Saving Sandra

Sandra sat quietly at the back of the classroom, earbuds in, staring at her phone. Class wasn’t starting for another 8 minutes. When Sandra did come to class, which was about 60% of the time, she was always early. She would give John Graves a nod when she arrived, and then would just hide out at the back of the class until the bell sounded to signal class change. At best, John would get another nod of acknowledgement when she left. This had been going on for about two and half months and began before the end of the September.

“Hey,” came a half whisper from the back of the room.

“Yes, Sandra?” John answered as he made eye contact for what was the first time in quite a long while.

“So, ummm, is it still possible for me to pass this class?” she said hanging her head and escaping their brief connection.

“Uh, I would have to check my records for the details but yes, I am pretty sure you still have enough time to turn things around,” he answered while nervously checking the door to ensure that they weren’t about to be interrupted. “Most of the major marks come after the midway point of the term. We haven’t even begun working on the research paper, there are at least 3 unit tests left and then the final exam, so we have plenty of time.”

“But like, I, like haven’t done much of anything and I failed…” her voice tailed off as two students entered the room.

“Hey Mr. G, how’s it going?” Tania Morgan said as she passed by John’s desk, making her way to her ‘spot’ in the center of the classroom.

“All good Tania… and hello Cheryl,” John said as he switched his computer back to its home screen, grabbed a small sticky note and pen and made his way to his regular position at the front of the class.

Quickly jotting down Sandra’s mark, 23% John Graves wrote a short note. “Sandra, contact me using the classroom email account and I will give you an outline of the things we can do to get this up to a pass.” Before the class was over, John was able to surreptitiously place the note on Sandra’s open notebook. This young person had reached out to him and he was going to do everything he could to make things work for her.

The next morning there was a note in John’s staff mailbox. “Could you come and see me before classes?” signed Linda Chambers. Linda was the head of the school’s guidance department. She and John had worked together on a couple of student-centered initiatives and he had come to trust her judgment. Being curious as to why she would need to see him he made his way to her office.

“Hey, John, c’mon in and please close the door,” said Linda when he arrived at her office door.

“Sure, what’s up?” John said, closing the door and taking a seat.

“I had a short chat with Sandra Gebhart after school yesterday. She said that she talked with you about whether or not she can still pass your course,” said Linda leaning across her desk and putting her hands together. “I told her I would follow up with you. She said you asked her to email you but she told me she was too nervous.”

“Huh, well I took a look at her mark and did some juggling with the probable assignments and tests left for the term. Her marks are in the 20s but there are quite a few marks still to be earned, so… well, it would take some work but I have seen some of her writing and there are signs that she could do quite well,” John said, leaning back in his chair. “How is she doing in her other classes?”

“She decided to drop her math class. She told me that she just doesn’t get things the way Matthew Tompkins teaches. So, she is now just taking Computer Graphics with Cheryl Mallard and your History class. She loves the Graphics class and she said that you make learning interesting. Oh, and you can sometimes be funny, and I quote, ‘In a dad joke kind of way.’

“Oddly,” John said with a half smile “I will take that as a complement.”.

“I can’t share too much about Sandra’s challenges,” Linda continued, “but she has asked me to ask you if she can work on assignments in the library or here in the guidance office? I told her that I would talk to you about it but that it would probably be hard for her to keep up with the work and class notes if she was not in class.”

“Well, that is a bit of a tough one,” John said, sitting up in his chair. “You will have to let me have a think on how we might make that work. It would make it even more challenging for both of us, but… Well, I have a prep this afternoon. I will get back to you,” John added standing to leave.

“You know I wouldn’t make this ask if I didn’t think it was important,” said Linda as she got up to see John out of the office. “I really am hoping you can figure this out.”

John found it difficult to focus on his classes as the day unfolded. He prided himself on being a student-centered teacher and he trusted Linda’s judgment but this, this was a lot to ask.

To: Linda.Chambers@St.Paul'sHigh

Fr: John.Graves@St.Paul'sHigh 11/22/23

Linda, I think I have a plan that could work. All of my History students type up their notes on class laptops. I will talk with a couple of the girls in the class, who I know take excellent notes, about whether or not they would be willing to share. (I am pretty sure they will agree.) I can email the daily notes to Sandra. All my assignments are already online so, I think we can make this work. Do you really think Sandra has the self discipline to follow through?

John

To: John.Graves@St.Paul'sHigh

Fr: Linda.Chambers@St.Paul'sHigh 11/22/23

John, when / if you get everything arranged let me know. This kid is going through a lot but yes, my gut tells me she can pull this off. By the way she said she was sorry she didn’t go to your class today. She was in a bad way so we let her go and read in the library. When I went to check on her, she was actually helping out Ed Hopkins sort books. She really is a good kid, just dealing with a lot.”

