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I was talking to a younger
Kindergarten brother of one of my students as he and his
Mom were outside my door waiting for his older brother.
It was right before Christmas vacation and therefore
mid December. Making conversation, I asked him how
Kindergarten was going. Expecting an enthusiastic
response, I was quite surprised by his response. He
said, “Well, if you really want to know… I am waiting
for the day when I come and learn something I didn’t
already know before I came to Kindergarten.”
I made a habit of asking my sons
what they had done nice for someone at school every day
when they arrived home. One day I ask this and my son
said, “My teacher asked me to teach Jimmy how to spell
his name today.” I could sense he was a bit unhappy
about that task so I asked him what he thought of the
request. He responded, “If my teacher can’t teach Jimmy
how to spell his name and he has a Masters Degree, why
does he think I can when I am only 5 years old?”
My grand nephew, Robbie’s story, is
the last one. He is a precocious reader trying to be
happy in a Kindergarten class. He was ok through the
letter people “A” and “B”, but by the time the teacher
reached “C” his patience had left him. The teacher
asked the class what words they thought of when they saw
the letter “C”. Robbie responded “Si” – yes in Spanish;
sea – like the ocean; see-like my eyes. The teacher was
not amused. She responded to Robbie that he needed to
learn who the teacher was in that Kindergarten class,
and it wasn’t him.
And one day on the way to church,
Robbie was reading the flier on AGATE and he said,
“Every child receiving the education they deserve? What
if they are receiving an education they don’t deserve?”
Yeah, what if, Robbie?! Out of the
mouths of babes!
Audrey Dowling, President
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