It was Disney dress-up day at the elementary and in order to do my family proud, I chose a Star-Wars themed costume. Sometimes agreeing on a movie for family movie night can be a challenge with five of us, but we can always agree on the Star Wars saga. We are one of those families who owns all the movies and the kids wear their t-shirts on Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you…). When we drove down to Disneyland, the Jedi academy was more enticing than any Disney Princess meet-and-greet. I don’t know all the Star Wars trivia, but I know enough to enjoy the movies and participate in a conversation without looking too clueless.

So, on Disney Dress-Up Day, I went for a Star Wars theme with a strong female character. I wasn’t the only one, of course, and proponents of the light and dark side filled the playground.

At circle time, our class shared who they dressed as and who their favourite Disney characters are. Winnie the Pooh, Wall-E, and Mary Poppins are indeed inspiring characters! Then we reached the Storm Trooper and Vader section of the circle.

One thing I learned is that grade 4 students love to chat. The listening adult ear is strongly valued. If you want to connect with a 9-year-old, don’t just talk to them; listen to them. At circle time, this means some “sharing” takes a while.

Today’s comment though, didn’t seem right.

“You know Boba Fett is alive,” said one student.

“No,” I quickly answered. I saw the latest episode of The Mandalorian after all. “That was just someone wearing his armour.”

“No, he is alive!” 9-year-olds can also be quite convicted.

I started rehashing our own family’s conversation, about the sarlac pit, and…well, let me tell you, it suddenly made sense.

“That was Boba Fett!?!” I suddenly exclaimed. The surprise on my face caused rampant laughter in the classroom.

Mrs. Mulder just got schooled by a 9-year-old.

I’ll save the details for you Star Wars fans to figure out on your own, but really, grade 4 should come with spoiler alerts….