Oh, the baggage these kids carry...

The student I have previously mentioned that had the issue with his pants ripping when he passed gas has had a lot of issues lately. I don't know if he's just really unlucky or trying to get attention or not cared for enough at home. It's hard to say. Today, he ran to the bathroom twice, stating that he needed to throw up. Yesterday, he had an emotional breakdown when another student made fun of his math skills. Two days before that, he came hobbling up to me on the playground, with a twisted ankle. His eyeglasses broke one day during class, and he had no way of repairing them. Another day, he brought a can of pork and beans for lunch. A can. Without a can opener. And the can looked like it was from 1970. The label was so faded and peeling that it made me wonder how long that can had been in his family. And his drink that day was a tea bag. Oh and he has asthma but never has his inhaler. I'm just saddened by this poor boy. And ontop of all this, he has serious attention and academic problems, perhaps associated with his ADHD. His handwriting looks like that of a first grader. He can't spell nor can he write in cursive or perform most math skills. We are in the process of getting him assessed for special education, but that wouldn't fix it all. I don't know what the solution is, but I just wanted to share the baggage a child can carry around at such a young age. And he's actually a pretty minor case, compared to others I've seen in the past.

I'm off to read Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (the latest book), because I've been slacking lately, and I love those books!! Nighty night.