As we approach the end of the school year we talk a lot about having a "good goodbye" with our kids (many of whom have had no control over the difficult goodbyes in their lives). After talking with her mentor, one of our second graders found me at lunch the following day and tugged on my sleeve. "Ms. Sarah, do I get to have a hope next year?" she asked with her eyes and heart as much as her words. And while I know she forgot that difficult word 'mentor'...I think her words reflected the bigger question on her heart. And thankfully, because of our wonderful volunteers, and her mentor in particular, I could answer this question truthfully. "Yes Fernanda, yes, you will have a hope next year" (and every year...).
