Today was the day!

Today my first students asked why, exactly, we are called the Challengers and what precisely a Challenger is.

Shanese and Africa came back from the district's gifted program that they attend for a half day twice per week and bee-lined for my room instead of going, as they were supposed to, to their Unified Arts. I think they were supposed to be in the math lab, but honestly, I don't have any idea what they were skipping. They do this habitually. I have yet to notice any detriment to the girls, so I let them do it...

Well, the Friday before Halloween the local community college cheerleaders came to visit and I took all of the 4th grade girls down to watch them. They also taught our girls a Kirkpatrick cheer that goes something like, "Fight, Challengers, fight!" or something. So this afternoon, the girls decided to practice their cheer on our group reading carpet instead of taking their reading quizzes online as I had told them to do. After about 2 attempts, they came to ask why we're called Challengers, and what it is anyways. I told them it was a space shuttle and a very famous one, and to go look it up online.

A few minutes later at Ask.com, I hear Shanese...

"Here it is Africa! It's the space shuttle."

(pause)

Africa: "Why is there smoke? Where's the space shuttle?"

Shanese, quietly: "Oh. It blew up."

(long pause)

Africa: "Mrs. Most? It blew up. Are these people dead?" (points to picture of astronauts)

"Yes, honey, those people are dead. One of them was the first teacher supposed to go to space."

(the girls stare down the computer screen, and wait)

Shanese: "So why are we called Challengers? It blew up."

"I don't know. But maybe it's a nice way to honor those people and that teacher, don't you think?"

Africa: "I don't know. That's sad. Shanese, let's go home."

And with that, they packed up and headed to day care. It was dismissal time, and they were confused. At least, living around such sadness all the time, it didn't really bother them all that much, just confuse them...