Wayside (TV series) facts for kids

Todd transfers to Wayside School, which was built 30 stories high instead of 30 rooms wide. He joins Mrs. Jewls' class on the 30th floor and tries to fit in. But he struggles with the school's strange ways. Mrs. Jewls often writes his name on the board, threatening to send him home on the kindergarten bus. The class faces danger from a trash compactor on their floor. Todd's outbursts lead to him being sent home. During a dodgeball game, Todd gets tagged. Dana is named class president. Todd is sent home again, and the trash compactor starts up. Dana feels like a bad president. Todd sneaks back and helps save everyone from the compactor. Myron finds the emergency shutoff. Back in class, Dana gives Todd a new desk. Todd throws it out, hoping to truly become a Waysider, which he does.

"Pull My Pigtail": It's Valentine's Day. Dana tries to make Todd fall for Maurecia by making him pull her ponytail. Meanwhile, Principal Kidswatter thinks Myron is his guardian angel.

"Class Cow": A cow wanders into class while Mrs. Jewls is away. The students think it's their substitute teacher. They learn a lot from the cow.

"Meet the Pets": Todd tells how he lost his goldfish, King Arthur. Everyone brings their pets to school. Todd has to watch them to learn responsibility. When the pets escape, Todd needs his friends' help. Todd later gets a new fish, King Arthur the Second.

"Oh, Great Leader": Students plan a surprise birthday party for Principal Kidswatter. He thinks they are trying to get rid of him. He sends Todd to spy on them.

"Honors Class": Maurecia gets moved to the Honors Class instead of Dana. She tries to escape it, while Dana tries to get in. They find out Mrs. Jewls' class is actually a double Honors Class. "Cabbage, My Boy": Myron adopts a head of lettuce as his younger brother. Mrs. Jewls gives an assignment about families. Todd has no siblings and must find a way to finish his project.

Note: Shari is awake in a video she made for "Cabbage My Boy."

"Mascot Madness": The tetherball team wants Todd to be their new mascot to win games. Todd doesn't want to. Dana creates a giant version of his head for Myron to wear. Myron becomes "Big-Head Todd." "He Is It": During a game of tag, Todd tags Myron. Myron starts demanding special treatment. Everyone has to follow the rules, so no one can disobey him.

Note: "Mascot Madness" is the first time Timmy Tricky appears.

"Best Friendzzz": Myron and Dana, long-time best friends, have a fight and decide not to be friends anymore. Myron becomes Shari's new best friend, and Dana becomes Todd's. Meanwhile, Mr. Kidswatter buys a new machine to reduce stress. Myron and Dana make up and become best friends again. Todd tries Myron's brain-listening trick on Shari and it works. "Kindergarten King": Mrs. Jewls sends Todd home early on the kindergarten bus. He saved a girl's stuffed dog. This makes him the king of the kindergarteners.

Note: Maurecia does not appear in "Best Friendzzz." Dana is shown in a swimsuit in this episode.

"Myron vs. Normy": Myron pretends to be his made-up twin brother, Normy, to avoid trouble. Everyone thinks Normy is cool and wants him to be class president. Todd and Shari see through the act. Todd tries to get Myron to tell the truth. "Age of Aquarium": For a field trip, the fish come to the classroom instead of the kids going to the aquarium. The classroom fills with water and fish. Todd has to sit in a life raft because he forgot his permission slip. Maurecia eats her permission slip to be alone with Todd. She tries to hold his hand. Dana tries to find something interesting for Myron underwater.

Note: Shari speaks for the first time in "Myron vs. Normy."

"Channel Kidswatter": Principal Kidswatter wants to run a home-shopping channel from his office. He makes students create items for sale, calling it a new "arts" class. Todd tries to stop it but ends up working for it. Maurecia and Jenny must stop the channel.

"The Elevator": The stairs are broken. Todd accidentally presses an elevator button. Wayside School elevators only work when the stairs are out. Todd and Principal Kidswatter get stuck between floors. Dana, Myron, and Louis become "Rescue Dudes" to save them.

