“Lucia was really a tomboy. Halfway through my time there they had to shave her head because she had lice. Some of the girls giggled at her and teased her a bit, all in good fun of course. But most kids would have felt insecure or shy about it regardless. Not Lucia. She would just rub her bald head and laugh along. She was always racing the boys and kicking the ball around, and usually sat on the “boys side” of the classroom. She was definitely the leaders affectionate of the bunch and it took me quite a while to win her over. One day after a lesson I’d planned where I brought paint and we made stamps out of potatoes, she handed me a small slip of green construction paper and bolted away. I unfolded it and it said “thank you for teaches us so well. We love you.” It absolutely melted my heart.”