Monday, January 5, 2009

Missing some little friends and welcoming back others

Small numbers today, the first school day of the 2009. I am wondering what happened. Was the weather too bad this morning for some people? Did the students encounter problems with their transportation? Did the families know that school started today? Is someone sick? Hopefully, I will get in touch with people over the telephone and will be reunited with the students sooner rather than later.

The kids who are here seem both sleepy and excited at the same time. One of the students just stared at me this morning with wide eyes and and even wider smile. He did not say anything but the staring lasted for an unnaturally long time. Another student arrived with a belated holiday card in her hand in a bright white envelope with slightly tattered edges. The message was written by her mother wishing all of us a happy holiday season. Another student arrived eager to talk about her new shoes and what Santa brought her.

We spent some time reviewing the rules and discussing their vacation. I am always amazed when a student cannot recall one single event that happened over a 2 week period. I know students at this age have difficulties understanding time and retelling things from the past, but I still posed the question to them anyways. A lot of them were able to answer, but one student actually said "nothing". When she was asked further questions, she still said that she did nothing. As the morning wore on, their energy slowly dissipated. Most were hungry well before lunch and all slept soundly during rest period.

Happy 2009!

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