Rudy & Raul Special School Friends

Raúl & Rudy

Special School Friends

Written by Milbert L. Penner & J. Daniel Hess Illustrated by Mark Eash Hershberger

Friendship Week at School

Monday morning Mrs. Murphy brought a new student to her class. “You have a new classmate. I am pleased to introduce Rudy Fretz.”

“Danke schön!” Rudy quietly replied, and a giggle could be heard. danke schön = thank you very much 1

Quickly Mrs. Murphy responded, “Rudy, you are most welcome. In our class we are pleased to have two students now who speak a language other than English. Raúl speaks Spanish. Two weeks ago Raúl told the class about his family moving here from Honduras.”

“Rudy’s family speaks mostly English,” Mrs. Murphy continued, “but they still use many German words that their family spoke for 2

Some students laughed aloud as they looked at Rudy, and instantly Rudy felt embarrassed.

Mrs. Murphy looked thoughtful. “We know your family speaks many German words. When did your people immigrate to America?”

Rudy explained that his great great grandparents lived and farmed in Prussia (Poland) then came to America in the 1880’s.

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Raúl added, “When you meet a friend in the street or in a store you must shake hands and say ‘Buenos días.’”

Mrs. Murphy brightened. “I want all of you to greet three classmates in Spanish or German.”

Immediately everyone called out morning greetings.

Although their pronunciations varied, everyone grinned and tried hard to sound Spanish and German.

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Tom nodded his head yes. Peter added, “more goose stories?”

These days at Sunnyside Elementary School became known as “Friendship Week.” Students learned words and sentences in German and Spanish. Other teachers heard about Mrs. Murphy’s language activities and tried them too!

And guess what? Rudy and Raúl became best friends. Their desks were next to each other and they often played together at recess. At lunchtime the boys sat together in the school cafeteria.

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In the shed Raúl turned to Rudy with a question.

“You, abuelo, tíos, tías, primos, primas — one family?”

tíos, tías, primos, primas = uncles, aunts, male cousins, female cousins

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After Rudy returned to his home, he went up to his bedroom, got a sheet of paper and wrote …

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The story in this book features a third grade teacher, Mrs. Murphy, who welcomes Raúl, a boy from Honduras. Two weeks later Mrs. Murphy and her class meet Rudy whose family has German background.

During Friendship Week, Mrs. Murphy models learning the languages and cultures of the boys’ families. The two boys become best friends.

National Education Association “By 2025, 1 out of 4 children in classrooms across the nation will be an English language learner (ELL) student. As their numbers increase, NEA wants educators to have every resource they need to connect with ELL students.”

Social Work Association of America “School social workers play an important role in addressing issues of racial equity, inclusion, and social and economic justice in our schools, particularly at a time when there is a national call to addressing racial inequalities.”

America School Counselor Association “School counselors promote equity and access for all students and make a significant impact on creating a school culture free from racism and bias.”

National Association of School Psychologists “School psychologists recognize that equitable practices for diverse student populations, respect for diversity in development and learning, ISBN 978-0-578-32696-2 and advocacy for social justice 51295> are foundational to effective service delivery.”

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