Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dear parents and guardians,

Welcome to the beginning of a new school year at Yavin Elementary! We are more than eager to welcome your students back into the classroom and into our halls as they begin or continue their educational voyages. Please note that all students will begin school at 8:00 and lunch will be free for all. Myself and Vice Principal Erso would like to direct you to our school website for more information and answers to any FAQs. See you on August 24! 

Sincerely, 

Cassián Andor

Principal, Yavin Elementary School 

Hello! I'm Mr. Dameron

Welcome to Second Grade!

A little about myself: Hello students! This is my first year teaching at Yavin Elementary, and as a bilingual teacher, which means our class will be in English and Spanish. I can't wait for us to read all sorts of books, go on field trips, and go on an exciting curiosity voyages together. In my free time I love to read, play the guitar, and travel. My favorite place to travel to is Tikal in Guatemala, and I have a dog. I can't wait for us to all meet and start the school year! 

How I Make Learning Fun: I like to play games, use visuals, and make sure every student feels ready and confident. Our class will be fun! 

I always say: "We're all here to learn and make friends, so be kind and help each other out!" 

Parents can call me at this number and e-mail me here. 

Looking forward to meeting all of you!

Chapter Text

While the California sun beat down on the classroom wings, playground, and the rest of the school, during the summer, Yavin Elementary lay dormant. But during August, the school began to slowly come alive, whether it was janitors making final checks on the school, or teachers setting up or making adjustments to their classrooms. However, today was a really special day, one where the school would go from empty to filled with all sorts of people. Today happened to be the first day of school, and soon the hallways would be filled with students going to their classrooms. For now, only two people walked down the hallways, their footsteps echoing as they passed by several classrooms. One of the classroom doors was opened, and the two people entered, turning on the lights. As the lights turned on, one of the men felt like he was hit with a wave of nostalgia. The classroom's walls were festooned with posters from science fiction movies like Tron and Star Wars, and a bulletin board with the students' names written on rocket ships circling a drawing of Space Mountain stood front and center. Hovering over the mountain was a cut out of a UFO straight from a B-movie. "Shuttle pilot: Mr. Dameron" was written on the UFO. The two men took a seat at the table that rested under Mr. Dameron's magnum opus, one of them pulling a Trapper Keeper out of a book bag and the other getting a legal pad out. 

"You know, Cassian, it feels kind of surreal to be back in my old second grade classroom," one of them said. "I might cry."

"I don't blame you there, Poe. I've honestly teared up a little walking down the halls, because I miss the student's experience." Cassian let out a soft chuckle and wrote something down on his legal pad while Poe rifled through the Trapper Keeper. "Do you know why I hired you, Poe?" asked Cassian.

"Some people might say because we're college friends, but in reality, it's because I fit the requirements," Poe responded, opening the Trapper Keeper. 

"Right," the other nodded. "Mrs. Janeway and Principal Sisko's letters of recommendations from your time student teaching at Roddenberry Elementary really solidified my decision. And I think that Yavin Elementary will benefit from having you on board as a teacher, and a bilingual one at that." Poe smiled broadly, setting his book bag on a desk chair and reading through a list of student's names. 

"I might have already said this before, but thanks, Cassian," Poe replied, giving his old college friend a hug. 

"No problem, Poe! To be honest, even though I've been a principal for a while, it still feels a bit surreal to be referred to as Principal Andor." He looked down at his watch and gasped. "Oh shoot! I have to get ready too! See you at lunch then, Poe, and good luck!"  

"See you then!" Poe said as Cassian left the room, waving goodbye. Poe began checking the classroom, especially the pods of desks he had arranged with help from Cassian and the janitor. All he needed was to slide the name plates into the plastic pouches he got. "Let's see... pod one will have Khadijah, Dolores, George, and Miguel. Pod two has Lupita, Tadashi, David, and Jane. Pod three is made up of Dustin, Catherine, Iris, and Joe. Pod four- Sebastián, Malik, Audrey, and Alisha. Finally, pod five- Marley, Lucas, Victoria, and Daisy. Okay, we're good to go!" he said, pulling out another thing from his book bag. He flipped through his lesson planner, going over what he had planned for the first day of school. He was about to go over the opening activity when he heard someone shout. 

