all!”

As pencils that before the hour is up fly,

When they meet a tough question, all want to cry.

So back to the classrooms the teachers they flew,

With arms full of A’s, other passing grades too—

And then, in a moment, they heard from without,

The clang and the clatter of a very loud shout.

As they sat in their seats, and were turning around,

When into the classroom Cumming came with a bound.

He was dressed to the nines, from his tie to his shoe,

And his suit was all shiny and looked brand new;

A bundle of papers he carried in hand,

And he looked like he had an announcement so grand.

His eyes—how they sparkled! His grin, how bright!

His cheeks were like roses, his smirk, what a sight!

His droll little mouth was drawn up in a smile,

One which was sure not to leave for a while;

The stack of old papers he grasped firm in hand,

And the red marks upon them summoned all to stand;

He had a kind face and on his chest an ID,

That hung from his lapel like a bell on a tree.

He was tall and trim, a right jolly fun man,

And then when they saw him, a smile began;

The glint in his eye and the tilt of his head,

Soon let them know they had nothing to dread;

He uttered not a word, but went to his work,

And filled students hands with old paperwork,

And laying his hand upon the knob of the door,

He began to stride out, walking across the floor;

He ran to his car, his teachers behind him,

And away they all went through the lot on a whim,

But they heard him exclaim, his voice came to a wake,

“A’s for all, and for all a good break!”