Ideas for Making Your Class Newsletter More Interactive

We've all been there! The big field trip has been on your newsletter for 6 weeks at least, but the day before you are still getting emails, texts, phone calls, and notes about when the field trip is taking place. Even though all of the details are available in the newsletter in their child's folder. It can be frustrating! You are left wondering if anyone even reads the information you painstakingly type, print, copy, and send home every week without fail.

If this has ever happened to you, too, here are a few quick and easy and often free suggestions for increasing family engagement with your newsletter. Hopefully, you will find a trick or two that might work for your classroom.  Nothing is one size fits all!

I am old school. I like to send (and receive) a paper copy of newsletters. I see so many classrooms with far more technology options than are available where I live. Some homes don't even have cell reception or internet access. I think it is good to have options for parents. So, here are a few you might want to consider:
-Send an old school style paper copy.
-Email a .pdf file and request receipts for when it has been read.
-Set up a private blog for your classroom and post it there.
-Post it in a private Facebook group.
-Use remind.com to text message families when an updated newsletter has gone home.
-Upload it to edmodo.com
-Send it as an attachment via Class Dojo.

So, what do they do with it once it's in their hands? How can you know if they read it, or at least perused the parts that you NEED them to see?  Here are few ideas for getting a response from families once the newsletter has gone home.

-Add a puzzle, riddle, or math word problem for them to solve as a family, sign, and return to you.

-Add a neat trivia question (possibly related to something you are currently studying). They can research the answer and send you their response.

-Put a conversation starter at the bottom. (As the mother of a boy who always says school was "fine" until I ask him very specific questions, this would come in handy at home.) Some examples could be: Ask your child to tell you about our science lab experiment, our new class pet, today's assembly, our upcoming field trip, etc..

-Ask the families a question about pertinent information contained within the newsletter. (i.e. What time does Field Day begin on Friday?) Maybe you can head off some of those calls/emails/texts at the pass. 

Once they have completed the engagement part, they can submit it for a bribe reward/incentive. You will probably want to switch out your bribes incentives regularly.  If you keep it new and fresh, they will stay more responsive. Sometimes you may want to offer everyone the same prize. Here are a few ideas to help you get started.

-Earn Class Dojo points

-Give out small treats (bubble gum, erasers, suckers, etc.)

-One Night Homework Free passes

-Eat lunch in the classroom

-Extra computer lab time

-Extra recess

-Stuffed Animal Day

-Sit with your friend

-Special snack 

-STEM time

-GoNoodle Dance Party

There are other times when you might want to go for a big individual reward. Anyone who completes the newsletter interaction piece gets their name entered in a drawing for:

-Sit at the teacher's desk all day

-Write with special supplies

-Be the teacher's assistant

-Raffle style drawing for a larger prize: toy, game, school supplies

-Lab assistant during STEM

-First Choice Award: the owner gets first choice during flexible seating, indoor recess, weekly job selection, etc.

**It might be fun to put rewards in envelopes for kids to choose as a surprise.  Throwing in a few zonks could be fun, too.  I have a freebie with picture cards you could print and use {HERE} in my Let's Make a Deal blog post. 

In this struggle, remember that kids are your greatest allies. I have tried every format I knew to reach certain parents with no response. Then, in desperation, I enlisted the child's help. All I had to do was sit with them at lunch or buy them ice cream and those critical forms magically came back! Lesson learned! 

Kids are naturally curious! If you tell them that they won't believe how awesome this week's treat is, they will jump through flaming hoops to find out what it will be. 

During MOST of the year, small incentives will work. However, there are times during the year when families tend to disengage because they are so busy. For me, even my most engaged parents got overwhelmed at the beginning of fall and spring sports season, the winter holiday season, and the end of the year. You may want to "up the ante" with some larger scale incentives during these periods of time. 

Then, there's the elephant in the room. What about those precious ones who are NEVER going to get someone to interact with their newsletter? Here are few suggestions for dealing with those in challenging situations. 

