Middle School

I was teaching at Southridge Middle School in Huntingburg on the last day before Spring Break. The counselor picked names of students that have either had perfect attendance, not gotten demerits or made the honor roll.

In the afternoon, he told me one of the eighth grade girls in my room had won a fishing pole.

The girl amusedly explained that she might not use it very much. The counselor wondered whether she would benefit at all from the prize.

She said she would, just not that much.

I tried to imagine what an eighth grade girl in Detroit would think of winning a fishing pole at school.