The mystery of the missing teacher...

For the last couple of weeks one of the best teachers (in my opinion) at the Little Man's pre-school/Daycare Centre has been noticeably absent.  It's unusual because they have amazing lines of communication. We get an emailed PowerPoint Day Book everyday that he is there and each month we get a calendar of events which includes holidays of staff.  I have been puzzled but too busy to follow it up, and besides as nothing had been said I figured she was probably on holiday.

This morning when I dropped him off, she wasn't there again and being the end of term things are calming down a little here, so I had five minutes to think about it and decided something was off.  I looked her up on Facebook.  There she was with another daycare centre listed as her employer.  Shock! So weird.  It's unheard of for an employee to leave our centre without fanfare, parties and notices up. Nothing. Not even a whisper that she had left.  I'm fascinated and annoyed.

I am also a bit worried. The Little Man hates change and has already commented on missing her, she was able to switch his mood in a look and a word.  Also I like her, she's down to earth and she has been at the centre since it opened two years ago.  She has been one of his favourites even when he was in the other room.  I liked to have a chat with her in the playground at pickup time.  I always found she kept me up to date on my Little Man's progress and problems.  The room leader is lovely but superficially friendly, which leaves me slightly uncomfortable and the other 2 regulars are just not friendly.  I feel like the place is losing the family feel I loved about it and was the reason I kept him there even though he was accepted into the local prestigious pre-school (that and the fact I didn't have to change my routine to school hours as his current centre is open until 6pm - sue me, I have a life).

We had a change of Director at the beginning of the year and I'm not the new one's biggest fan, I loved the previous one (maternity leave) she had a knack of making everyone feel welcome and involved. The new one doesn't have the knack at all.  In fact if I was asked by her boss how she was settling in, after 6 months as a teacher and now 4 months as Director I would honestly say I thought she was a bad choice as she is still using the excuse of "I'm new, I'll have to find out".  The previous Director started with a new centre, was younger and OWNED the job.  This girl appears to have no confidence in herself and I believe she is dividing the staff.  Alarm bells started ringing about her when, she refused to hold one of my sons friends places while he went overseas for a holiday and in the same week told me "Oh if we have a space for him" when I dropped a comment about the Munchkin starting before The Little Man went to big school.  Since we are a foundation family, I was pregnant with him at the time and it has been discussed frequently with everyone there, I was a bit shocked by that response.  (I followed it up a few days afterwards, I refuse to be treated this way and he is starting at the end of the year.)

I don't know what has happened to our beloved Miss S, but I have sent her a message via Facebook. I hope she responds.  I know I need to approach the Director and the room leader about this but it annoys me that I am the one initiating communication.  Even if she left under a cloud, where is the communication?  I'm giving them till Friday pick up to let me know what is going on and if they haven't I'm going in as grumpy Mummy!!

There are just so many things that bother me about this.