Miss Barnes, Is Santa Real?

Happily (for me) I got a job for the first day back after Thanksgiving - and I got it on Sunday night! It was a return trip to my to my frequented school of the year, in one of the classrooms I know well. The kids were pretty good. They were surprised not to see their teacher, but they always seem happy to see me.

When we were walking back from the cafeteria after dumping lunch trays I overhead a few kids discussing whether or not Santa was real. A few were just adamant that he WAS real and were telling everyone who would listen that is was so. A few others were just as convinced that he was NOT real, and we shaking their heads in a "we know so much more than you" manner. The believers then retorted with, "Well, if he's not real than where do all the presents come from?!" To which the non-believers replied, "DUH! Your mom and dad!!" Then, oh dang it then, they turned to me and asked "Miss Barnes, is Santa real?" To which I gave the very real and not at all a cop-out answer of "I don't know... maybe!" (but I said it all mysterious-like). Then we walked past the principal and they asked her. (She said, "Yes of course he is!") The believers were happy and the non-believers were still shaking their heads and arguing about it. I eventually said to them, "Hey, ya know, it doesn't hurt anybody if they believe in Santa and you don't. It's not a big deal. Just let them believe it and leave them alone." I wish parents who told their kids there is no Santa would also tell them to keep it to themselves!