Sprinkles

Thursday, November 30, 2017

November is over?

How is that even possible?  Seems like we all were just talking about which pies to order for Thanksgiving, and now even the pies are history... except for a chunk of apple pie which is hiding in the back of the fridge in the pantry.

Book Club at the school was an eye-opening experience for me this afternoon. One of the disruptive boys, who I was on the verge of signing out of the club last week, was the first to arrive in the school library today. He put his back-pack down and asked me if he could help set up the room for the students. Being that he was twenty minutes ahead of his usual time, I asked if his class was let out early or was he supposed to be somewhere else at that time. He told me they were released early and told they could go out into the schoolyard to play ball until the after-school programs began at three o'clock. He told me he knew I would be in the library so he went there instead of going outside with the other boys.

Well.... and then some.  He helped me set up the snack table, and he did it expertly and carefully. (This from the same boy who tried to take extra snacks each week, even before any of the other students had a chance to get to that table.)  Then he helped me set out the attendance slips and the pencils, the stickers and the book labels.  And then, with ten minutes to spare, he sat down and started talking. And talking. Quietly, as if he were just thinking out loud... letting me in on how his life has gone so far, up to his present sixth grade status.  He asked me if I would be doing the 'Book Club Thing' when he leaves the elementary school and goes into the next school building.  I told him that the Book Club Thing was for grades 4, 5, and 6...... and I said that I hoped he would continue reading when he was in the higher grades.

Without going into the details of this particular boy's life story, let me just say that in his young life, he has gone through enough hurdles that would have flattened out a lot of adults. I could have sat there and just cried while I was listening to him. But he kept his chin up and so did I... and he was one of the students who was rewarded with a 'magic' wand this afternoon. This boy was thrilled, just thrilled, and thanked me three times, and told me he would try to get to the library early next week so he could help me 'do the setting up thing' again.

I quickly realized that this young boy was really not one of the disruptive boys... he had been disruptive during past book club meetings when the other boys were there... in order to fit in, to not be bullied, to be 'one of the guys.'  Without those other boys in the library today (all of whom have chosen on their own not to be part of the book club anymore) this boy really enjoyed the afternoon's meeting and his new status as an owner of a special magic wand.

This afternoon's talk with that student made me very humble. To think of what that young boy has been through is enough to make me cry right now.  I wish for him a better life as he gets older. I wish and I hope and I pray that the adults in his life realize that sometimes kids need to just talk and have someone listen to their words. Just listen... without speaking, without judging, without commenting on the way they see their young life playing out.

I had to make an announcement to the book club students today.... next Thursday will be our last meeting until after the Christmas break.  The kids will be taking after-school tutorials in math and science, and then taking their exams, and then school will be closed for the break.  When I told the kids all of that, I heard nothing but moans and groans, and questions such as "Are you sure you're coming back in January?"  "How come they're taking you away again?"  "Why can't we have book club when the school is closed?"  "You can do book club at my house!"

So next Thursday, I will bring Christmas books in for the students... and the grab-bag Christmas gifts... and the snacks.  I also had other holiday surprises planned for the weeks leading up to the holiday break, but I will save those for January.  You've heard of Christmas In July?  Well, the Book Club will have Christmas In January!

I will miss those kids during the Christmas break.  Especially that one little boy...

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