“I have a student whom I have worked with for a few years and have gotten to know quite well. As the school year progressed, I noticed this student would always wear the same clothes, usually always the same hooded sweatshirt. I know this student is particular about clothes and will only wear sweatshirts and sweatpants, but when I saw him always in the same sweatshirt I thought I should talk with him and make sure everything was okay and if he had other clothes. He told me he did, he just liked that sweatshirt. It looked clean, and knowing how particular he was about clothing, I told him as long as it was washed and clean that it was fine. Well not long after this, his teachers began reaching out to me about it. They said he was not only wearing the same sweatshirt, but the same pants everyday as well. Upon calling home, his grandma told me that he has other clothes but he refuses to wear them, saying they are too small. I called him down to my office and told him we would go through my clothing closet and he could pick out any sweatshirt and sweatpants that he likes. As we starting going through them his eyes lit up and I could see he was excited. He picked out several sweatshirts and pairs of sweatpants. After that day, I noticed he was changing more often into the new clothes he had picked out. It felt so good to make him happy and help him find clothes that he could enjoy wearing! It’s wonderful to be in a position to be able to see student’s needs and quickly be able to fulfill them!”
-Centerville-Abington Elementary School Site Coordinator