Spurgeon Intermediate School

Home of the Cougars since 1974

5/6/18 Spurgeon Cougar Cable: Paying attention to smiles This past week I caught myself drawn to smiles. These included smiles from all stakeholder groups. Though I see smiles often at Spurgeon, sometimes we all pay more close attention to some of the things around us. Last week it was the smiles that I saw that drew my attention. One of our eighth graders sort of plays a game with me by always approaching with a frown, hiding her smile. When I reach out my hand to shake hers, calling her by name, her smile shows through, though only at the corners of her mouth (she’s trying to hide her smile). This student seeks me out in the hallways during passing periods to tell me how her grades and attendance are improving. She wants to make sure that I know that she is doing better. At the end of first semester this young lady had approached me to ask to have her schedule changed. She wanted out of her math class. Instead of changing her schedule I met with her and her teacher. This conversation brought these two together with a greater understanding. Like many kids, this young lady still has moments – she’s overly social in class – but her relationship with her teacher is improved and her grades are too. She craves smiles, earnest smiles and recognition by the adults in her life. A 7th grade boy, one who holds himself out to be a tough kid, always lands a smile on his face when I call his name and shake his hand. I always smile back at our kids while I greet them. In fact with this young man it was the interaction sparked by a handshake and a hello, that led to his being open about how stressed he was about the state test. He shared that he didn’t do so well on the English portion of the test at the beginning of the week and that he was worried about the math portion that was coming up next week (though his way of showing that was to profess that it didn’t matter). My words to him were encouraging. We reflected back on how far he’s come since last year. As a 6th grader this young man would periodically be sent to my office for misbehavior. Quickly I realized that his misbehavior was related to the fact that he had little understanding of what was happening in class. His time-outs in my office became tutoring sessions. Those tutoring sessions stretched out to after school hours and meetings with his mother. He grew in ability, though he still has a long way to go. Written English is extremely hard for him, still to this day. His mother shared that she brought her son to the US, from a town in Mexico where violence was what he knew. He missed school a lot in that town. With us he comes to school daily. My current goal with this young man is to get

Some Cougar Smiles Celebrating Our Lunch Heroes

Spurgeon Intermediate School

Home of the Cougars since 1974 him to bring a backpack with supplies every day (he leaves his backpack in one of his

teacher’s rooms each night rather than taking it home). Though we have a long way to go with this young man, he is making progress and it is the smile and a bit of time that broke the barrier for him early on and that continues to do so now. One of our 6th graders approached me last Thursday to ask if it would be okay for her grandmother to come to speak to her class during 5th period about her experiences growing up in El Salvador and migrating to the United States. Of Course it was okay. She watched while I put this in my calendar so that she would know that I was going to be there to see this too. Later this young lady showed up outside of my office bouncing from foot to foot, nervous about something. She came in shy and told me that her grandmother couldn’t come during 5th period but had to come during 6th period (that’s when she could get a ride). She asked if I’d still be able to come. A quick smile and a change in my calendar made it happen. This young lady’s father brought his mother and I greeted them with smiles (I’ve gotten to know her father as I’ve had a few opportunities to discuss his daughter’s growth and progress this year). We spent some time talking. He was clearly unsure about his mother doing this. However, she was excited and determined. During 6th period this student’s grandmother stood tall and shared her very real stories about how many people she saw who had disappeared in her hometown. She shared about the harrowing trip to the United States. A student asked her what would have happened had she stayed in El Salvador. Her response was simple, “I’d be dead.” Her talk will be the subject of our next Cougar Roar Video. It was a powerful experience and had many in Ms. Alfaro’s room in tears. You should know that this young lady started her 6th grade year quite rocky. She was defiant and challenging for her teachers. It was smiles and persistent effort by the adults in our building, coupled with the patience that our teachers have, that helped her to break beyond those self-imposed barriers. This young lady is now one of our strongest leaders in the 6th grade. In a circuitous way, it was a story on NPR that got me focusing on the smiles more last week. This time of year is busy in our school. It is busy for teachers who are working hard to keep our students motivated for the state testing and for the push to the end of the school year. It is hard for our students, who find any change in their routines stressful. When those changes are toward things, like state testing, that are difficult for them, it can be even tougher. It is hard for our administration and staff who are working to try to organize all that is tied to ending a school year and also to set us up for the next school year. It is hard for our parents who are always rushed, and who feel the pressure for their children even more acutely this time of year. Last week I only heard a snippet of an interview on NPR but it got me thinking. Kai Ryssdal was speaking with someone who shared a wonderful quote that goes something like this:

As a young man I wanted to change the world. But as an older man I have found that the only thing one can be sure of is changing myself.

I did a bit of digging and found multiple sources credited with this sentiment. Before sharing let me say that, for me, this inspired me to think again about the smiles in our

Spurgeon Intermediate School

Home of the Cougars since 1974 building and what is behind them. Life throws many challenges at our students, their

parents, and us. It is through earnest smiles, those that come from really wanting to engage with each other - and conversations, that we come together.

I found a source for the quote and have been even more inspired. I hope that you are too (It’s source is ancient and unknown but powerful):

When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn’t change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn’t change the town, and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world. Unknown monk, A.D. 1100

I hope that you have many causes to smile this week. S. Caldwell