"HEY! Cada día eres mas enfadoso!" It made Poe jump a bit, worried that it was a parent he already angered- and on the first day of school! He turned around and saw a familiar face, another man wearing a self-satisfied but good-natured grin. 

"Don't scare me like that, menso!" Poe said, walking up to the man and bonking him with a rolled-up piece of construction paper, but both of them started laughing. "How've you been, Din?" he asked, giving his friend a hug. 

"I've been doing great, I've got some time to waste before class begins," Din replied. "First year teaching third grade and all those jitters. Apparently, I was going to teach at that private school Kryze Elementary, but I guess the principal didn't think I was a good fit. Can you imagine me teaching there? I'd have to wear a suit and tie, and I don't know if I can handle that!" Both of them just had to laugh about it, slapping each other on the backs anyway. "Fortunately, Principal Andor gave me the lay of the land, so did Madame Phasma." 

"Wait, we have a French teacher here?" Poe asked, feeling a bit intimidated. 

"Not exactly. She prefers being referred to as Madame instead of Mrs. Phasma. It kind of works," Din said. "Funny thing is, she used to teach at Kryze elementary, and now she teaches first grade here!" Both of them heard someone humming and looked across the hallway. A tall blonde woman was outside of the classroom in front of Poe's, and she was putting up some cut-out birds with student's names written on them, humming as she did so. Her gray pantsuit seemed to be better suited for a university or a high school, not a first-grade classroom where students might use paints or other messy art supplies with reckless abandon. "Speak of an angel, and she might appear," Din said to himself, as she walked towards Poe's classroom. Poe knew that she was taken, but he did kind of feel his pulse start to rush. 

"Poe Dameron, right?" she asked, looking at him and Din. If this was a cartoon, there might have been a mushroom cloud where Poe stood. 

"Y-yeah," he said, looking at his blue nails. Am I gonna get fired for having blue nail polish?  he wondered to himself, before looking up at the blonde. She extended her hand towards Poe and smiled at him. 

"I'm Cora Phasma, I teach first grade. Principal Andor told me about you and how you're going to be the bilingual teacher. Bienvenue," she said, and Poe took her hand, shaking it firmly. 

"Mucho gusto," Poe replied, wondering if he was showing off or if he wanted to give her a bit of a sampler of what the students might experience. "Din told me you used to teach at Kryze Elementary?"

"I did, it's a lovely school, but a bit bleak. Even though they sent me off in a very nice way and told me I was welcome to come back, I just figured that maybe Yavin would be different." 

"Ok, now that you mentioned it, I would have gone berserk if I taught at Kryze!" Din said, laughing a bit. "I know class hasn't really started lately, but how are you liking Yavin so far?" 

"So far, I'm not quite sure. Though I do think that Principal Andor could be in the running for the district's best principal award. I know Mr. Calrissian used to be the principal here, but they retired from the position." Mr. Calrissian's sounded familiar to Poe- he remembered being in the same room as a kid and having Mr. Calrissian as a substitute teacher. He remembered how he couldn't understand rounding, but they explained it in a way that made sense not just to Poe, but to the other students. He also remembered how at the end of the day, Mr. Calrissian played a bit of Vivaldi's Autumn on their violin in celebration of Thanksgiving, and how his teacher, Mrs. Mothma, proudly read Mr. Calrissian's note to the class. (That earned the second graders extra stickers, which they loved.) 

"I remember them as a substitute," Poe said, grateful to them. "I didn't know they were the principal also." 

"I think we were in high school when that happened," Din said, but then gave a bit of a jolt. He reached into the back pocket of his pants and pulled out his phone. "Oh shoot! I've gotta get ready for class!" he said, which made Poe and Phasma turn to the clock. They were shocked, too- it was getting closer towards the beginning of the first class of the school year, and they all needed to prepare for their students. 

"I've got to run also, but welcome to Yavin, Poe," Phasma said with a smile. "We'll talk more at recess," she said.

"It was a pleasure meeting you," Poe replied, shaking her hand again and waving as she walked across the hall to her classroom. Din started to head out the door as well, but not before giving Poe one last hug. 

"Take care of yourself, Profe Dameron. I gotta get to class myself!" he said, making his way through the sea of students and parents that flooded the hall. 