-I am required to submit my newsletter to someone in administration as a part of the communication part of my evaluation. Why not have a "specially selected" messenger or team of messengers? They can share the newsletter and complete the engagement piece with a great role model. Double win! 

-Assign a child to a co-worker, parent volunteer, or school mentor.

-Give select children full credit for completing items that were on the newsletter even if they are taking the responsibility on their own little shoulders: homework done for the week (check), permission slip returned (check), wore class t-shirt to school program (check). NEVER exclude a child from participation in incentives because of circumstances out of their control! Give them credit for stepping up and doing the things within their control. 

I hope some of these ideas are useful to you! If you would like to print these out to keep handy or share with a friend. You can download a printable copy {HERE}. 

How to Use Clip Art to Create Bulletin Board Sized Art

Well, I am back at school and prepping my room for Open House. I shared this picture on Instagram today and some of my followers asked me to share directions and the letters. Ask and ye shall receive, folks! :) 

At the bottom of this post, you will find a downloadable link for these welcome letters. You can print them as is, or you can enlarge them to any size you choose. If you want to make them (or any other image) MUCH larger, here is a quick picture tutorial for how to make that happen. Enjoy! 

I love sharing with you all! Hope you have a great start to your year! Grab your own WELCOME letters {HERE}! 

6 Steps to Creating and Scheduling Your R.T.I. Groups

When I was first assigned to teach 2nd Grade R.T.I., I was given free reign over my schedule. I literally sat and stared at a table filled with the master schedule, class rosters, and papers covered in scribbled out thoughts for more time than I would care to admit. How could I possibly make this all work? I would plan one schedule and then find a conflict with a lunch time, or too many tier 2 students, or the two classes combined would be over my limit. I wanted to pull my hair out! At the end of the day, I threw it all in a tote bag and took it home. That night, a system was born that has worked for me ever since! I know that your program will not be identical to mine, but maybe one or two of these ideas can save you two handfuls of hair! :) 

Before you get started, you MUST be sure that you fully understand your program's requirements. Are their max numbers of students who can served at one time? Are there minimum time requirements for reading and/or math? Are students seen daily? For me, I see my students daily in one hour blocks of time. Originally, I split it 30/30. Then, I decided to devote more time to reading. So, I have a 40 minute block for reading and a 20 minute block for math.

I will not lie to you. This step will take a while to get right, but it is the most important part of your planning. Remember you are setting up how your room will run for the next 180 days. Make sure you can live with it. 

I started by giving myself a planning time first thing in the morning. My students are not at school, settled in, and ready for services until 8:30 anyway. So, I blocked that out for planning and set up. Next, I started making one hour blocks. I made sure to pad them with 5 minute transitions wherever I could. After all, I do need to go to the restroom or answer an email here and there. I filled up every possible minute with instructional time other than that. Take a look at this schedule from last year as an example. I pull from 2 classrooms at a time for one hour. There is only one exception. One group comes for reading, leaves for lunch, and returns for math. 

I identify my current roster and potential students in three ways.

1. The first grade RTI teacher keeps all of the data on her students in an Excel file. At the end of her school year, she emails the file to me. I can easily see who is currently served in RTI and also who exited or withdrew from school at some point during the school year. 
2. I attend all of first grade's end of the year RTI meetings. This gives me a chance to listen to the information shared on each child. I also use this opportunity to ask each first grade teacher for the names of students who are NOT currently in RTI, but they have concerns about. Maybe there was not a slot available or they are concerned about the dreaded "summer slide". I keep a list of the names given to me by the classroom teachers.
3. Our administration is very empowering. They give all of the RTI teachers administrative access to data. So, I can log in and evaluate MAP data, STAR data, AR records, and more. I look for students who are not being served, but could potentially need services based on low data. 

