A/N: Quarantine means I'm backkkkkkk. I am so so happy to be back. I've had so many new ideas, and hopefully I will try and update some of my older stories. This one would not leave me alone though, so I had to post it. And also it was extremely therapeutic to write because of the dumpster fire that was S4 of WW. I am not sorry, honestly, I enjoyed bits here and there but new Mildred is meh, my girl DIMITY was done wrong, WHERE ARE MR ROWAN WEBB AND MISS BAT WTF. Plenty of teachers still teach once they get married just saying. And as usual Hecate Hardbroom needs a lot more screen time and character development. WHEW Okay I'm done now. Let me know in the comments or PM me what you thought of S4 of WW.
" 'Teacher appreciation' or in the latin, 'Magister honorem' week, is a tradition dating back to the founding of Cackle's in the 1800s" Ms. Nightshade announced. Mildred sat up in her chair a little taller. She had had a "teacher appreciation" week at her old school, and it had been so much fun! They had pranked the teachers, wore silly clothes, and gave them a wonderful breakfast. She predicted however, (slumping slightly) that the witchy version was likely much more subdued.
"However, this is not your granny's era, and while we will be basing our celebrations on the traditions from years ago, we will also be interpreting them for the modern era. And who better to help us translate old fashioned traditions to fit the modern era than my dear friend Ms. Pentangle" she announced dramatically, and on cue- butterflies made of glitter floated down from the sky, and poof! In a cloud of pink fragrant smoke, there was Ms. Pentangle. Mildred was nearly knocked over as the crowd leapt to its feet whooping and cheering.
"Thank you! Thank you!" Ms. Pentangle blew kisses at the crowd. "As you all know, my students are required to take an event planning course in order to graduate so I am….confident in their abilities to surprise and delight me this week. However, I recognize that Cackle's has a tendency to, well, be a bit stuck in the past, so I have offered my humble services this week to help you all have a wonderful time celebrating the staff here at Cackle's" she said eloquently. Applause rang through the main hall, and Mildred, once she had recovered from being knocked out of her row by Felicity's elbow, yelled above all the rest. Ms. Pentangle extended a demure hand for silence.
"Ms. Nightshade and I, will be working side by side on this project, and have come up with some exciting ideas. But be warned" she suddenly grew very serious, and Mildred's stomach dropped for a moment. "Everything I am about to share with you is of the utmost secrecy!" Mildred giggled at her melodramatics. "Not one member of staff must find out about any of our plans- doing so will unravel the very fabric of the tradition. So I urge you, those who do not trust themselves to keep the secrets, under any circumstances, please remove yourselves from the room. Sometimes ignorance is best" Ms. Pentangle said, staring down the crowd in a way most evocative of a certain Cackles' staff member, smiling when she heard giggles from the crowd. She waited a beat, and then continued. "Now that that's settled, here are the themes for the next week: Next Monday we will be surprising the teachers with a wonderful elegant brunch in the main hall. You all will eat at 6'clock before set up so everyone has to be up early! Now, precisely two hours before, the parents will have set up a wonderful breakfast that they will have put together themselves. Your job is if you see any member of staff going towards the main hall before that time, divert them. Use your creativity! I will also need about five members of the student body to be wait staff." Everyone groaned and shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, come off it you all. It's fun! Anyone who wants to volunteer step forward" Nearly all of the Cackles' girls backed up, leaving only Ethel, Felicity, Maud, and Enid and Mildred (who were too busy giggling with each other to notice everyone else had backed up). "Wonderful! Thank you all so much! I knew I could count on my older girls to show the younger ones how its done!" Ms. Pentangle exclaimed as Enid and Mildred were gaping around at how they were suddenly volunteering for something they had had no intention of volunteering for. Mildred tried to grin, but it came off as more of a grimace. She had to wait on her teachers? Like a servant? How was this fun, again? She thought as she felt her face turning beet red.
"Ugh. Mildred Hubble. This will be a disaster. You serving food? You can barely serve yourself without slopping all over yourself and anyone unfortunate enough to be near you" Ethel hissed, and Mildred stuck out her tongue at her. "Okay, wonderful. Now that I've got your names down, we'll move on to Tuesday. Tuesday, is one of my favorite traditions, and actually is one I haven't altered much from its original form" Ms. Pentangle paused here for dramatic effect. "In it's essence, it's a Queen/King for a day. The teacher must not be allowed to do too much actual work, so students carry their bags, help with marking (not for their own class of course), and escort them to their classes. My favorite part is students announcing my entrance-" she sighs. "It's the closest I'll get to being a queen" she said, opening a pink fan and fanning herself delicately. "Any student who is nearby should chip in on these traditions on Tuesday, though it is more fun if one student is the escort of one teacher throughout. Who would like to be a teacher escort?" Once again, the same five remained and everyone else stepped back, but went a step further and filed out of the room. "Well never in all my years have I, ever,….I mean….I mean the ingratitude" Ms. Pentangle fumed. Mildred frowned.