"See you at recess!" Poe called out, as he watched his friend walk off to the third-grade wing. As he went around the classroom, he did some people watching. Parents and teachers greeted each other over cups of coffee, and the PTA parents were in their usual huddle, planning for the next meeting or the first activity of the school year. He watched as a kindergartener anxiously clung to their parent's leg, while another strode into a classroom eagerly, an excited smile on their face. Old friends greeted each other, while the students who were a bit shyer watched cautiously. And there were always the students who ran down the hall, only to be caught and reprimanded by a watching teacher. Poe couldn't help but smile a bit. Even though today was his first day teaching, he couldn't help but feel the excitement and nerves he had as a student when the first day of school began. 

"This is gonna be a fun year," he said to himself, heading out the classroom door and waiting to greet his new students. 

Chapter Text

YAVIN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRESENTS 

OUR ANNUAL HOLIDAY SHOW 

PROGRAM 

Opening Remarks: Cassián Andor, principal 

KINDERGARTEN 

What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas When He Already Owns a Comb?- Miss Tico’s Class 

My Little Dreidel- Mr. Jinn’s Class

Snowball Duty- All Kindergarten Classes 

FIRST GRADE 

Reindeer Jive- Mrs. Phasma’s Class 

Frosty the Snowman- Ms. Lucas’ Class 

Holly Jolly Christmas- All First Grade Classes 

SECOND GRADE

Little Saint Nick- Mr. Dameron’s Class 

Christmas Island- Ms. Calrissian’s Class 

Capricho Navideño- All Second Grade Classes

INTERMISSION 

THIRD GRADE 

What’s This?- Mr. Djarin’s Class 

The Joy of Kwanzaa- Mr. Windu’s Class 

Christmas Vacation- All Third Grade Classes

FOURTH GRADE

The Year Without a Santa Claus- Mr. Gerrera and Mrs. Kenobi’s Classes 

FIFTH GRADE 

The Night Before Christmas- Mr. Ren’s Class

Walking in the Air- Mr. Hux’s Class

The evening started out with some quick remarks from Principal Andor welcoming families to the show, and reminding them about electronics being silenced. He then announced that Miss Tico’s kindergarten class would start the show by performing “What Can You Get a Wookiee for Christmas When He Already Owns a Comb.” Miss Tico sits in the front row and does the hand motions for the nervous students. There are quite a lot of standers and a ham or two in this performance. The next kindergarten class comes on and performs “My Little Dreidel.” One little girl, in her imitation of a dreidel, crashes into another by accident. Fortunately for her and their parents, there aren’t any tears or arguments. The kindergarteners aren’t finished yet- Mr. Vanth from Mos Pelgo High School taught them a line dance to “Snowball Duty.” It’s not perfect, but the kids are having fun either way. 

First grade is up next, with Mrs. Phasma’s class performing the “Reindeer Jive.” She’s seen for a moment, her hair in fitting victory rolls, when she slides the cardboard jukebox onstage and then leaves. After a technical difficulty with the music, the class begins their number, doing the easy swing dance choreography Mrs. Phasma showed them (with help from Mr. Hux). No one falls off the stage, much to Mrs. Phasma’s relief. Another class comes on and sings “Frosty the Snowman” before all the first grade classes come together to dance to “Holly Jolly Christmas.” 

Mr. Dameron then ushers his second graders onstage, and they perform to “Little Saint Nick.” One student ends up being shocked by the audience size so they stand there for a bit- their parents dub them the best stander. Fortunately, they get out of their daze in time for the long awaited section where they do the twist. Ms. Calrissian’s students do a fun little number called “Christmas Island,” which includes dollar store leis and ugly sweaters. Then, the classes come together for a quick dance routine to “Capricho Navideño,” a holiday song Poe loved. It makes him a bit emotional because it reminds him of his mom. During intermission, Poe manages to compose himself though it still stings a bit.  

Intermission ends with Mr. Djarin coming onstage and introducing his class’ act. He removes his coat to show off his Jack Skellington ugly sweater They then perform “What’s This?” from The Nightmare Before Christmas which makes some parents grumble. Mr. Windu’s class performs a song about Kwanzaa and then joins with Mr. Djarin’s for a dance number to “Christmas Vacation.” 

