silly name. Do you think itâs a silly name?â
âNo, of course not. Itâs pretty, like poetry. Just like your teacher said.â
Whisper nodded. âI think so, too.â
âUmâ¦so did you make any friends yet?â Ryder prodded. âWho do you play with at recess?â
Whisper thought for a minute. âI forget. I saw a little gopher, though. He was running along the fence and I tried to chase him. Then he just popped right under and I couldnât see him anymore.â
Ryder could just picture it in his mind. Whisper was more likely to get sidetracked with Mother Nature than with trying to make friends with people. Maybe it was just as well. She was sensitive, and he didnât want to see her get her feelings hurt.
Just then, a bicycle came whizzing by, nearly sideswiping Whisper as the wheels crunched past on the gravel. âGet off the road, Indian!â the freckle-faced rider called over his shoulder.
Ryder grabbed Whisper by the arm and pulled her aside as a second bicycle spun past. âYeah! Go back to the reserve!â The two young males, both about twelve, polished off their insults with a string of war whoops which echoed back through the open prairie. They turned a corner and rode out of sight.
âCome on,â Ryder said gruffly, taking Whisper by the hand. It was starting. âWeâd better get home.â
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Chapter Six
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Rhoda strolled into Rachelâs classroom just as she was putting the last of her files away. âSo? Surviving?â
âItâs hard to tell,â Rachel replied with a laugh. âKindergarten, fine. Special ed? Not so much.â
âThis system takes some getting used to,â Rhoda agreed. âAlternating between kindergarten one day and special ed the next can get confusing at times. Small schoolsâ¦we do what we need to do.â
In small rural towns like Marshdale, the kindergarten students only went to school every other day. It was a long bus ride for some of them, and they stayed for the entire day as opposed to only half days like in some other places. Rachelâs âoffâ days were devoted to kids with special needs, and although she had training in the area, sheâd never really had to focus on it much before now.
âI feel a little bit overwhelmed. Thereâs an awful lot of paperwork to be done. Assessments, referrals, not to mention all the reading up I need to do on these kids.â
âDefinitely not my favorite part of the job,â Rhoda agreed. âI almost feel guilty for dumping it on you.â
âI didnât mean to imply you left things in disarray. Everything seems to be in order. I just need time to sort through it all.â
Rhoda chuckled. âI said âalmost guilty.â Iâm really enjoying grade five. Most of them can actually read and they donât need help in the bathroom!â
âLucky you!â Rachel laughed.
âAnything I can help you with?â Rhoda asked. âI can spare a few minutes right now if you like.â
âReally? I donât want to be a bother.â
âNo bother. I remember what it was like. Let me guess. The big three?â
âThe big three?â Rachel repeated.
âSure. Laura Wilson, Robbie Nordick, and Brandi Lane. Besides those three thereâs nothing too drastic. A little reading remediation here and there, maybe, butâ¦â
âActually, youâre absolutely right.â
âOf course I am,â Rhoda grinned.
âOf course,â Rachel smiled back. âOkay, shoot.â
âOkay. Letâs start with Laura. Down syndrome, sweet as pieâjust keep her worker focused on life skills, integrate her into the classroom as much as possible, and thatâs about it. Sheâs doing pretty well with the alphabet and last year she learned to spell her own name. Just keep on with the program. On kindergarten days I found sheâs actually