Fam-i-ly

The other day I was going from my classroom to the teacher workroom during my break to cut some paper for a project. My classroom is in the "5th/6th bay," which is a separate building from the rest of the school (I try not to take it personally). To go to the workroom, the office, pe, or anywhere, I must cross the playground to the main group of buildings.

So I was crossing the playground with my paper to cut in hand. Now, our school campus is surrounded by a chain link fence. In the morning when the kids arrive to school, a gate in the fence is open for them to walk through, but during the day, it is chained shut. As I passed this gate, I saw a small boy pulling the gate in as far as the chain would allow,and was trying to squeeze through the narrow opening.

"Hey!" I called out. "What are you doing? You can't be there!" He stopped and turned around. "You need to go out onto the playground," I continued. He turned and began to walk towards the playground, but then he just leaned against a wall and burst into tears. I walked over.

"What's the matter? Why are you crying?" I asked.

"I don't have a friend," he sobbed.

"How come?" I asked. He just cried. So I took his little hand. "You come with me," I said. "I'm going to find someone to talk with you. But first, I have to cut some paper, so you'll just have to come with me." He obediently came with me without complaint, still holding my hand.

I continued to talk to him as we entered the teacher work room. There was one parent in there. "Are you a new student?" I asked. I wondered if he had just started at our school and hadn't yet made a good friend. But no, he said he had been at our school since the first day. "Who is your teacher?" I asked. He replied that it one of the kindergarten teachers. So the plot thickened.

I asked him why he didn't have a friend, and he said he had one earlier but didn't know where he had gone. "So I was going to go home because I miss my family," he said, pronouncing it fam-i-ly, and beginning to cry all over again. The other mom in the room and I looked at each other and gave one of those "Aaaaah..." looks that moms give. I walked him to the office.

Once there, I waited until Mr. Principal was free. Then I told him that this little boy had tried to go home because he couldn't find a friend and missed his family. He thanked me, and took over.

Those little kids are so cute! I couldn't teach them, but I sure enjoy them!