Our administration also releases class rosters to us before they are given to classroom teachers. I use my 3 lists (current RTI, exited RTI, teacher concern/low data) to add this vital information to each roster. I created this roster for Mrs. Sample's class to give you an idea of how it looks to the classroom teacher. We can easily see which children are already qualified for services. Exited children need to be monitored carefully as they may need to return to RTI. The "monitor for need" category helps because teachers know who to watch out. My team has been wonderful about contacting me and saying, "Yes, I agree with the first grade teacher's concern. Opal Buloni is struggling in second grade. I am sending you her current data. Can we see about adding her to tier 2?"

I use each roster when I create this schedule template. I list the teachers in alphabetical order. Next to their name, I put their # of current tier 2 kids/# of current tier 3 kids/# of exited + monitor kids. This figure is vital! My aide and I are not allowed to serve more than 14 students at one time. I also don't like to have more than 7 at each tier level either. Last, I create a column for each session block.

My next step makes my head spin a little, but again it is necessary work. I take the master schedule for the school which includes each teacher's specials time, lunch time, and recess time and begin right clicking and filling the space with gray to shade out times when that class is unavailable for RTI services. 

For example, on the chart below, Mrs. Frizzle's class had a busy afternoon. They had specials from 11:20 - 11:50 which knocked them out of my 10:40 - 11:40 and 11:40 - 12:20 sessions. They had lunch from 12:50 - 1:15 followed by recess from 1:15 - 1:30. Therefore, they could only attend RTI from 8:30 - 9:30 or 9:35 - 10:35.  

Once all of the conflicts are eliminated, I start looking for pairs of teachers who are free at the same time while keeping a close watch on my student totals. I start with the MUST HAVE slots. Look at the purple and green sections for an example. The purple teacher was the ONLY one available during those blocks. So, she automatically took that slot. There were only three classes available during the last slot. Falker and Snape took the green slots because the other choice could have put me over my limit if a new student enrolled who needed services. Planning the other three was easier. I examined the numbers and whenever possible I asked the teachers for their personal preference. 

When I get the schedule to this point, I am ready to type it up and share it with administration and my team. I usually given them their time slot and roster at the same time. 

Well, I hope this has been useful. I pray it's not as clear as mud. If you have any questions, I would be happy to help! Also, if you have suggestions for making it easier, I would love to hear them! 

Character Education with Books by Helen Lester

Sometimes teaching character education or addressing sensitive issues can be tricky! That's why I love to incorporate literature as often as possible. Reading about a rat who is being bullied because of his speech disorder is a lot less stressful that getting lectured about being kind to others. Helen Lester is my favorite author for character education. I think of her as the Aesop for our generation. She uses animals in bad situations to teach a moral lesson that can be easily understood and applied. See? Modern day fables at their best! 

I have already written about my love for Listen Buddy and A Porcupine Named Fluffy. You can see their videos and grab some freebies by clicking on the titles above.

I also ADORE Wodney Wat. There is so much that you can do with this book! It is wonderful for those critical first days of school. Wodney cannot pronounce his r's correctly, and his classmates tease him day in and day out. Then, Camilla Capybara arrives and they are all bullied. Wodney becomes a hero when he saves everyone through a hilarious game of Simon Says. Here is a fun video read aloud of the story if you'd like to know more. 

Let's face it! In every class, there will be at LEAST one kiddo who has to be first. He or she will cut in line, take the sharpest pencil, or the grab the best seat at the lunch table whenever possible. Doing so will be a BIG source of classroom conflict. When that situation arises, reading Me First would be a great idea! Pinkerton the pig ALWAYS has to be first! So, when he hears a voice calling, "Who would care for a sandwich?" His answer is, of course, ME FIRST! However, he ends up meeting the SandWITCH who demands that he care for her until he learns his lesson. It is a funny but meaningful tale! Check it out below! 

