Mrs. Martin, Dupont’s counselor, was staring at this young girl in front of her in shock. She couldn’t believe what she had just heard. Marinette had had a panic attack earlier in the day and had been noticeably stressed for some time now. Mrs. Martin decided she needed to have a conversation with the girl, to make sure everything was alright. But now, she was shocked by what Marinette had said. “I’m sorry Marinette could you say that one more time?” Marinette sighed, looking down at the ground. “I’m fine Mrs. Martin, just a bit tired. Between helping my parents at the bakery, all of the class rep work, covering for Alya as class deputy, babysitting, and helping Mrs. Bustier, I am really busy. I haven’t had much time for sleeping lately.”
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Mrs. Martin couldn’t believe the workload for this one girl. It was way to much. “Marinette, you know that if you have too much on your plate, you don’t have to take on more work right? Its important to know your limits and not overwork yourself. Surely you can reach out to your parents, teacher, or friends and ask for help.” Marinette quickly looks up at her, looking almost panicked. “No, I can handle it. Besides, it is rude not to help people. No matter what, I have to help anyone who needs help.” Mrs. Martin was horrified by what she was hearing. “Marinette, who told you that? Its alright to tell someone no. Where did you get this idea that it wasn’t?” Mrs. Martin was even more infuriated by what Marinette said next.
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Later that day, while Marinette waited in her office, Mrs. Martin was in Mr. Damocles office with Mr. Damocles, Mrs. Bustier, and Marinette’s parents. Mr. Damocles started the meeting, in his usual placating manner. “Now, Mrs. Martin why have you called us all here today. I’m sure you must have a good reason.” Mrs. Martin, still angry about what Marinette had told her, started in on the group. “You’re right, there is a good reason. Marinette had a panic attack this morning, and what she told me is alarming. She told me about her workload and when I suggested she try and lighten the load, she told me that it is rude to tell people no if they need help. She told me that she got that idea from all of you. What the hell are you thinking telling this girl that she can’t tell people no!”
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Everyone in the room tried to push back against Mrs. Martin’s accusations. But Mrs. Martin stood her ground. When she saw that she wasn’t going to be able to convince them that they were in the wrong for the things they had told Marinette. So Mrs. Martin decided to take this into her own hands.
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First, she reported both Damocles and Bustier to the school board and the Paris board of education. The reaction was swift. The board was equally horrified by what the two educators had taught this student. They were immediately removed from their positions and had notes made on their record about how they had behaved at Dupont.
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Mrs. Martin also reached out to a social worker friend, who would now be checking in with Marinette and making sure that she wasn’t being pushed to do more than she was able to. Mrs. Martin wasn’t sure if Marinette’s parents meant to cause the harm they did or not. But now, Marinette would have a support system between the social worker, Mrs. Martin, and now her new teachers.
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Things got better for Marinette after that. Mrs. Martin made sure that Marinette knew that it was ok to say no, and helped her set boundaries. Now, Marinette is much less stressed and is finally learning to tell people that no, she couldn’t help them and that she couldn’t take on any more work. She still had a long way to go, before she was comfortable saying no. But she was making progress, and its all thanks to Mrs. Martin.
