I must share my story.

As you all know (or at least you veterans do) I teach Kindergartners in a lower SE community in Southern California. I have 31 students (eek!) in my class and they are of quite an interesting mix. Each year, I incorporate butterfly science, of course, into the curriculum. I thought my group last year was most unusual (until I got this year's group!!!). One of the little girls last year was repeating Kindergarten and it is her story that I want to share.

This young lady lost her mother when she was 3-years old. There are five children in the family and she is the youngest. When she was in Kindergarten the first time, she had a difficult time socializing with other children and was quite a bully. Her academic skills were low which is why she ended up being retained, thus, being in my class. Let's call her Ali (to protect her identity).

When Ali came to me, I found that she was going to be 7-years old! I almost fell over...seven in Kindergarten?! What was her former teacher thinking? Children are 4- and 5-years old in Kindergarten. Is it any wonder we were going to have social problems? Sure enough...bully-like behaviour, rough-housing, etc. Even passing out papers was dealt with in a rough manner. Things would be damaged/bent/folded whenever Ali handled them. She WANTED to help but her help just caused more trouble than it was worth. She was a bull in a china shop.

In come the caterpillars. "Can I hold one?" Of course, I was leery of allowing her to hold one BUT I thought this was the chance for her to learn to be gentle. Each day, Ali wanted to hold a caterpillar. Monarch, Gulf Frit, Giant Swallowtail...it didn't matter what it was, she was fascinated. Initially, the fear was being bitten (almost ALL of the children fear the 'bite' factor). But, if 'teacher' says it won't bite, then it must be okay. Day after day, Ali would promise me that she'd be gentle so I'd allow her to hold a caterpillar.

We planted Milkweed. She tended her plant. She took it home.

We planted Rue. She tended her plant. She took it home.

We planted more Milkweed. And, of course, there were ALWAYS caterpillars to hold.

When we raised our Painted Ladies (I do a full-blown PL unit in January/February), Ali was in Heaven. She held her first butterfly.

Later, she held her first Monarch butterfly.

Next, our class was in the Animal Planet/Discovery Channel contest. Ali helped with the seed packets (and would get upset when someone stapled the envelopes incorrectly to the info sheet).

Fast forward to this year. Ali is now a 1st grader.

The other day, as I am greeting my Kindergartners at the door, Ali is going to lunch (I don't usually see her at this time). She comes up to me and says, "Miss Skipper, I found a caterpillar." In her hand, she has a tissue. On the tissue, there's a teeny little Giant Swallowtail cat. I ask, "Where did you find the baby, Ali?" She replied, "My lemon tree." She had this humongous smile on her face. I asked her, "What did you want to do with it?" She said, "It's for you!" I gladly took it and told her, "Thank you so much! I will give it some Rue right now!"

The next day, I am standing outside as usual after-school, waiting with my Kindergartners as they are getting picked up. Ali comes up to me. She has this little metal purse/box, carefully held, in her hands. "Miss Skipper, I found you some more caterpillars." "What? You are kidding! What did you find?" I ask. She says, "More Giant Swallowtails!" She opens the metal box and nestled carefully inside, on a pillow of tissue paper and a lot of Rue, are little GST larvae.

"Ali, is this the Rue we planted last year?" I ask her. Her smile could have blinded you, it was so bright. By now, a crowd of children had gathered around us. "Yeah, and I found baby caterpillars on it. They're for you." She points out the 1st instar and 2nd and 3rd instars all nestled in the box.

I told her, "Are you sure?" and she's sure. "I will give you back your box, okay?" She smiles, waves, and walks down the sidewalk, quite jauntily. Now, all of my little ones are all clambering to see what it was that Ali had brought this time. They ask, "Who is that girl?" and I said, "You know the picture on my keyring? She was in my class last year." (she had given me a picture and told me she wanted me to put it on my keyring so it is on my keyring.)

I am just astounded. This girl, who was so rough and tough, is out there searching for caterpillars. Her interest was piqued and obviously, she learned that it was critical to be careful and gentle with them.

I came home and told DH about what happened. I then said, "I am going to give Ali one of my pop-ups so she can raise some butterflies at home herself. I think she'd like that." I know she can't afford to get a pop-up herself.

Too bad I had to leave immediately after school today. I'd have liked to have given her the pop-up. I took it with me and my boys & girls kept asking me, "Why do you have that today?" I just said, "It is for Ali-you know, the girl who gave us the little baby caterpillars."

You never know the impact a small little critter will make.