Hurty Feelings is an awesome choice in a very TOUGH situation --- over sensitivity! We all have had sweet ones who wear their feelings on their sleeves or cry at the drop of a hat over something that others don't view as a big deal. A hippo named Fragility had the same problem! Even when the other animals are complimenting her, she misconstrues their meaning and gets offended. They start avoiding her because they are afraid that she will throw another fit. Then, Rudy the elephant shows up and gives Fragility a hard time. She learns to stand strong. Hopefully, the lesson will transfer well. The video below has blurry images, but it was created by a class who narrate the story and that makes it so sweet!


I have added three new Helen Lester comprehension scoots to my store. They are available for $1.50 each, and since TPT lifted their minimum check out requirement, you can grab them whenever you need one. They are also available in this newly added discounted bundle. You can check it out {HERE} or by click the pic below.

I hope these titles will help you navigate through some difficult situations! 

Let's Make a Deal Game Freebie

My sister and I grew up watching Monty Hall on Let's Make a Deal. We loved all of the crazy costumes that the people wore, the fabulous prizes, and we especially loved the ZONKS! We laughed and laughed when we heard the whomp, whomp, whomp and saw the zany gag prize that the contestant had won. We even invented our own version of the game to play with our cousins!

Now, I play it at home with my own kids. It is one of their favorite things for us to do! {We are a little crazy! That's just how we roll!} Here is how we play at home. The Hubs is the emcee/host and I am his lovely assistant. The kids are given a few minutes to scavenge their rooms and create a costume. While they are doing that, we select the prizes/zonks. Some of them are placed in gift wrapped boxes. Some we tape to the window behind the curtains. Some we put in sealed envelopes in the Hubs's pants pockets.

Then, the fun begins! In order to earn a chance to choose a prize, they have to do what we ask. Sometimes we ask them questions related to what they are reading or studying in school. Sometimes we ask them to recite their scripture memory verses or answer catechism questions. Sometimes they have to pass parts of a clean room inspection. If they do, they can choose from the prizes offered by the emcee. He may say, "You can have what is in this box OR you can choose what's behind curtain #2!" We all shout out what we think they should choose. It could be a tangible reward (cash, candy, etc.), an activity/event like inviting a friend over to play, or a ZONK! Here is a sample reward and ZONK page:

I also added in 12 classroom rewards because this would be SO MUCH FUN to play in class! 

So, if you would like to play, you can snag 18 home reward cards, 12 school reward cards, and 12 ZONKS {HERE!} I would love to hear from you if you play! 

Sit Spots Giveaway!

I LOVE Sit Spots! I am starting my third year with my set, and they still look great! I use them every day to manage my room efficiently! You can read my original post {HERE}. 

The fabulous folks at Sit Spots and I would love for you to experience Sit Spots in your own classroom! So, we are teaming up to offer you a chance to win $50 in FREE Sit Spots! You can earn up to three entries just by liking Sit Spots on Facebook, following them on Instagram, and following my blog! The contest will run through Saturday, July 25, 2015. I wanted to give you plenty of time to order your Sit Spots before school starts! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Listen Buddy: Book Chat and a Freebie

Listen Buddy by Helen Lester is my other favorite book for teaching listening expectations during the first few days of school. Buddy may have beautiful big ears, but he doesn't listen! When his parents ask him for a slice of bread, he shows up with a slice of bed! His funny antics aren't so funny though when he runs into the Scruffy Varmint who doesn't like little bunnies who don't listen. Here is a little book trailer so that you can get a better view of the hilarious illustrations that Lynn Munsinger created.

I have whipped up a little book study to go along with this funny tale. It includes lots of standards based skills practice and even a few fun listening activities, too! You can check it out {HERE} or by clicking on the picture.

What's a book recommendation without a freebie? I love sharing ideas with you all! This little flip book is super easy. Just fold the organizer in half down the solid line. Then, cut on the dotted lines to make four flaps. It is up to you what you want to require the students to write or draw inside for each story element. I hope this story helps your students become good little listeners!

