Monday, October 25, 2010

attrition

My school maintains its academic and behavioral standards in part by kicking kids out. Usually the other kids tell me when I'm taking attendance using my popsicle sticks with the names on them--leading to the dramatic moment where I take a student's popsicle stick, break it half and toss it in the trash--but sometimes Oscar remembers to tell me.
"Hey, you teach 1-G, right?"
"Yep."
"Well, two students are gone. Valero--"
"Ah, Marcelo..."
"And Pizarro."
"Karina?" (I have no idea if Karina is in 1-G.)
"No, Samuel." Oscar draws his finger across his throat. "Gone! Bad."
"Aw, but they were getting better with me."
But Oscar is already leaving the room. "Well, good."
They were problematic. I wonder if Samuel saw this coming: instead of his usual dark countenance, he's been open-faced and smiling the past couple weeks.

It's five weeks before the end of the school year. I wonder what happens to them.

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