Linda

To: Linda.Chambers@St.Paul'sHigh

Fr: John.Graves@St.Paul'sHigh 11/23/23

Linda, I have spoken with Lynn Lee, great kid on the student council and she is acing my class. Any way I asked about borrowing her notes for any students that might miss a class and she was proud to have been asked. (I didn’t make the request specific to Sandra.) She said she could email me an attachment at the end of each day. She said she hopes that her notes will make sense to whoever has to read them. Trust me, her notes are better than mine, so that won’t be a problem.

John

To: John.Graves@St.Paul'sHigh

Fr: Sandra.Gebhart.student@St.Paul'sHigh 11/23/23

Mr. Graves, Ms. Chambers told me that you are going to help me by getting me the class notes and assignments every day. Thank you. I will try to come to class more. Thank you so much.

Sandra Gebhart

To: Sandra.Gebhart.student@St.Paul'sHigh

Fr: John.Graves@St.Paul'sHigh 11/23/23

Sandra, Ms Chambers is really the one pushing for this and so you and I will have to work hard to make sure this works. I hope you are up to it. We are going to be examining WW1 starting Monday. They called it the Great War when it was being fought but, I really don’t think it was really all that Great. 😊

Mr. J. Graves

To: John.Graves@St.Paul'sHigh

Fr: Sandra.Gebhart.student@St.Paul'sHigh 11/23/23

I promise I will really try. I know I owe Ms Chambers a lot for helping me. And I really hope I don’t let you guys down. And, LOL Mr. G. about the great war thing.

Sandra

John rarely saw Sandra in class during the rest of that term but when he did see her in the hallways, she would give him a smile and occasionally she would stop and tell him, “I really will try to come to class, tomorrow.” Her work on her assignments was generally turned in on time and her typical grades for the rest of the term were in the high 60s. After the Christmas break she actually managed to begin attending class on a semi-regular basis.

John had been doubtful when he had agreed to take on the task of working with his troubled young student. He had tried in the past to find ways to reach out to struggling students and the usual outcome was, a lot of extra work for minimal return. However, there was something about this girl that began to give him hope.

By the end of the term, Sandra’s overall mark was at 47%. Her final exam was weighted at 20% of the term so he invited Sandra to sit with him at his computer to calculate what she would need to bring her mark up to a 50%. What he didn’t tell her was, if her mark stayed at 47 or improved, he would award her the credit. In the end it wouldn’t matter because when he graded her final exam and calculated her final grade it came out to 53%.

To: Sandra.Gebhart.student@St.Paul'sHigh

Fr: John.Graves@St.Paul'sHigh 02/09/24

Sandra, come and see me at lunch.

Mr. J. Graves

To: John.Graves@St.Paul'sHigh

Fr: Sandra.Gebhart.student@St.Paul'sHigh 11/09/24

Mr. Graves, I will be there. Do you have my final mark? Did I pass?

Sandra

John received her reply to his email at 11:48 am so instead of answering he just waited for her arrival.

When she knocked on John’s open door he stood up at his desk and invited her in. “Sandra,” he worked to hide a smile. “C’mon in, I have calculated your final grade.”

“I didn’t get it, did I,” Sandra said nervously as she made her way to his desk. “I really tried, you know. I even studied with a friend who is in the class.”

“Just come around here and take a look at your mark. I have called it up on my computer,” John’s smile grew as he added, “I think you might be surprised.”

Sandra cocked her head as she walked around John’s desk to look at the computer and it was then that he noticed Lynn Lee standing at the door.

“That’s real?” gasped Sandra. “I passed, right? I mean that’s real. You’re not shitting me, right? I… oh I’m sorry but…” Tears began to form at the corners of her eyes.

John leaned in a little and in a low voice said, “I am not shitting you. You passed.”

“Mr. G. you are the best!” she made a move as though she was going to give him a hug but then pulled back. “Lynn, I passed! And, holy shit, I got a 68% on my final exam!”

“Damn girl,” answered Lynn as the two girls came together and high fived each other with both hands. “I told you you could do it. My notes and your hard work…. We make a good team.”

“Umm… when did you find out that Sandra was using your notes?” John said. “I wasn’t sure that Sandra wanted anyone to know that they were mostly for her.”

“Mr. G. My name was on all my work. Sandra emailed me, like the first day she got them,” Lynn said with a broad smile. “She thanked me, like a thousand times. My girl just needed a little extra extra is all.”

