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The Second Time Around


 
See Also:
Beginning of a FAMOUS Hero: The Sam Walton Story.
Life Lesson #84 – Develop a Love of Learning.

 

Jasmine was a very smart girl in the first grade. She was a good reader, and she was making almost straight A’s on every report card. One day in the spring, not very long before the school year was over, she was walking with her class from the cafeteria when some boys from a second grade class began teasing her. You see, when these boys were in first grade last year, Jasmine had also been in their class. This was Jasmine’s second time to be in first grade. The teasing boys were saying things like “Hey, Jasmine, why are you in Mrs. Ford’s room again this year?”

Mrs. Ford quickly walked over to the boys. They could tell by the look on her face they needed to stop talking immediately. “Do you boys make straight As on your report cards? Do you make 100s every single week on your spelling tests? Are you a top reader in your class?” The boys who had been so hurtful to Jasmine said “No” to each one of her questions. Mrs. Ford went on to say, “Well, Jasmine does!” What Mrs. Ford knew is that there are a lot of good reasons for repeating first grade. Jasmine had been sick a lot her first time through and had missed too many days to get a really good start, so her parents, Mrs. Ford, and the principal decided it would be better for her to go through first grade again.

Those boys who had teased Jasmine had to go to the principal, who clearly did not want that kind of behavior in her school. And that is exactly what she told them! They promised never to act like that again and later that same day, they all made a special effort to apologize to Jasmine—and to Mrs. Ford, and they really meant it, too.

– Jim Lord