Highlights for Children (December 2017)

How Caring




Are You?



If you see a friend crying, do you reach
out to that friend, or do you go running
in the other direction? Do you have
empathy? Take this quiz and find out.



1. You bump into a boy at school
and he drops his books. You:
a. Help him pick them up.
b. Say “sorry” but continue on
to class.
c. Do nothing. He was in your way.

2. You’re at the mall when you see a

girl from your school crying. You:
a. Go over to her to see if there is
5. You are on the school bus as the doors
anything you can do to help.
close. You see a kid running down the
b. Feel bad for her, but do nothing.
street yelling for the bus to stop. You:
c. Duck into a store before she sees you.
a. Tell the bus driver that a kid is trying
3. You and some friends have plans to catch the bus.
to go to the movies. Your best b. Cringe. You know how it feels to miss
the bus.
friend confides that he doesn’t have
c. Pretend you don’t notice. It’s the kid’s fault
enough money. You:
for being late.
a. Suggest that everyone play ball in
the park instead.
b. Tell your friend “OK. Maybe next
time,” and then go to the movies
without him. Results
c. Stop inviting your best friend when
you have plans with others. you would feel if you were in his or her shoes. happens to someone else, try thinking about how

4. Your soccer team is winning when how others feel. The next time something
someone on the other team gets If you answered mostly c: You tend to ignore
hurt and the game is canceled. You: might try thinking about how you can help.
a. Hope the player on the other team others feel, but you prefer not to get involved. You
is OK. If you answered mostly b: You notice how
b. Are disappointed, but you try to thinks of others.
remember that there will be You seem to be a compassionate person who
other games. If you answered mostly a: Congratulations.
c. Are mad. Your team was winning!

Art by Mike DeSantis.

SOCCER





By Kristin Wolden Nitz in Any Language
Art by Gary Undercuffler


Number 54 dribbled the At Milan’s international “Bravo, Tomas!” Luigi
soccer ball down the sidelines school, where everyone spoke repeated as we jogged to
on a breakaway, and I was the English, I was Tom or Thomas. the bench. Then he added
last player between him and Here, I answered to Tomas in English, “We will learn you
my goalkeeper. I had to stop or Tommaso. to play soccer well.”
the forward or at least I finally remembered that “Teach,” I said. Luigi and
slow him down fuori means outside. Luckily, I had agreed to correct each
so that my I panicked. the coach had wanted me other’s language mistakes.
teammates to kick the ball out of “Teach,” Luigi repeated. Like
could catch up. bounds. most of my teammates, he had
“Die, Tomas, What did the Number 54 quickly been studying English since first
die!” my coach coach want scooped up the ball for grade. Whenever I looked lost
shouted at me. a throw-in, but it was during practice, Luigi would tell
Or at least that’s me to do? too late; my teammates me what to do.
what it sounded like. were in position. Twenty We arrived at the sidelines
“Die” was really dai, Italian seconds later, a whistle blast as our coach began his lecture.
for come on. I’d learned that ended the first half. I recognized a few words
much on my first day of practice popping out of the torrent of
with the soccer club in Milan, Italian: is, the, was, you, ball.
Italy. Today was our first game. But the coach’s tone made it
I matched speeds clear: he wasn’t happy with
with number 54, staying how we were playing.
between him and the goal. To be honest, I wasn’t happy
“Fuori! Mettilo fuori, with how I was playing. What
Tomas!” my coach roared. if I had tripped number 54 and
Fuori—the word caused the referee to award
sounded familiar, but I him a free kick? The other team
couldn’t remember what it might have scored. I had known
meant. I panicked. What the safest thing to do. Why had
did the coach want me to I hesitated?
do? Steal the ball? Try When the coach finished, I
a sliding tackle? Every asked Luigi in my best Italian,
stride brought us closer “Che cosa ha detto?” (What did
to the goal. I had to do he say?)
something. I couldn’t let Luigi answered in English,
my usual confusion hurt “We must play better. We must
the team. I went with the run more fast.”
safest choice: tapping the “Faster,” I said.
ball out of bounds. “Ah, yes—faster,” Luigi said.
“Bravo!” my coach “We must “And we must play—how do you
exclaimed. say it?—istintivamente.”
“Bravo, Tomas!” my play—how do you “Uh, instinctively?”
friend Luigi echoed. say it?—istintivamente.” “Sì, sì,” Luigi said, nodding.

I broke away


from the

pack.







A plan suddenly came to to tie the game. Our goalkeeper calcio. I kept going.
me—a plan that would have barely managed to stop the I was more than three-
meant a quick trip to the bench forward’s latest shot. The ball quarters of the way down the
if I had tried it back home: landed at my feet. field when a defender finally
ignore the coach. Instead of Dribbling it toward the came to meet me. I waited for
trying to translate what he said, sideline, I looked for an open just the right moment, then sent
I would use my instincts and teammate. Everyone was a centering pass across the
run more fast. Er, faster. covered, so I kept moving. The middle to Fabio. Istintivamente!
midfielders were tired; my legs Fabio rushed forward to meet
A plan suddenly were still fresh. I broke away the ball. Whump! He kicked it
from the pack. past the goalie’s outstretched
came to me. The ball and I crossed the fingers and into the net.

centerline. My coach was yelling “Goal!” my teammates
After the second half started, instructions, telling me what to shouted. (That word is actually
I listened when someone called do. Was he angry or pleased? the same in English and Italian.)
for a pass, but I didn’t let the I couldn’t tell. But back in the “Bravissimo, Tomas!” my
other words get in the way. My States, my coach had always coach roared.
plan seemed to work. I felt like encouraged her players—even Luigi arrived and thumped
I’d pulled off a lead vest and left the defenders—to dribble the me on the back. “Ben fatto,
it lying on the sidelines. ball up the field on a breakaway Tomas!” My old confused look
With only minutes left to go, if the way was clear and no one must have come back for just a
we were up by one goal. But was open. Soccer was soccer, second, because he translated,
number 54 was doing his best even if my teammates called it “Well done—Tom.”

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