Bittersweet Day
Yesterday was what I would define as a bittersweet day. The talent show at school finally happened and went very smoothly. I think it was resounding success and all the time and energy our team put into planning and producing the talent show was well worth it. Of course there was about an hour when we weren't sure if the show would go on.
On Monday night, a seventh grade girl at L'Ouverture died. We found out yesterday morning a few hours before the show was planned. The administrative team decided to wait to inform the rest of the staff until the end of the day and to announce it to the students the following day. Despite none of us mentoring Laura, I think we were all crushed by her passing. She was a tiny little girl, but always had a smile on her face. In a school filled with students trying to act and be tough, Laura remained sweet. Even when she messed around it was more childish behavior then outright disobedience. One of my first weeks at L'Ouverture, I decided to eat lunch in the cafeteria just to interact with some of the students. When I first got down there I was overwhelmed by the scene, and was almost ready to return to the office to eat my lunch, but Laura came up to me and introduced herself and asked me what I did at the school. At that moment I felt a sense of acceptance.
One of the things I find saddest about her passing is that she was one of those students who is often overlooked by teachers and other students because she didn't go out of her way to get attention. It's unfortunate that so much time is spent dealing with the troubled students, that kids like Laura are forgotten. She obviously displayed excellent character in that she never let the chaos around her break her innocence. I will always remember that sweet smile, and how it was the quiet little girl at L'Ouverture that made me first feel like a member of this community.
On Monday night, a seventh grade girl at L'Ouverture died. We found out yesterday morning a few hours before the show was planned. The administrative team decided to wait to inform the rest of the staff until the end of the day and to announce it to the students the following day. Despite none of us mentoring Laura, I think we were all crushed by her passing. She was a tiny little girl, but always had a smile on her face. In a school filled with students trying to act and be tough, Laura remained sweet. Even when she messed around it was more childish behavior then outright disobedience. One of my first weeks at L'Ouverture, I decided to eat lunch in the cafeteria just to interact with some of the students. When I first got down there I was overwhelmed by the scene, and was almost ready to return to the office to eat my lunch, but Laura came up to me and introduced herself and asked me what I did at the school. At that moment I felt a sense of acceptance.
One of the things I find saddest about her passing is that she was one of those students who is often overlooked by teachers and other students because she didn't go out of her way to get attention. It's unfortunate that so much time is spent dealing with the troubled students, that kids like Laura are forgotten. She obviously displayed excellent character in that she never let the chaos around her break her innocence. I will always remember that sweet smile, and how it was the quiet little girl at L'Ouverture that made me first feel like a member of this community.
posted by Tim Weiss at 7:36 AM
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