"Perhaps it's because it's nearly end of term?" Mildred wondered aloud. "Probably everyone's just stressed about exams" Ms. Pentangle huffed.
"But you don't have to worry about that do you, Mildred?" Ethel hissed. "You know you're going to fail, so why bother studying"
"Yes, I was worried about that, Mildred. It has been a bit difficult in the past as well to get volunteers simply because of the timing. Unfortunately, the time is one thing we cannot change, as it's supposed to be a recognition of teachers over the whole term."
"I think this one is way more fun than the other ones. At least we're upgraded this time from servant to royal announcer" and Mildred stifled her giggles.
"I suppose we should just draw names now" Ms. Pentangle continued, looking furtively at her scroll. "This was not what I was expecting but we'll make it work. Wednesday will be a kind of opposite day, where teachers will have the day off from teaching, and students will teach classes" Enid snorted.
"Yes well I know it's silly but that is the point, Enid Nightshade" her mother growled, still clearly put out that only five girls wanted to participate. Maud and Ethel beamed at the idea of teaching a class, whereas Enid, Mildred and Felicity looked nervously at each other.
"You want us to teach a lesson?" Mildred exclaimed.
"The idea is that you will not only educate peers, staff, and yourselves in a new way, you will also gain an appreciation for the difficult work that teachers do every day. It's not easy to be a teacher" Ms. Pentangle explained. "I should know, it wreaks havoc on my complexion" Only after she was sufficiently assured by Felicity that she was gorgeous and the strain of teaching showed no signs at all on her skin did she continue. "Anywho, the same teacher whose name you draw for the escort will be the teacher who's class you will be teaching, and who you'll be "honoring" all week throughout the themes. I find it's more meaningful coming from the same student every day" Ms. Pentangle added.
"Thursday, you will be presenting a gift basket to your teacher. You have all weekend, and of course the three days to begin compiling it, but you only have to add one item to it. The basket will be a compilation of gifts from every student, so you'll have to remind everyone to contribute a card, drawing, etc. Not all of them have to be paper goods- I've had some wonderful students past who have included baked goods, candles, and one extraordinarily amazing foot bath that I use to this day! But we ask for non-prank gifts, these should be gifts from the heart. Once the basket is compiled, you will present it to your teacher during a ceremony in the main hall. In this way everyone gets a chance to contribute, without too much responsibility" Ms. Pentangle explained. "Friday, the last day, and by far the most meaningful, is a fun day out! Teachers will be surprised with a fun day of no work- that the student designed with them in mind! But, you must bring your teacher back at 2:30, by the rest of the time the students will have put the finishing touches on a party to celebrate them! During the party, students will choose a flower from the garden, and present them to the teachers they feel have most made an impact on their lives. This one will be your choice, not necessarily will you pick the teacher you draw" Ms. Pentangle finished, panting, as the students stood dumbfounded. "Oh my gosh! I know. I know. So much to do, so little time!" she exclaimed, as she whisked out a small black bag. "Now for the drawing. Ethel! Let's start with you!" Ethel smirked, stepped forward ever so confidently and drew out a small slip of paper. Upon reading it, she dropped it as if it had burned her.
"Ms. Pentangle I would like to re-draw, this is unacceptable" Ethel said shakily. Ms. Pentangle frowned.
"I'm sorry, Ethel, but there is no re-drawing. I'm sure if you're not close with this teacher this just means you need to appreciate them all the more!" she sang, winking at Mildred, who giggled. "Now tell us who you have so I can write it down" she said.
"Mr. Rowan-Webb" Ethel sobbed, sending Enid and Mildred into peals of laughter. Ms. Pentangle next moved the bag over to Felicity, who gingerly pulled out a name. "Miss Bat" she said happily. "Well that's all right then, I love chanting. Maybe she can tell me about some of the outfits she wore as Esper Vespertillo" Felicity murmured.
"Thank you, Felicity for displaying an appropriate reaction" Ms. Pentangle said, as Enid practically shoved her whole hand into the bag. "I GOT MISS DRILL YES" she screeched, and her mother shushed her, smiling. Maud drew Ms. Cackle, to Mildred's disappointment, as that was the one she had most wanted. She had always felt there was a special bond between herself and Ms. Cackle, for she had always been the one to make her feel most welcome in the magical world. "And Mildred" Ms. Pentangle halted in front of her. Mildred's heart sunk, because she would have to spend the next week honoring the one person who harbored an intense dislike of her.
"Miss Hardbroom" she mumbled, staring at her shoes.