I am also working hard on getting my classroom ready! I hope to have my room reveal ready to post in a day or two! 

Character Collage Project

My elementary school's media center had murals of popular characters painted on the walls above the shelves. I can remember seeing Ramona Quimby, Pinkerton, and Corduroy lovingly hand painted onto the cinder block walls. Maybe that is why I was so inspired by a project I saw on Instagram by Apples and ABC's. She had created art for her new Dr. Seuss themed classroom. You can see her beautiful work {HERE} on her blog. I decided that I wanted to do something similar for the space behind my guided reading table in my room. I shared my finished project on Instagram and Facebook. A lot of you had questions about how you could do something similar. So, here is a quick step by step guide to how I made this project.

Step One: Gather Supplies

Sweet Girl and I made a run to Hobby Lobby. I bought black acrylic paint, Glossy Mod Podge, foam brushes, and 2 packages (12 tiles) of Master's Touch Artist Canvas Panels. These were thin and 8 inches square.

Step Two: Who to Include?

While the family watched a movie, I started brainstorming a list of my 2nd graders favorite characters, series, and authors. Then, based on images I could find or personal preference, I narrowed my list down to enough for 12 tiles. For individual characters like Froggy, I thought I might could do a collage of many characters on one tile.

Step Three: The Search Begins

I started searching through Google Images by title, author, or character name. I looked for crisp images that would fit the space I had in mind. This one was a winner because it would be easy to cut out and it had three of the characters I wanted in one shot. I just right clicked and copied the image. 

Step Four: Creating a Document

Using the design tab in Power Point, I set up my slides to be 9 inches square. I knew I would need to buffer for printing. This size slide gave me a good perception of how the images would look on my canvases. Here you can see how the image above looked on the slide.

Here you can also see how some of the images looked before they were cut out and arranged.

Sometimes I used more than one slide. For my Dr. Seuss canvas, I used one slide for the characters and another for the truffula trees. Later, I would layer these images.

Step Five: Print, Paint, and Cut!

Sorry but I didn't get any pictures of this process. 

Important: Print your slides on CARDSTOCK! Copy paper is too thin and tears too easily! 

Basically, I covered the table with paper. Then, I used a foam brush to do two coats of black acrylic paint on each canvas. While they were drying, I cut out the images I wanted and toyed around with how to arrange them. 

Helpful hint: Eliminate all white space when cutting out the characters. Sometimes I had to make a tiny cut to get through to the white space by a character's arm or something. I knew it would be okay because the mod podge would glue it all back as one image anyway. 

Step Six: Let the Fun Begin!

Once the paint was dry and the images were ready, I slathered mod podge all over the canvas with a foam brush. I laid the cut out images on top and then sealed it down with more mod podge. Here is a peek at one freshly mod podged. 

Step 7: Enjoy!

Once it's done drying, have fun arranging your tiles and deciding how to display them. I thought about adding ribbon and hanging them on command hooks. Instead, I decided just to hot glue them to the wall as is. I will post pictures when I do my classroom reveal soon.

I would LOVE to see pictures if you decide to give this a try! What characters will you use? 

Getting to Know the Teacher Freebie

Many moons ago, I had a super sweet mama send me a survey in her son's folder on the first day of school. She wanted to know more about me, my likes, and my dislikes. Then, on my birthday, Christmas, Teacher Appreciation Day, and at the end of the year, she used my responses to get absolutely perfect gifts for me. I thought that was a wonderful idea!

Once my kids started school, I stole borrowed her idea. I always find it very helpful to have a list of gift ideas to pull from for their teachers (especially once my kids leave the school where I work and I don't know their teachers as well).

The computer that I had this stored on is no longer in use. So, this morning, I whipped up a new one. I thought you might like it, too. I included a color and b/w version.

