Tag Archives: Elementary school

As Long as You Didn’t Start It

He is in sixth grade now. Few things have changed for him at Sanders Elementary. He still wears corduroy pants and khaki button-down shirts. On one arm, he has two bracelets, names of men missing in action from Vietnam. On the other arm, he has one bracelet with the name of a man missing inContinue reading “As Long as You Didn’t Start It”

A Van Down by the River

The man sits at a long table next to Lauren. Across the table are all Grant’s teachers, the speech therapist, the occupational therapist, and the head of special ed for the school. It is his third grade review of his IEP—a critical evaluation to determine if services will continue. They all have copies of theContinue reading “A Van Down by the River”

Permanent Name Taker

Ben has shaggy red hair and freckles. He is stocky, while his buddy Aaron is skinny with wavy blond hair. The boy is on the field behind the school for gym time. It is his first week at Sanders Elementary in Corpus Christi. They moved over the summer from San Antonio. They are playing soccer.Continue reading “Permanent Name Taker”

Anyone Else for Milk Time?

The boy believes it is morning snack time. The kids are all still at their stations playing or working on projects. He walks to the front of the class, pulls out his two dimes, and holds them up. “Anyone else for milk time?” No one looks at him—not the teacher, not the aide, not theContinue reading “Anyone Else for Milk Time?”

Baby Games

The boy has a July birthday. He is also unusually small for his age—short, slight, and skinny. He is the youngest in his kindergarten class when school starts that fall in San Antonio. He does not know it, but his parents are thinking of holding him back. After his first day of school, he sitsContinue reading “Baby Games”