SCHOOL OF TWO THOUSAND SMILES CHALLENGED - Chapter Thirty Seven

SCHOOL OF TWO THOUSAND SMILES CHALLENGED

SAM

On Tuesday morning, I learned that our principal had tentatively agreed to allow my cohort to enter an academic contest with 5th-grade students from another school, provided our chosen students also agreed. I told her I would ask my students, and learned that the contest was requested by the state Superintendent of Schools and that it would offer a sizable donation if we participated. It would be held next Saturday at San Marcus State University. I told her that I would also ask my ‘students’ to ask their parents. I learned that it would take about five hours, was planned from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and that there was no need for any special preparation. 

When I told my scholars, they looked a bit worried, and I said, “There is nothing to worry about. I believe in you all, and I want you to enjoy it and have fun with it. Now give me a smile if you are a ‘go’ and a frown if you don’t want to participate.” I looked carefully at each one and saw that all were smiling except for Olivia. “I see a bit of a question on your face, Olivia.” I smiled and gently asked, “What is your concern?” 

“Ah, well, will, ah,  the other school have cr., cripp, crippled, ah, students too?”

“You know, Olivia, I don’t know, and I don’t care because I know you are smart and will do as well as any of them, whoever they are. So, do I see a smile?” She gave me her awkward smile and nodded. I added, “I don’t know who our competitors are, but we’ll all do fine. Let’s just have some fun!”

I requested a school bus to take us to the university. Patria Oreala, the tator of the other 5^th-grade cohort, and our principal joined us on the bus. Our fellow students from Bayshore Elementary school in LaJolla had just arrived and were easily recognized by their uniforms – maroon jackets with gold piping and cream-colored pants for the boys and skirts for the girls. They lined up in a row and standing in a neat row, they reminded me of ten electric tooth brushes. My kids all looked clean and a bit ragged in the torn jeans fore girls and plain jeans for the boys and various kinds of shirts, jackets, sweater tops. We all headed for the university library. Our principal knew the woman principal of Bayshore Elementary, and she introduced Patria and me to her 5th grade teacher and her assistant teacher who came with their ten 5^th graders. And the six of us went into a smaller room to confer with the four Cal State Education Graduate School professors who had volunteered to plan and execute what they called ‘contest’.  

The obvious leader of the evaluators was, surprisingly, the Chairman of the Education department at SMSU, gray-haired Joe Davis, Ed.D. He told us that they had spent several hours putting the contest together and that it had been a rather pleasant undertaking, and they hoped it would fulfill the expectations of the State Superintendent of Education. Dr. Davis wasn’t sure what they were, but hoped for the best. He said, “We believe that we are to ascertain which program - Bayshore’s more traditional method or Two Thousand Smiles’ more experimental method- would do the best job of preparing students for middle school, high school, and life. So, we will be looking at the way the students conduct themselves and get along with each other, as well as how they approach and handle the questions we give them. We will pair up the students, and each pair – a girl and a boy – will be chosen randomly - not based on any grade point, age, or anything else." He looked at the principals of the two schools and added, " We thank you principals for your list of student names. We would like to give the students about 15 minutes to mill around and get to know one another, and with you six. I hope that is okay with you.” We all nodded, and he led us into the library.

I didn’t have to say anything to my cohort students, as they were all interacting with the Bayshore kids on the side of the library room that the Bayshore bunch occupied. My kids seemed to be enjoying themselves and quickly invited the adults into their crowd. The Bayshore bunch seemed to want to stay together or near one another and looked quite serious, even a bit fearful. Dr. Joe Davis loudly asked us to take our seats in our designated areas and to find our names on the desks and chairs around the room. Before we began moving, my cohort’s Joe, who was standing near Dr. Davis, said. “Dr. Davis, it’s really nice to hear a Dr. with the first name Joe.” He held out his hand and added, “My name is Joe, too. I’m Joe Jackson, and I’m glad to meet you.” Dr. Joe Davis rather hesitantly took Jackson’s hand, then quickly looked around as if he had done something wrong by taking Joe's hand..

Lucy Ma motioned for me to join her and Olivia and said, "Sam, Olivia would like for me to sit next to her and as you know, she thinks I am the one who most easily understands me."

"I'll see what I can do." I went over to tell Joe Davis about Olivia's concern and see if we can break the boy-girl, boy-girl pattern, and put Lucy next to her. Davis understood and asked Joe Jackson to exchange seats with Lucy. Of course our Joe complied. 

Dr. Joe Davis, seeing some students still milling around, said, “Please find your names and seats as quickly as possible.