If you don't have school age kids, this survey works well for your grade level teammates, too! I hope you can use it! You can grab your freebie {HERE}. :)

Building Community in the Classroom

They were going to be the class of my dreams! I read over my new class list once more and beamed. They were all sweet pumpkin pies with glorious test scores and supportive parents! And then...something happened that would change everything! The principal asked to see me. She said that she needed to add another inclusion classroom to 2nd grade and I had been selected for that assignment. This would require some significant changes to my class roster. Neither one of us knew at the time just how many changes this decision would bring. Word travels fast in a small, rural community. Soon, parents were calling and asking to have their child transferred out of my room. They had heard that my room would include kids with special needs and they wanted their sweet pumpkin pie away from that kind of environment. It's ugly, but it's true, friends. My revised list looked nothing like how I had envisioned this year's group, but they would become my favorite class of all time.

Even before I met any of my students, the meetings started. I had meetings with advocates, DFACS, IEP teams, psychologists, and medical teams. My special needs students were well represented. Their every need was covered, but there weren't any meetings about how to prepare the rest of my class. How was I supposed to really "include" everyone in my inclusion class? How was I supposed to train them to react to medical issues, violent outbursts, or frustrating behaviors when they occurred? Well, I would like to share some of my discoveries with you. Some of them, I stumbled upon in a crisis. Others the kids themselves taught me. You may not be an inclusion teacher, but I would be willing to bet that you will have at least one child with special needs of some kind in your upcoming class. 

1. Heads Down/Eyes on Books  I didn't have to use this one much, but it worked when I needed it. The class and I talked briefly about how you would not want to have someone staring at you if you were having a seizure or were crying. We used this strategy for those times when a quiet, respectful environment was needed, but they weren't in any danger. We practiced it a few times when our special friends were out of the room. Then, one day, a child in our room with leukemia felt faint and could not walk to the clinic. All I said was, "Heads down. Eyes on Books." The kids grabbed their independent reading books from their desks, put their heads down on their desks, and silently focused all of their attention onto the books. Administration and the medical team arrived and were able to remove the child from class in a manner that protected his dignity. The team returned later to brag on how well the class behaved during a crisis. The students absolutely beamed!

2. Emergency Exit There were a couple of times when the classroom was no longer a safe environment. Again, this is occasionally the reality of  life with special needs children. An exit plan should be put in place. We had rehearsed this scenario in advance, too. So, one day, out of the blue, when a typically docile autistic student suddenly threw a chair. I only said to the class, "Emergency exit, please". They immediately lined up at the door farthest from the upset child, filed into the hall, and sat against the wall outside of our room. A designated student alerted the teacher across the hall. She called for back up and monitored my class until help could arrive. Things returned to normal quickly and no one was in harm's way. 

3. The Buddy System  This was one was a huge help with children with medical issues! For their protection, they could not go anywhere (media center, clinic, even the restroom) unaccompanied. The nurse met with a few other students and enlisted their help. She taught them how to tell if these students needed help and to how to find an adult if they saw any reason for alarm. To protect the students' feelings, they were not aware of our buddy system. David thought it was just a coincidence that Jacob needed to use the restroom, see the nurse, or return a library book at the same time that he did. Jacob, however, felt like a superhero with a secret identity! 

4. Our Secret Signal This one may be the best idea I ever had! While I did not violate any student's confidentiality or rights, we did have some frank discussions about possible disruptive behaviors they may observe and how to handle them. If this wasn't addressed, the classroom environment could quickly deteriorate and tattling could reach epidemic proportions. So, we instituted a secret signal. Our signal had three parts. I held up my finger to form the number one, placed it over my heart, and then lifted it up to my lips. Our signal meant, "This is one of those things that he/she cannot control. Act with love from your heart. Keep quiet." Here is a quick example that happened in my room that year. 

Child 1: We need to start work on this center now.

Child 2 (with Tourette Syndrome and OCD): I can't start until I do 25 jumping jacks.

