Maya's First Day
Maya's stomach felt like a jar of tumbling marbles as she walked into her new fourth-grade classroom. She had moved to Cedar Grove Elementary in July, and she did not know a single person in Room 12.
The desks were arranged in small circles instead of rows. A tall boy named Devon waved her over. 'You can sit with us,' he said. 'That way you don't have to eat lunch alone.' Maya's shoulders dropped an inch — she had been holding them up near her ears without realizing.
By the end of the day, Maya had learned three things. First, her teacher, Ms. Patel, played guitar during morning meeting. Second, Devon also loved reading graphic novels. Third, being new is only scary until someone says hello. On the bus home, Maya wrote in her notebook: 'Note to self — say hi first tomorrow.'