So, I get to school, and there is a depressed and sad 16 year old boy sitting in my room. It's his birthday, and he has missed the last several days of school because his ride flaked out, so he's scrambling to make up finals he missed and stuff like that. He lives quite far away and the opposite direction, so there is no chance I could pick him up - but I could buy him a cake, and that is what I did.
We crammed about 40 kids in my room, sang "Happy Birthday" and ate cake and drank orange juice.
He told me later that I turned the day around for him. I tell you - just him telling me that turned my whole WEEK around. Yay for kids!
I get very stressed out when it is my turn to plan the Student Led Conferences, and this go around was so much more stressful than usual, even though my co-worker did a chunk of it for me because I was working on the Hiki No episode, but once the conferences start and the kids start presenting, all the stress melts away. It is so fun to celebrate what they are doing in their classes and how they are growing to be adults bit by bit. I usually put myself on some of the "hard" panels, but I was pleasantly surprised at how well prepared and articulate all these kids were today - surprised and very proud.
One more day of conferences, and then it's registration (surprisingly hard for a school with only 120 kids), a beach day (how many schools can take their entire student body to the beach for the day?), and then a K-12 talent show and ho'olaule'a and then pau. Hallelujah! Just have to grade those last few papers, do my report cards, live through a talent show, registration, and a beach day and pau hana! Okay, yeah, when I list it all out like that, it sounds like a lot (yikes) but the one beastly week will be over and it will be time to work on the garden, ride the horses, clean the house, and sleep for at least a week.
4 comments:
Thank you for getting the birthday cake for that young man. We've never had a lot of money for our kids, but at least we could be there for them, making sure they got to school, etc. If we'd all do one small thing to help a disadvantaged kid, it could do wonders!
I know his mom is doing a lot - she just works so far away from where they live, and in the opposite direction of our school. I know how overwhelming things can get, so I was glad to celebrate this great kid! He and a couple other kids pulled our Hiki No story out of the fire when we were down to the wire. Awesome kids!
I think thats so awesome of you to pull together a party for that student and make him feel special. :)
I was so happy to be able to do it, actually. A year ago, the money for the cake would have been out of the question (and a few months from now, it might be out of the question again!).
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