Dance, Belle, Dance!. Beth Huffman
get here in time.”
“Me too. I practically dragged her the whole way. I’m so glad it’s Friday. This has been a long week.”
“I know. I already asked Mom if you could stay over tonight.”
“Great. I know Mom will let me. You’re lucky you have a brother and not a sister, especially one like Belle.”
“Is she tired this morning? She’s not bouncing around in her seat as much.”
“That’s because I gave her some rubber bands to play with. She loved fiddling around with them in preschool. She still does. I’m not surprised because she still acts like a preschooler. I don’t know why but she isn’t as hyper when she’s doing something she likes.”
“Is that why she sits still so long when she’s playing video games?”
“Yeah, it’s unbelievable. She’s so good at them too. She’s way better than I am. She can pay attention if she likes something - like her ballet class. The teacher told Mom she’s one of the best. She said that Belle has a big smile on her face the whole time she’s dancing.”
“Did she get in trouble for climbing the slide?”
“Yeah, she got in big trouble. Mom took away her video games for a week. She flipped out and threw a fit. I’ll tell you more about it later.”
Belle was waiting for us when we got off the bus. She had her hands behind her back. “Give me the rubber bands. You can’t take them to class. I’ll give them back to you after school.”
“Uh, I don’t have them. I think I left them on the bus.”
“That’s a lie. You’re holding them behind your back.”
She wrinkled her mouth in disgust. “Here they are.”
“Belle, I gave you three rubber bands. Not two. Hand over the other one.”
“I don’t have another one. You only gave me two.”
So I reached into the pocket of her jeans and there it was. She grinned. “Oh, I forgot about that one.” Then she grabbed our hands and shouted, “Let’s have a race to the door!”
I pulled her back immediately. “We aren’t allowed to run and you know it.”
“Are we allowed to skip?”
“No.”
“Am I allowed to give you and Kylie a hug when we get to my room?”
“No. Don’t embarrass me either and say you love me like you did yesterday.”
She let go of our hands and started skipping when we were close to her room. Then she turned around and yelled, “I love you, Macey! Have fun in school today!”
Kylie couldn’t keep from laughing and neither could I. That ended when Brooklyn walked up to me in the hallway. She handed me a picture. “I drew this for you, Macey. I hope you like it.”
I looked at it after she walked away. Every part of my body felt sick. There was a stick figure of a girl standing at the top of a big slide. She was yelling, “I’m Belle. I’m stupid! I’m a moron! Help! Save me!”
Kylie started to pat me on the shoulder when Miss Rex walked up. “What’s the matter, girls?” My lower lip started to tremble when I handed her the drawing. I could feel some tears on my eyelids.
“Macey, did Brooklyn draw this?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll take care of it. Wipe away your tears and then walk into the room like nothing happened.”
So I walked to my desk and pretended everything was fine. The morning went quickly and it was soon time for lunch. I didn’t eat much. I kept wondering how much trouble Brooklyn was in. Kylie and I were careful to keep our voices down.
“Macey, you have to do what Miss Rex said. If Brooklyn says more mean things, you can’t talk back to her.”
“I know.”
Once we were outside, I started to feel better, especially since Brooklyn didn’t come out for recess. Kylie and I guessed that she’d be in detention for a week. Instead, it was two weeks. I was so happy. I wanted to walk up to her and say, “I never heard of anyone missing recess that long. Wow! That’s a big accomplishment.”
Then I thought about my promise to Miss Rex. It wasn’t easy but I kept my mouth shut.
The Conferences
Brooklyn stopped acting like a bully. It wasn’t just with me either. She quit making fun of everybody. A few kids wanted to be friends with her when she started acting nicer. I didn’t want any part of it. I didn’t trust her at all.
The next two months of school flew by. It was getting cold outside and that meant it was getting close to Thanksgiving. That also meant it was time for parent-teacher conferences. Mom went by herself. She decided it would be better if Dad stayed home. That was the only way Belle would go to bed on time. She got back two hours later. I was already in bed but I was wide awake. I heard Dad ask her how things had gone.
Mom lowered her voice. “There’s a lot to tell you. I need to make sure the girls are asleep first.”
When she checked on me, I started breathing like I was in a deep sleep. I completely faked her out. As soon as she went downstairs, I slipped out of bed and crawled into the hall. I could hear everything.
“The first conference was with Miss Rex. She had very positive comments about Macey’s reading and writing skills. Listen to what she wrote the day after Belle got in trouble at recess. Their assignment was to describe how it felt on either a good day or a bad day. Miss Rex gave me a copy because she wants us to see how sensitive and protective Macey is when it comes to Belle.”
Yesterday was really bad. Belle could have been hurt. I hated it when kids started laughing at her. I hated it when they called her names. She climbed up the slide because it looked fun. She didn’t think about getting in trouble. I don’t know why. It’s just the way she is. I always have to look out for her. It makes me mad. It isn’t fair.
“Macey shouldn’t be feeling this kind of pressure, Jeff.”
“I know. We need to sit down and talk to her. What did Mrs. Heldman say about Belle?”
“My conference was her last one for the night and she spent nearly an hour with me. She writes a personal letter to parents at this point in the year and addresses their children’s strengths and weaknesses. This is what she wrote to us.”
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Andrews,
I enjoy having Belle in class very much. She always comes to school with a lot of energy. I appreciate her bubbly personality. The minute she enters the classroom, she runs up to my desk and gives me a big hug. She’s a lovable little girl.
I’d like to share some thoughts about her behavior. At the start of the school year, many kindergarteners are often immature. Some have a hard time paying attention and some are very hyperactive. Belle demonstrates all of the above. As a result, she has a hard time following directions and following classroom rules. Please don’t interpret this to mean that she’s a troublemaker because she isn’t. She’s a bright, compassionate child who is noticeably more immature and hyperactive than most of her classmates. Because she has such a hard time sitting still, it is disruptive to the others when they’re doing group work. When this happens, I work one-on-one with her.
As the school year progresses, the children’s behaviors typically improve. They become more attentive and less hyperactive. The change is more significant for some than others. I’m hoping that Belle will improve dramatically in these areas.
On a positive note, she excels in music class. Her teacher has said repeatedly that she’s amazed at her ability to hear a song once and retain the lyrics immediately. When I complimented her