The curious incident of the water bottles

I realised I didn't write about this. Probably busy then and forgot. 

Kai lost - and found - three water bottles in P5. First was on Thursday, 19 Oct 2023. He took a sip during maths and put it back in the side pocket of his bag. Then when he wanted his bottle again during the same maths lesson, it was gone.

Second was the next day, when he brought Yu's spare bottle. He came back from recess to find it gone from his bag. He didn’t bring it out for recess. He looked for his bottle in the general office and even under almost every desk in his classroom but to no avail. I wrote to the form teachers that day but didn't hear back from them.

Someone must have taken this bottles. So we told him to keep his next bottle in the main compartment of his bag. No problem for a few days until Friday, 27 October, when it was stolen again - when he returned from recess, his zipped bag was open and the bottle gone. His classmate E told him that he knew where the bottles were hidden but later said he knew nothing.

This time, I cc-ed the principal when I emailed his form teachers. This was clearly theft born out of mischief or bullying. It was water bottles today and it could be other things like his notes tomorrow. One of the teachers replied early the next day that they would investigate.

On 31 October, Kai said that a form teacher addressed the theft that morning. He also said L told him where his bottles were and he retrieved them. Apparently, the culprit told L about it.

On 1 November, a form teacher emailed to say that the teachers had addressed the issue at the class level, and had also identified and spoken to one of the students involved. Besides getting the students involved to apologise to Kai, the school would also mete out consequences.

We heard similar from Kai when he came home from CCA that day. So, S took the first two bottles coz Kai had annoyed him! S owned up to the teachers after the form teacher addressed the class.

We had already discussed with Kai about possible reasons for the theft, and agreed that if he had annoyed his classmate to such as extent, he should apologise to him as well. 

So that day, those two boys apologised to each other.

There was no closure at all on the third bottle. No reason for S to admit to two and not three so it was probably another kid. Probably a copycat coz it was hidden together with the first two bottles. We were just happy to get the bottles back.

Even better, this incident had a good learning point for Kai (hopefully be less annoying?!) and a good outcome for both boys - they became good friends, haha! They eventually went to different Sec 1 classes in the same school, and still met online and virtually to play chess.

Really a case of 不打不相识！