Motherly Instincts
She felt a deep sadness boiling up inside of her when she finally learned the truth. She wasn't going to allow her daughter to fight this battle on her own.
Everyone knows to trust a mother's instinct as it is always a powerful weapon. Sandy Lensher was 35-years-old when she felt her motherly instructs tingling stronger than every before. Something was definitely wrong.
Cheerful Girl
Sandy's daughter, Kira, was only five-years-old and extremely sensitive towards others. Kira was also cheerful and a joy to be around. Sandy instantly noticed when Kira became withdrawn.
It was right after she started attending Kindergarten at a private school in their area. When asked about it, Kira insisted that she was fine, but Sandy knew that something was wrong.
What's Going On
At this point, Sandy had learned that tact and diplomacy worked better than being forceful when it came to making Kira open up about what was going on, so she decided to stick to it.
Sandy and Kira had always had an extremely close relationship. Kira was hiding something, and it became clear to Sandy that she was afraid to open up, but Sandy couldn't understand why. Sandy was starting to get worried.
Worse With Time
Sandy decided that it was best not to push the young girl, so instead, she decided to to take a step back and wait until Kira was finally ready to talk about it.
As time went by, Kira became more quiet and even more secretive and withdrawn. At this point, Sandy was expecting the worst and more more horrible scenarios were plaguing her mind.
Strange Events
Sandy always gave Kira lunch and a bit of pocket money to take with her to school. Kira would use the money to buy milk and treats for herself. But Sandy noticed something strange.
Kira wasn't bringing home her empty bottles and candy wrappers anymore, like she used to. She had also been asking for more pocket money. Sandy was baffled... Was it possible that Kira was being bullied?
Being Bullied?
The signs were all pointing towards Kira being bullied, Sandy was certain of it. Sandy knew how difficult this could be to deal with, especially for Kira. She had options to choose from when it came to dealing with the issue.
She weighed the pros and cons and then decided that it was best to have a chat with her Kindergarten teacher first. But she would regret making this decision.
Helping Hand
Sandy approached Ms King, Kira's teacher. She was expecting the teacher to be helpful and as concerned as she was.
Sandy made sure to participate and lend a helping hand to the school and its teachers. But it seemed that the school and its teachers would not be doing the same for Sandy. The school's way of handling the situation made Sandy furious.
Treated With Hostility
When she asked Ms King if Kira was being bullied, she was treated with hostility. Sandy couldn't understand why.
Her daughter was sweet and kind and she cared for those around her. But Ms King informed Sandy that Kira was the problem.
Taking Money
Ms King told Sandy that she was an “inattentive parent”.
Then she told her to keep an eye on her daughter. She informed Sandy that Kira had been taking money from other children on more than one occasion.
Searching For Answers
Sandy was heartbroken when she heard these accusations. So that afternoon, when Kira got home from school, Sandy decided to secretly look through Kira's bag. At first, she couldn't find anything.
But when she decided to give up, she suddenly heard the sound of coins clashing inside of the bag. She looked again and found and inner compartment she hadn't seen before. When she opened it and saw what was inside, she felt her heart drop to the bottom of her stomach.
She Had To Know The Truth
To Sandy’s horror, the compartment was stuffed with coins and crumpled bills. After counting it all, Sandy was stunned that it all amounted to over one hundred and fifty dollars.
Something still did not sit right with Sandy though. Refusing to believe the worst of her daughter, she was determined to get to the bottom of this.
A Mother’s Instincts Are Never Wrong
Sandy followed Kira the next day. Catching her in the act of collecting money from other students at the school grounds, Sandy demanded the truth. Kira broke down and confessed.
Her best friend, Arianna, had left school, as her parents could not afford tuition. Kira’s plan—Donate money, get other kids to contribute, pay Arianna’s tuition, and keep her at Parkside Elementary.
Detective Mom
Now that she finally knew the truth, Sandy felt vindicated and could not have been prouder of Kira. Still, something did not add up.
To Sandy’s knowledge, Parkside Elementary collected a surcharge on tuition fees which was meant to benefit students in need. The question still remained, why had Arianna not been made a beneficiary of this fund?
The School Was At Fault
Sandy began trawling through the old announcements that had been made for the year on the school’s online communicator. Tucked away in fine print, she finally found out the truth.
Earlier that year, the school had taken a unilateral decision to divert money from the needy students' funds and use it to expand the teacher’s parking lot.
Activist Mom
By making Kira’s story public, Sandy sparked an uproar against Parkside Elementary. Leading the charge herself, other parents began pulling their kids from Parkside Elementary.
Providing needy students with tuition, stationery, and meals, Arianna’s new school was the popular choice. Without added funding, Parkside suspended its parking lot project—thanks to a resourceful little girl with a heart of gold.