"Mad Hot": Principal Kidswatter challenges another school to a dance competition. He picks Todd, Maurecia, Dana, and Myron for his team.

"Mamaland Blues": Dana finds a marriage certificate. She thinks it might mean Miss Mush is related to her.

"Principles of Principals": Todd wins the "Principal for a Day" contest. No one else entered because it's a trick: the winner has to do everything on Kidswatter's long list. Todd decides to complete the list and improve the school. "Teacher's Parent Conference": It's Teacher-Grading-Day. Everyone in Mrs. Jewls' class must give her a report card. Todd gives Mrs. Jewls a bad grade so she won't send him home. Now she has to stay after school with her father, Papa Jewls. He decides to send Mrs. Jewls to a private school. Dana and the other students help Todd "be a better student" so Mrs. Jewls can stay at Wayside.

Note: Mrs. Jewls' father, Papa Jewls, is only seen in "Teacher's Parent Conference."

"Rat in Shining Armor": It's the spring Halloween dance. Maurecia wants Todd to dance with her. Todd says no because she punched him. Maurecia thinks he wants to break up and runs off crying. Miss Mush puts her dead rat in a knight suit for Maurecia to dance with, making Todd jealous. Todd finds out it's the rat and switches costumes so Maurecia won't be sad. "Mrs. Gorf": The 30th floor class is on a camping trip on the 6th floor. Maurecia promises not to punch Todd if he sits with her. Todd doesn't believe her. Dana explains that Maurecia used to be gentle when Mrs. Gorf was their teacher. Dana tells Todd about Mrs. Gorf and how different the class was before Todd came.

Note: The episode "Mrs. Gorf" is based on the first chapter of Sideways Stories from Wayside School.

"Todd Falls in Love": Todd arrives at school and sees Maurecia has put up love posters about him. Todd wants to prove he won't be her boyfriend. He eats Miss Mush's mushroom surprise, which makes him fall in love with Mrs. Jewls. Maurecia tries to make Todd like her again. "French Fried": A new chef, Le Chef, starts cooking for the teachers' lounge and then the students. This makes Miss Mush jealous, and she quits. Miss Mush and Le Chef enter Todd's cooking challenge to see who is better. Maurecia is the judge.

Note: Maurecia is seen without her helmet and ribbon only in "Todd Falls in Love."

"Music Lessons": Myron finds a strange nose flute called the Strumplefloozle. He uses it to control his friends. But it also makes cows tear down the school.

"Todd & Bull Story": Principal Kidswatter cries on the PA after losing a match to a bull named La Boca Loca. Todd tries to give him "Make Me Happy" flowers. Kidswatter tells him to put them in the basement because they remind him of his loss. The kids mistake a pile of stage props for a Wishing Well. Todd makes their wishes come true. Kidswatter then makes them re-create a bullfight from his past.

"My Partner Gets All the Credit": Maurecia is paired with Myron for the Wayside Games. Myron is not good at sports, so Maurecia does all the work. Myron gets all the credit when she wins, which makes Maurecia angry. "Daring Love": Todd overhears Maurecia and Jenny on the playground. He becomes convinced that both of them are in love with him.

Note: Maurecia is shown in a swimsuit in "My Partner Gets All The Credit."

"Louis Gets Some Class": Kidswatter finds out Louis never passed his final exam and sends him back to class. Myron is upset that Louis is more popular than him. Mr. Kidswatter calls in Mr. Osteo to give Louis his final exam. Myron later finds Louis's real folder and proves that Louis did graduate. Mr. Kidswatter then admits Louis did graduate. Note: It is revealed that Mr. Kidswatter did not graduate from high school. "My Fluffy Hair": Fluffy feels ignored because Maurecia is paying more attention to Todd. Fluffy runs away. Mr. Kidswatter finds Fluffy and thinks he's a wig. Fluffy uses this "power" to get revenge on Todd.

