Is it supposed to be funny, or mean?
@GardenGerty (169406)
United States
December 9, 2019 5:22pm CST
One student I work with is high functioning, but autistic. He brings soft toys in his back pack every day. He can have them on the bus, but puts them away when told.
To him his toys are real, and alive. He especially likes Elf, as in the Elf on a Shelf and has at least three and maybe more. He had two with him this morning.
He put them back in the backpack before school. He has not been in his backpack today for anything, but the Elves are gone.
We checked the locker, and his desk in the regular classroom.
It could be some kid teasing him. It could be some adult who thinks that they are being funny. We even mentioned it to the principal, who brings his own elf to school this time of year, now and again.
Sometimes, when this student is not behaving, his toys will "go on vacation" in my bag or in the other para's bag, but we tell him about it, and he gets them back at the end of the day.Neither of us have any idea where the two elves could be.
I consoled my student, telling him that elves do run around and stuff when they should not. I hope they are back tomorrow. Perhaps I can keep you posted.
15 people like this
15 responses
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
10 Dec 19
So far the other para has texted the principal, who says he did not do it. Others have not responded to her texts.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
12 Dec 19
@just4him There is a resolution in my next post.
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@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
10 Dec 19
@GardenGerty It sounds like a student took them.
2 people like this
@DesirousDreamer (34776)
• Peoria, Arizona
10 Dec 19
Oh gosh that is very sad. I used to bring stuffed animals to school sometimes. I would have mild panic attacks when I would see someone slightly mistreating my stuff animal. One time my little white tiger got stuck on a light panel and I was so scared, but my teacher got her down for me (I was 13 at the time when this happen) And any time someone was tossing around Mikey, my stuffed panda, I would get scared and I was a high schooler when this kind of stuff happened.
So I really hope his elves come back because as a person who really bonds with stuffed animals, I basically even now at 24 years old treat them as if they are my kids, it is devastating when anything happens to them.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
10 Dec 19
I used to apologize to my toys if I broke them. I get it.
@DesirousDreamer (34776)
• Peoria, Arizona
12 Dec 19
@GardenGerty I was always really careful with my toys. Except for my barbies... I don't know why I mistreated them so much, but every other toy I took really good care.
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
10 Dec 19
I am hoping we get to the bottom of it. It is just more bullying in my opinion
3 people like this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
10 Dec 19
I hope so too. If it is an adult they should know better. Kids should too, though.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
12 Dec 19
@rebelann Well, it turns out that basically it was his own doing. I posted more in my discussion this morning.
1 person likes this
@rebelann (117199)
• El Paso, Texas
10 Dec 19
There's no excuse for adults but kids sometimes just act like kids and need reminders that it's not nice to be mean @GardenGerty
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@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
10 Dec 19
Some people may think it is part of the Elf Game, unfortunately to him it is not a game.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
10 Dec 19
These kids are around eleven, with one semester left before going to middle school. Middle school kids are my least favorites.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
10 Dec 19
@NJChicaa There is still a possibility that another staff member let him get them out during Jessica's lunch, but then where would he have left them?
@TiarasOceanView (70020)
• United States
10 Dec 19
You were so helpful to him Heather. I hope those things are back soon.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
10 Dec 19
I am hoping that we get it figured out.
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@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
12 Dec 19
We did get a resolution. Yes, that night at home he was having a "melt down" and Mom pretended to find the missing elf in a secret part of his backpack. She substituted one of his other elves. At school we learned that he had accidentally put it in a friend's back pack. That student did not look in his bag that night because he had no homework. Poor elf sat in a backpack in a car all night.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502190)
• Italy
12 Dec 19
@GardenGerty Poor boy, he would get depressed thinking to his elf sitting in the backpack alone all the night long.
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
14 Dec 19
The problem did get solved. It could be avoided if people did not let him even get them out at school. I am glad for his sake that it got fixed.
@wolfgirl569 (135583)
• Marion, Ohio
10 Dec 19
I hope they are found soon. That is very mean.
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@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
10 Dec 19
It may have been done for fun, but we will see.
1 person likes this
@Alexandoy (65302)
• Cainta, Philippines
10 Dec 19
I guess the kid just forgot where he had put his toys. He has been doing that, you said, putting his toys in the bag of his classmates.
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@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
10 Dec 19
No, he does not do that. He thinks his toys are real.
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@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
11 Dec 19
You were right and I was wrong, see my next discussion.
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@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
12 Dec 19
I continued the story in the next post. Mama told him she found one in the backpack, but I believe that was a lie to get him to calm down for the night. The next day we learned that the other staff let him get one out, and did not supervise when he put it away and he put it in the locker next to his, in a backpack.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
12 Dec 19
We got it all solved eventually.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
10 Dec 19
It can be, but it is also very rewarding.
1 person likes this
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
10 Dec 19
Oh no! this is just so terrible. Poor kid.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
10 Dec 19
I am the meany who does not want him to bring them to school at all, just for this reason.
