i cannot go to school today, said little peggy ann mckay

hello i am going to talk to you about one of my favorite students ever, tyler, a smart kid with sense and personality, and sometimes a tendency toward trouble...

so today about 10:55, 25 minutes before first grade lunch, he says his ear hurts and his mom said that if he got another earache, he could come home. i hear things like this daily, someone tells me that their mom said they can come home if they feel sick. i think moms just say it to get kids to go to school when they don't wanna go to school... and usually they get to feeling better once they get to school.

i told tyler that he should go to lunch and eat and play at recess and see if he would feel better. lunch came and went, tyler came in upset, but that was because he got in a scuffle at lunchtime playing basketball. i figured maybe he was feeling better though. well then he started whining about his ear again and holding it and looking like he wanted to go home. okay so i buzzed the office and asked them to call home for tyler.

so mom would be coming within 20 minutes and eventually the topic turned to the 'conduct and effort party,' which would be happening at 1:30. i was informing the kids who would qualify for the party, and tyler was one of those kids, but obviously he would be home by the time the party started. tyler's head lifted and he said argumentatively, 'but i came to school for that party. that's why i came to school today!'

as though the world didn't think tyler was depressed enough, a mother came in on cue with birthday treats for her daughter. tyler looked as though school and the world had let him down today. maybe i'll make him a cupcake for tomorrow. probably not.