Monday, February 27, 2017

Lottery Ticket

Let me introduce you to my student. I will call her Sweetie Pie for reasons that will soon be obvious.

Sweetie Pie has perfect attendance. Every morning she says hello with a sweet smile. She gets her work and settles right in. Reading is very hard for her, but she tucks in and tries. It takes her longer to do her assignments, but she never misses one. She takes work home to complete it, if she doesn't finish during school time. At the end of class (I have her in the morning), she tells me, "Have a nice day!"

Sweetie Pie's written work shows elements of struggle. "Even though" in her writing comes out "even doe." She writes what she hears, of course. But she does write. She'll fill a page, and if the grammar and spelling aren't good, her ideas are. I probably wouldn't do much better at writing a page if I had to do it in a foreign language, and the people speaking that language around me didn't speak it so well.

I've got to hand it to Sweetie Pie. She wants to do her best at all times. She wants to be her nicest at all times. Everyone likes her. She is an angel.

Today I asked my students to do a free-write about the lottery. They had several options. One option was to imagine what they would do with the money if they won the lottery.

Sweetie Pie chose that option to write about. Then, in search of another bright sticker for her binder (I buy these myself), she read her one-pager. My blood ran cold.

What would Sweetie Pie buy with her lottery winnings? Citizenship.

Readers, how can we deport such a one as this? And she is one of many where I teach.

What will I do if I come to school one day and she isn't there?

I'm crying about something that might happen. What a world.

10 comments:

anne marie in philly said...

:(

she sounds like such a great person; she would make america proud.

hekates said...

Ah man... tears too.

Janie Junebug said...

That's horrible. We are a nation of immigrants. My mother was a first-generation American.

Love,
Janie

yellowdoggranny said...

omg...that breaks my heart.

Debra She Who Seeks said...

May all of Sweetie Pie's dreams come true.

mshatch said...

Can any of those immigration lawyers I hear about help? I hope Sweetie Pie can stay. I hate Trump.

Debi said...

No,
What a country! Shameful, even after eandless history to hopefully learn from.

When did politicians forget they are PUBLIC servants.............time for a political tune- up at all levels and in everyone's country!
The dump is good for bringing many back from the depths of complacency #resist
Love your neighbour to the North! 🙋❤️🇨🇦

Jono said...

I would put myself between her and whoever would take her. Those assholes work for us and I won't let them forget it.

Unknown said...

And I'm crying

Ol'Buzzard said...

Immigrants work harder.
the Ol'Buzzard