Two weeks later, after the second term had begun, Sandra showed up at John’s door. In many ways she had changed from the girl with the earbuds and glued to her cell phone. Her head was up and she seemed just a little lighter in some way whenever he saw her in the halls. When they passed, he would get a “Hey Mr. G.” and a fist bump or a little shot to his arm. And, he rarely saw her without her new BFF Lynn Lee. “Mr. G. do you have a moment? I have a BIG favour to ask.”

“Sure Sandra, come in,” John said as he made his way out from behind his desk.

“Before I ask my favour I think I need to tell you a few things,” she began. The reason I moved to the city and started at this school in September was because,” Sandra paused and looked down at the floor, “Well my mom is … well she struggles and, well she couldn’t look after me anymore so I was put in foster care. So, well I was really like, sad and hurting you know.”

John sat awkwardly on the corner of his desk. He was a little taken aback that this young girl was being so forthcoming.

“I just needed you to know cuz, well, it was real nice of you to agree to help me get a credit in your class,” Sandra continued. “The thing is too, you know, my foster family is actually very nice and … I am starting to make friends and well … I guess I am just saying thanks.”

John really wanted to give Sandra a fatherly hug. He was proud of her for having overcome the odds and for passing his course but, professional conduct standards and his own instincts had him just put a hand on her shoulder and offer a, “Sandra, thanks for sharing all this with me. I am glad if I helped make life just a little better.,” and then he removed his hand and shuffled back around his desk.

“So, actually, Mr. Graves,” Sandra said as she reached out and began to fiddle with some papers on his desk, “I know the second term has already started …and well, Ms Chambers told me that, well…. Yeah so, you teach the World Studies course and like I know it has already started and Ms. Chambers said that you can only take that course if you have…”

John cut her off, “Sandra, the World Studies course is a highly academic, university entrance, course. Students are supposed to have a mark of 75% or higher in the History course before they can sign up for World Studies.”

“Yeah, well I figured… I mean, I really enjoyed they way you teach and… well I was just hoping…” Sandra continued nervously.

John interrupted again, “Sandra, what you also need to know is that I set that mark as the standard. The World Studies course is my baby. I get to decide if I want to make exceptions or not… so… I expect to see you in class Monday.”

It took Sandra a minute to understand what John had said. “Really! You mean it?” Sandra sputtered. “Ms. Chambers said… damn Mr. G. you’re the best.” Sandra came around his desk and, before he knew what was happening, she was giving him a hug; a one armed, don’t make eye contact sort of a hug, but a hug none the less.

Sandra quickly let go of the hug and smiled broadly as she said “I won’t let you down, I promise.”

“I told you, didn’t I,” came Lynn Lee’s voice from the doorway.

Once again John was surprised that he hadn’t noticed Lynn at the door.

Sandra moved back around John’s desk as she continued to speak, “Lynn has been telling me all about what you guys are discussing. It all sounds so like, real you know. She said that you ask really interesting questions and then make everyone Google for answers. It just all sounds so… well like I said, so real.”

____________________________________________

Sandra struggled to pass the World Studies class but with Lynn’s help she ended up pulling off a 56%. Her final essay entitled ‘Treating Addiction as a Disease’ although quite roughly written was well researched and, John felt, very impactful.

John retired two years after Sandra’s graduation. One evening, while cleaning up files on his home computer, he received an email that he had to share with his wife.

To: JGraves@#$%^.ca

Fr: Sandragebhart01@#$%^.ca 10/11/26

Mr. G, I am sending you a pic of me and Lynn. We are living together and are even talking about maybe getting married. She is so great! She is doing really well at the university and is studying to be a teacher. I am working at the Talbot Centre for special needs kids and I am taking online courses to get an Educational Assistant certificate. Anyway, I read a poem yesterday and it made me think about you and how special you were when I was really kind of screwed up. The poem was called Bloom and it was about how a parent plants seeds of knowledge and understanding in their children in the hopes that one day they will bloom Like, not as a version of the parents but as a special new flower. You were not my parent but, your patience and kindness started a change in me and today I am happy, in love and, well, I know this will sound sappy but I am blooming.

Thank you so much, Sandra Gebhart

After much thought John sat down to write his response:

To: Sandragebhart01@#$%^.ca

Fr: JGraves@#$%^.ca 10/12/26

Sandra, thank you for the lovely email. I am so glad to read that you are doing well. I still think of you now and then and about how hard you worked. You should know, this old man learned a thing or two about resilience and perseverance from working with you. Maybe you helped me bloom a little too. 😊