One Small Step to Belonging

As part of our ongoing commitment to fostering a sense of belonging, we’ve been mindful of the various holidays our families celebrate. It’s Ramadan. At the beginning of the month, I reached out to families offering an alternate space for any student that might not feel comfortable around food during snack in the classroom or lunch in the cafeteria. They could come to my office to hang out during this time. This idea stemmed from a student’s suggestion last year. He shared his struggle of being around people eating while he is fasting. I empathized with his experience, despite not fasting myself.

This year, I hadn’t seen Y during Ramadan until Thursday when he appeared at my office door with a friend in tow. “Game time?” I asked, noticing him holding up Hungry Hungry Hippos. Though he didn’t reply, his smile was enough, prompting me to clear the table and invite them in. Playing this classic game brought back memories, and we engaged in multiple rounds, discussing strategies to collect the most marbles. We even speculated on why his friend M seemed to keep winning, whether it was the angle of the old, crooked kitchen table in my office or M’s precise coordination in popping marbles and operating his hippo’s chomping mechanism simultaneously. Glancing at the clock, I encouraged them to tidy up quickly and return to class, ending, “Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The next day around the same time, I heard Y’s voice accompanied by a different friend, informing our secretary of their visit. I yelled out letting her know it was okay and welcomed them in once again, this time with Y holding KerPlunk, a game I had never played before. We resorted to watching a tutorial video and immersed ourselves in game after game.

After another afternoon spent playing, I felt a renewed sense of lightness and focus on an important part of our school community- ensuring that everyone feels a sense of belonging, regardless of their practices or beliefs. While providing this alternate space is a positive step, the actions of those two students who sacrificed their lunch period to support a friend made a true difference.