Mr. Gerrera and Mrs. Kenobi’s classes do a quick recreation of “The Year Without a Santa Claus,” both classes deciding to cast their teachers as the Claus couple. During the Snow Miser vs. Heat Miser song number, some members of the audience sing along. 

Mr. Ren’s class foregoes the song and dance part by performing “The Night Before Christmas” with some shadow puppets Mr. Ren helped them design. Ren’s uncle, Mr. Skywalker the librarian, serves as the narrator for the segment. Mr. Hux’s class closes out their part with a sign language performance of “Walking In the Air.” 

There is a special surprise announced, and everyone wonders what it is. Some people assume it’s going to be Principal Andor dressed as Santa Claus, but are presently surprised when Mr. Calrissian comes on stage with his violin, followed by Superintendent Organa, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker. The superintendent has an autoharp, Mr. Solo has a guitar, and Luke positions himself at the piano. They then play a rendition of Mozart’s Sleigh Ride, with some kindergarteners playing the sleigh bells. Their encore is a rendition of “We Wish You a Merry Christmas,” and people are encouraged to sing along. With that, the show is finished and Principal Andor bids everyone farewell and a happy holiday season.

Chapter Text

“Do you know what that sound is, Your Highness? Those are the Shrieking Eels,” Phasma said to herself as the eager shrieks from the playground reached her ears. She didn’t have anything against her first grade students, but sometimes it was all a bit much. Even though she was being as assertive as she could, somehow the students just seemed to overwhelm her. It wouldn’t be fair for her to act like a stormtrooper captain and expect the students to obey her every command, but right now she was at a loss. Just then, an idea came to her. It was what her parents did whenever she, her sister Brienne, and her brother Keldo would do whenever they bickered in the car. She was only waiting for the right time to use it. 

In came the students, a bit tired but still chatty from recess, and it was time for them to start the language arts lesson. 

“Okay everyone, now that we’ve got our energy out, let’s get to the rug for a story- Thomas, please stop Fortnite dancing.” For the most part, they were doing fairly well, even listening to the story. But when the time came to go to their desks… it wasn’t exactly what she hoped for it to be. Thomas started Fortnite dancing again, and the students kept on talking. There was about to be a fight, when all of a sudden, it hit her. 

“Okay everyone, freeze!” she said as loud as she could without bothering the surrounding classrooms. “I just learned something that I want to share with all of you, I got it from an old friend of mine. It’s called the Let’s Be Quiet Game! Whichever table stays quiet the longest gets a sticker. Ready set go!” she said. And like that, the students were (mostly) quiet, reading their books to themselves. Phasma enjoyed the glorious silence, and went back to grading spelling tests. 

The rest of the period went by fairly smoothly, but the thought of the Let’s Be Quiet Game seemed to nag at her mind. She got her lunch and went into the front office, knocking on Principal Andor’s door. 

“Come in,” he said, going over the monthly newsletter. “Oh, Cora! How nice to see you.” 

“Good afternoon, Cassian. I have a question.” 

“Okay, shoot,” he said. Phasma sighed a bit.

“I don’t know if I was in the right, but I was getting a bit frustrated with my students. So I told them that we were going to play the Let’s Be Quiet Game. Is that a bad thing?” she wondered. Cassian looked up at her and had to think about it.

“Was it done out of malice?” he asked. 

“No, I just wanted them to focus for a bit,” she said. 

“Then I think you did well,” he replied. “Just keep it in mind that it’s not to be mean, but to help them be responsible.” Phasma smiled in relief. 

“Thank you so much,” she replied, to which Cassian smiled. 

“You’re welcome, enjoy your lunch.” Phasma felt like a weight was off her shoulders, and she was so glad that she knew what to do. After a few minutes, the lunch bell rang and the students had come back from recess, all a bit tired. Then, she heard something that surprised her. 

“Can we play the Let’s Be Quiet Game?” asked Thomas. Phasma was shocked, and had to hold back her laughter. I guess now she saw a kid who was willing to play that game! 

“Not exactly, but maybe tomorrow,” she told him. “Let’s hear a story.” And with that, Phasma and her first graders were on the rug, listening to her read Miss Nelson is Missing! And everyone listened… mostly.