Note: Myron does not have a major role in "My Fluffy Hair," but he does appear briefly.

"Dana Checks Out": Dana is tired of organizing the class. Jenny lets her use her bike to see all 30 floors of Wayside, including the non-existent 19th floor. Myron ruins the class, so they need Dana back. Jenny stops Dana from riding into the 19th floor's boarded-up room. She reveals there's a good reason no one has seen it. When Dana bumps Jenny's bike, it comes back with the seat signed by Mrs. Zarves.

"My Biggest Fan": Mr. Kidswatter is Myron's hero. Todd, Dana, and Maurecia show Myron that Kidswatter doesn't even know his name. Myron tries to find a new hero. He then finds out he is actually Mr. Kidswatter's hero, and his own biggest fan.

"Kidswatter: The Movie": The kids make a movie about Principal Kidswatter for a new class. Todd plays the main role. He soon becomes as bad as the real Kidswatter. Todd cries that his success is a failure. Myron says he can use that in the movie. The class watches the movie, and Kidswatter cries at the end. Note: This is the only time Todd calls Myron "Martha" and "Morty."

"Safety Monitor": Myron fails as Safety Monitor. Maurecia takes over, but her idea of safety goes too far. Myron tries to get his job back by tearing up Maurecia's safety slips. Kidswatter is taming a lion.

"Be True to Your Elf": Kidswatter says Stephen can't lead the parade because his costume looks like a leprechaun. Stephen tries to be "Mr. Normal" so he can lead the school parade. Note: From this episode on, the series uses flash animation with Adobe Flash, and many characters look different.

"Sideways Protest": Kidswatter decides to move the school. All the students protest. Their protests end up making the school better. Kidswatter disguises himself as a student to stop them.

"Oh, Brother": Goon, Dana's older brother, visits. Myron wants to be a rebel like him, but he's not. Mrs. Jewls and Kidswatter try to catch Goon. Mrs. Jewls tells Todd, Maurecia, and Dana that Goon is a fugitive. Todd and friends save Goon from being caught. Note: Goon reveals that Dana's full name is "Yodana." "Snow Day": Mr. Kidswatter turns up the cold for Mrs. Jewls' skating lesson. Myron, as the leader, traps the class. Todd's group learns to survive. Later, Todd's group and Maurecia's group go to war.

Note: This episode shows that Shari can cook.

"The Rat Truth": Sammy is very sick (but dead). Miss Mush asks Dana to watch him while she hunts for a special pot. Sammy becomes a truth stick in Mrs. Jewls' class. He feeds words into his mouth. Mr. Kidswatter later kidnaps Sammy. "Free Stewy": Todd and Maurecia free an octopus they think Miss Mush will cook. Kidswatter hunts for the creature, thinking it ate his fish sticks.

Note: In "Free Stewy," Dana breaks the fourth wall, telling kids not to squeeze books at home.

"Extra Curricular Riddicular": All the kids form strange after-school clubs. Todd creates a "Science Club." Myron laughs at him, thinking his club will be better. But Todd's club builds a working rocket. Jealous, Myron tries to build his own rocket. Myron accidentally launches the rocket with Kidswatter inside, making Todd cry. Todd wants to confront Myron, but Dana stops them from ruining their friendship.

"Wayside Christmas": The school celebrates Christmas. Mrs. Jewls' class decorates and exchanges Secret Santa gifts. Myron doesn't give Bebe a gift because he only bought gifts for himself. The class makes fun of him, and he runs away. Myron gets confused and thinks he's in his own version of "A Christmas Carol." The other kids, including Todd, Dana, and Maurecia, are confused as he mistakes them for Christmas ghosts. After talking with Todd, Myron learns his lesson. He throws a big Christmas party and gives Bebe his paper crown. He then leads the class in singing a Wayside-themed Christmas song.

"Le Race": Le Chef wants revenge on Kidswatter since he was fired. Myron gets a note saying Kidswatter is challenged to a parkour game with the chef. Kidswatter must win before Le Chef takes over the school.

