A Boost of Self Esteem

One of the teachers at my kids' school does this exercise during the 4th grade year, and I have to say I think it's one of the most precious things they do at school...period. They pick one student per day and have every other student in the class write something nice about that student. They bring the strips of orange self-esteem home in a lunch sack...and I can't tell you the pride in the look of Caleb's face when he read to me what everyone in his class said about him.

And this is his favorite...because he knows to a boy his age 'wicked' is really a good thing.

And then yesterday, he came home with a letter from his school saying "I am pleased to inform you that your child has been identified as one of a select group of students qualified to participate in the Duke TIP." After I read it and soaked it in...I talked to Caleb a little about it. I asked him if he wanted me to register him, and he got tears in his eyes and said, "No, not really." I asked him why, and fighting back tears he said that really none of his friends got the letter and could go with him, so he really didn't want to go there. Evidently he thought he was going to have to go away to Duke right now. Precious. After I assured him that it was just an honor, and he would get a certificate saying so, and a newsletter and some other things, he smiled real big and said "Oh, okay, then yes!"

I refrained from telling him that as parents we will be hounded by Duke for the remainder of his school years wanting us to spend his inheritance for the opportunity to go there.