Out of Context

My daughter’s basketball team played in a tournament this weekend. The complex they were playing in with right on space. My family, including my parents, stood huddled in an entrance area, waiting for the game ahead of us to finish. We chatted with other teammates and their families. My husband, closer to the door to the gym said, “ Hey J, Westport is just finishing up. Maybe some of your students are in there.”

I made my way closer to the door to see the two teams walking off the court. I wandered into the gym, scanning the sweaty faces to see if there were any I recognized.

There was one. H. A member of my family…

Before COVID, our school started something called family groups. We wanted to find a way to build a greater sense of belonging and connection among students and staff. So we mixed the school up into mixed grade levels and created family groups. Our soul mission was to know each other better. We only got to meet once before COVID halted our plans. But last year, we came back to this idea.

I made my way towards H and when I got close enough, I held my hand out for a fist bump, not unlike something I would do in the classroom or the halls of our school building. He immediately fist bumped me back as he met my eyes. It took a second for him to place me, but I saw the instant recognition washed over his face, a smile as he said, “Ms. Carey!”

We chatted for a moment about his game before I said goodbye and walked back to find my family, grateful for this moment of connection.

Published by Jessica Carey

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I'm a mom of three daughters and a literacy coach in CT. I love to learn and share with others.

9 thoughts on “Out of Context”

  1. I like how you played with the idea of family in this slice. It’s structured so well, beginning with your family, connecting with a different kind of family member, and then circling back to your own family again. Creating “family groups” within your school is a really interesting idea. I work in a preK-8 school, and we have “buddy classes” but they change every year, so there’s no ongoing continuity. Still, we also make some good connections.

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    1. We have buddy classes too! So many connections. The family groups have been lovely. We only meet a few times a year…in the morning. It’s always a great way to start the day.

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  3. Such a touching small moment, especially when H recognizes you.
    It got me thinking about some of the things we started before covid that somehow never got picked back up, even though they’d have so much value today.

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