"Imperfect Attendance": Shari, Maurecia, Myron, Todd, and Louis need Dana's help. But Dana is trying to beat a record for perfect attendance (1,448 days in a row). Can she beat the record and save her friends before the bell rings?

"Kidswatter's Opus": Mrs. Jewls is sick, and no substitutes are available. Kidswatter has to teach the class his way. "The Three Erics": In Mrs. Jewls' class, Eric Bacon and Eric Fry get picked and earn gold stars, but Eric Ovens never does. Because he's the smallest Eric, he's often overlooked. Myron convinces Eric Ovens to become "Myron Ovens." The Erics need another Eric to join them. Maurecia is picked so she can be in the same column as Todd. Things get worse when Myron Ovens wants to be Eric again.

Note: Shari is awake when Mr. Kidswatter sings his K-Man song. Myron grows very large, and Dana shows a strange form of psychokinesis.

"Miss Fortune": Miss Mush asks Myron, Dana, Maurecia, and Todd about their future jobs. She makes special Mushroom Surprise bowls that show the future at the bottom. Kidswatter sees his future from eating Mushroom Surprise before and wants to change it. "The Note": Mrs. Jewls gives the class a pop quiz. They need to finish it before Mrs. Jewls gets a high score in pinball. Maurecia tries to pass a note to Todd, but it accidentally goes to Eric Fry. The note then gets passed around the whole class. Todd needs to get the note back, even from Kidswatter, who thinks it says how much he is liked.

Note: The title "Miss Fortune" is a play on words for "misfortune."

"Myth of Nick": Todd hears many myths about a kid named Nick. He wants to get rid of them. He learns all of "Nick's" old tricks. Todd tells Maurecia, Dana, and Myron about the fake myths. He dives into a can of beans with a snorkel and comes out speaking strangely. Todd then tells the class that "Nick" is actually Louis. "Dr. Dana": Dana hosts a radio advice show. When Dana loses her voice, Myron takes over. Things at Wayside go crazy. Dana's voice returns, and she confronts Myron. She cancels the show and tells everyone to ignore the advice they got. Myron loses his voice after yelling at Dana.

Note: "Myth of Nick" reveals that Nick is Louis' middle name.

"Slow Mo Mo": Maurecia loves being fast because of her roller skates. One day, she bumps into Principal Kidswatter. Kidswatter bans all round things from Wayside, including Maurecia's wheels. Everything round becomes square. Maurecia hates being slow and late. Kidswatter then tries to make everything square become round again. Todd, Dana, and Myron join Maurecia.

"Joe 'N' Fro": Kidswatter plans his new lawn "gazebo" project. Joe hides rabbits and a chipmunk in his large orange afro. A peanut is thrown at Todd's head. Todd, Dana, Myron, and Maurecia confront Joe. He hides a squirrel in his hair and gets Mr. Kidswatter to put all the trees back in the yard. Myron sneezes near Joe, making everyone think he's allergic to Joe. He's actually allergic to the chipmunk. Todd, Maurecia, and Dana learn how special Joe and his afro are.

"Upside Down John": It's the 30th floor science fair. John shows his science volcano but hates how it turned out. He thinks it's because he does everything upside down. Todd, Myron, Dana, and Maurecia try to help John get right-side up. Mrs. Jewls tells John that being upside down is not a bad thing. Meanwhile, Kidswatter takes an I.Q. test to see if he is smart.

"The Final Stretch": Principal Kidswatter's office and rubber band ball are destroyed. He asks Stephen, Myron, Dana, Maurecia, and Todd who did it. Stephen blames Myron. Myron says Dana did it by pulling a rubber band. Dana says she only took the ball from Myron and blames Maurecia for crashing into the office. Maurecia says Todd turned into a monster because of her injuries. Todd explains what really happened and says they cleaned it up. Kidswatter talks to a cow, who explains it was all Kidswatter's fault. He accidentally destroyed his office and rubber band ball by adding another rubber band.