“Hello Sunshine!” a smiling middle-schooler said to me this morning as the students began streaming into the building. A first-grader beamed as I complemented her on the new yellow hair bows that I could tell she was dying for me to notice. I cannot tell you how many times I have had these little interactions with the students over the years and it got me thinking, “How do you say hello in the morning?”
Here at P.G. Chambers School our students say “hi” in all sorts of ways. Some of them give a super excited, “HI!” that rolls out of them with laughter, others come in for a high five, or give a big toothy grin as they pass. And while some of them cannot speak traditionally, they smile with their eyes or raise a friendly hand.
There are days when I can see that some students are not having the best morning. The look on their face says, “I’m not sure if I want a hug, or seven doughnuts, or a nap.” Sometimes they wear an invisible sign at around their neck that says, “Don’t talk to me!” Sometimes those signs aren’t so invisible. Adults are the same. How did you say “hi” today? Did you wear the invisible “don’t talk to me” sign or did you smile and pass along some sunshine? It’s not too late to take the sign off your neck and give a friend a high five.
Be awesome today.
Peter