Child 1: What? I'm going to tell...

Me: secret signal

Child 1 (winks and nods at me): Never mind. I understand. I will get us set up while you finish your jumping jacks.

That is the extent of the training that I gave them. The rest of the lessons were ones that they taught me. You may have heard people say, "Children can be so cruel." That is true. They can. So can adults. Like adults, they can also be remarkably kind! Here are just three of the many stories from that revolutionary year that will forever warm my heart! 

David had leukemia. All of his hair had fallen out and he had to wear a toboggan when his head got cold. I hadn't noticed his embarrassment about being the only one in class wearing a hat, but the little girl seated across from him did. So, one day, when he slid his hat over his head, he looked up and smiled because Megan was wearing a toboggan, too. No words were exchanged-- just smiles. The next day, their whole table was wearing toboggans. Soon, everyone in class was sporting toboggans. It just took the kindness of one observant little girl to bring about a dramatic change to our classroom. 

Andy had a rare form of muscular dystrophy. Due to his large, electric wheelchair, need for a high table, and space for additional staff, he had to sit in the back of the classroom. One day, I was approached by Tim (w/ ADHD) who wanted a favor. He said, "Can I maybe move to the back of the room with Andy? I think I could concentrate better back there and I could keep him company." I agreed to give it a try. They created such a bond with each other. Andy helped to keep Tim on task. Tim picked up anything Andy dropped and turned in his work for him. It was almost a symbiotic relationship. Then, Andy had to have surgery. He would not return for at least six weeks. I offered to let Tim return to a table closer to the front. He thought about it for a moment and declined. He said, "I would feel better staying back here. I am just going to save his seat until he comes back." I wish you could have seen Andy's face when he rolled back into class and Tim said, "You're back, buddy! I've been waiting for you!"

Tristen was autistic. He would only talk about Transformers. He never made eye contact with others. He talked to himself at lunch. The other children tended to avoid him. Then, thanks to a boy named Henry something miraculous happened. Henry was an amazing athlete. He was one of my top students. He wore the latest styles. He even had cool hair. The girls stared at him. The boys wanted to be like him. One day at lunch, Tristen put his hands over his ears and started rocking back and forth. That's when Henry noticed that some kids from another class were laughing at Tristen. Henry picked up his lunchbox and moved right next to Tristen. They didn't speak to each other. They just sat together and ate their lunches in silence. The next day, Henry sat next to Tristen again. This time, Henry's best friend tagged along. Before the end of the week, the entire "cool" table had relocated to Tristen's table. Henry sought out every opportunity to act in kindness towards Tristen. At field day that year, our class was finishing up our turn at the jump rope event. All of the other students had had their turn except for one--Tristen. The parents and their children were starting to move on to the next event. Then, they heard one solitary voice cheering, "Come on, Tristen! You can do it, buddy! Keep going!" Of course, it was Henry. The kids all dropped their water bottles and came running back to help. Seventeen children cheered while Tristen smiled and awkwardly jumped rope. I looked up and saw tears streaming down Tristen's mom's face. Henry's mom cried and walked over to hug her.  That is the moment that solidified their standing as my favorite class of all time. Were they what I expected? NO! Were there hard days? More than a few! I may have learned more from them than they learned from me that year. The lessons of friendship and community last. Community can't be forced. It reminds me of tending a flower garden. You have to provide the right environment. Model patience and acceptance. Put safety procedures in place. Then, watch it flourish. You may find extraordinary blooms in unexpected places. 

At the close of this past school year, I attended my daughter's awards ceremony at the middle school. Tristen's name was called out for an award. He walked to the center of the gym floor and proceeded to bow multiple times. Some students and adults ignorantly snickered, but above their attempts to suppress  their giggles, I heard loud clapping and a voice I would know anywhere call out, "WAY TO GO, TRISTEN!"  My eyes welled with tears and I whispered, "You tell 'em, Henry!"