Christmas letters

For my last day before Christmas at my smaller elementary school I decided to give my kids a treasure hunt of sorts. I prepared some origami envelopes the night before, putting a funky sticker into each one and adding my stamp/seal to the tops. I went in to school the next morning a little earlier than usual, and without anyone knowing went around the school hiding the envelopes. I thought it might be something a few kids would enjoy at breaktime.



The first two lessons went by and all teachers returned to the staffroom for morning break and a good chinwag. I was sat enjoying a coffee and a biscuit when a teacher rushed in, an expression I misinterpreted as concern on her face. She turned directly to me and rapid-fired something in Japanese at me. Despite the coffee my brain was still in "morning" mode, and the only word I understood was "gift." She was now smiling widely and looked elated. The brief sudden feeling of unease was swept away, and my sweat glands stood down from red alert. She then sprung into a rapid report to the staffroom of how all the kids in the school were tearing around trying to find coloured envelopes with my name on the front. The staffroom mood lifted from 'every day happy' to 'something wonderful is happening happy' and I was told how kind and thoughtful I was. I think I managed a sheepish shrug: I didn't give it lots of thought, I just thought it would be fun.



Of course, Newton was a bright spark, and every action does indeed have a reaction. That reaction is dozens of my kids now clinging to my limbs as I walk through school, begging me to tell them when I'm going to do it again. They make me laugh so much I cry! I couldn't do it every day, but I love teaching my elementary kids!