Meet Georgie

Every year Georgie has a meeting with the the principal. Y'know, share some ideas about how to improve the school, what types of games would be good to have at the carnival, his opinions and insights and priorities for the school year. He's the only kid who does this.

I think it may have even started when I had him in first grade, when Candy saw him doing the Soldier Boy dance he had learned in after-school, which was incredibly hilarious since the dance itself is so atrocious, and he was always a little clumsy and uncoordinated, and he just did it with such gusto.  So Candy took him down to perform for whoever happened to be in the back office at the time, and of course he agreed, because he adores the spotlight. He's one of those kids who adults notice -- probably because he spends most of his time seeking their attention. He is so totally un-shy, will talk to anyone about anything, especially strangers, and he's crown prince of the non sequitur. Everyone likes to mess with him, because he's just so mess-withable...

I will have to get you a copy of the letter he typed to the principal to schedule the meeting. It is hilarious. And, after pestering Candy incessantly about the meeting for a few days at arrival and dismissal, she gave him the principal's secretary's extension and had him call the main office to follow up about scheduling the meeting.  And although it's mostly in jest, I couldn't help enjoying the valuable life lesson he is learning about persistence, and about speaking truth to power...

The other day something precious happened with him.  A concerned parent had come to me to report a rumor that one of the students in the class had brought a knife to school.  After some sleuthing, I deduced that the rumor had originated from one Beatriz, who is, at best, a less-than-reliable witness (and at worst, potentially a bold-faced liar who may or may not have stolen my entire tape dispenser through I can't prove it, and have yet to come up with a good reason why anyone would want to pilfer something as mundane as a tape dispenser.)

Anyway, Beatriz basically fell apart under questioning, never actually admitting to having seen any kind knife, or telling anyone that she had. She did claim to have seen "something green and hard" in Georgie's backpack, with an extremely circuitous explanation about what it might have been, involving her babysitter, a young boy that her babysitter also watches who may or may not know Georgie, and many other illogical and/or irrelevant statements.

But, wanting to be diligent, I had to question Georgie about the allegation. In my calm-but-stern, no-nonsense "you might be in really big trouble" voice, I invited Georgie into my office in the doorway.

"Georgie, I need to ask you something very important, and it's very important that you be honest with me... Did you bring anything to school recently that you are not supposed to have?"

His lower lip trembled. His eyes got wide. My stomach dropped. In a quivering, small voice, he confessed...

"My i-pod... I brought it on the field trip." Trying my best to suppress a smile, I probed further.

"Um.. ok. That's not really what I'm talking about.  Did you bring something else you're not supposed to have?"
Longer pause. He thought for a moment. I thought I spied tears filling up his eyes.

"Sunflower seeds?"

Charmed by his innocence, honesty, and genuine remorse, I thought to myself, "No further questions."

Though they'd deny it vehemently in public, teachers do have favorites, (and others they just don't care for.)  Georgie I love even more every day.