Sabrina Flap He has been a primary school teacher for 35 years. A great passion for her work and for children, combined with her playful spirit which led her to work as a volunteer too. Twelve years ago, while she was looking for new strategies to promote acceptance and inclusiveness in the classroom had the idea of establishing Mismatched Socks Day by choosing February as the month, the most mismatched one, because it has 28 days which rises to 29 every 4 years. What began as a local initiative soon became viral, so much so that today the day is celebrated in schools throughout Italy and even outside our borders. After having worked for many years in Terzo di Aquileia (Udine) as an English teacher, she has now returned to teachingsupport teacher in Villa Vicentina primary school as at the beginning of his career. «I love my job, I love children and when you have this passion, work doesn’t weigh you down… it amuses you and makes you grow, every day. Living everyday life together makes you a little better and a little like a child like them, who are always full of energy and optimism”.
Where does this creative streak come from?
«I have worked for almost half of my life in a full-time school, the Terzo school in Aquileia, a school that has always been innovative and full of projects and activities. In this almost family unit – the children stay at school for 8 hours so each teacher becomes a family for the children – multisensory activities are designed and created every day, which reach the children in multiple forms. Thus over the years the ecological day, the pumpkin festival, the Halloween castles, the day with the grandparents, the book exhibition, the end-of-year shows in Italian-English and Friulian were born… and way back in 2011 |2012 also the day of mismatched socks”.
How did you come up with the idea of associating mismatched socks with diversity and consequently with uniqueness and inclusion?
«I found it a different, perhaps original way to explain to children how unique, different and special we all are: together we can be even more important, effective, positive. We are all a little piece of the world‘s puzzle and we can all help each other, make a difference. Like socks, which we can wear even if they are mismatched, so by respecting every companion and friend we can make our days “good days”.
Did you find collaboration in the realization of this project?
«My colleagues at school have always helped this initiative to grow, believing in the project like me: they are teachers who love their work. The participation of children, mothers, fathers and grandparents made us understand that the underlying concept had reached homes, that it could be a small seed.”
Was she already a clown volunteer or did she become one later?
«They have been since 2007 and clown volunteers often wear mismatched socks, like Patch Adams, the person who brought a great revolution in the world of volunteering with the red nose. But Pippi Longstocking, who fought against rascals in her own way and loved her two friends Tommy and Annika, also wore them every day.
Italy has many people who actively volunteer in the most varied forms and make the days of those they meet better. But it is also true that what you receive in return – made up of looks, smiles, words and hugs – is multiplied to the nth degree.”
How did Mismatched Socks Day go viral?
«It was precisely in my clown association that 4 of my friends (Giulia Zoratto, Silvia Blazina, Clara Zaghis and Edy Lovisetto) proposed to me, after having listened to my idea, to take it to social media to share it. If it hadn’t been for their energy and conviction, perhaps this project would have remained only in my school and in nearby ones… who knows. So “Mismatched Socks Day”, born and raised at school, has now also been on the web since 2013, curated and loved by my 4 friends and me»
What support have you had from civil society?
«Year after year, the number of people (of all ages) who have approached the day has increased incredibly and, my great dream, many schools have arrived, many comprehensive institutes. But there was also participation and affection for the day on the part of teams, groups, neonatal departments, associations and individuals. A way for everyone to feel a little closer. The photos on the Facebook page “Mismatched Socks Day” proves it. We chose to always have it on the first Friday of February so that it could be celebrated in schools, given that most are closed on Saturdays.”
And then a book also arrived…
«Mismatched Socks Day has become so popular that at the end of February 2023 Mondadori proposed that we write a book together. In autumn 2023 he was born like this An extraordinary day for mismatched socks, a very colorful book illustrated by a splendid Erika De Pieri, who we love and thank. We still feel like we’re dreaming!
In your experience as a teacher, have you often had to manage children with special needs?
«In every school and in many classes there have always been children with special needs but our goal has always been to be a united group where everyone feels well, where every child can help others. When you see children entering school in the morning running or with a smile, you understand that school is still a good place to grow up.”
Does the phenomenon of bullying also exist among children towards those perceived as different?
«Fortunately, cases of bullying in primary school are very rare and we always try to work to ensure that they don’t happen. The synergy between teachers, children, ATA staff and families is fundamental in this case. And at the basis of everything there must always be trust.”
How is it celebrated in your school and what activities do you offer the children?
«The Terzo school in Aquileia, but also many other schools, brought the Mismatched Socks Day to the town or city: they hung the socks and the messages of friendship and solidarity on the trees, in the shops, in the squares. Walks were taken along the streets with posters and socks, together with people who approached, to raise awareness of the message. In my class we let one child out at a time, in a completely personal moment and time. We had him come into a room and sit in front of a mirror and we sat next to him: we told each child who was reflected in the mirror how special he is to us, we told him about his unique characteristics, how much we appreciate him and how much we are sure it will be of help to family, friends… to be even more special. The reaction of every child was wonderful: some were moved, some broke into a toothy smile, some hugged us.”
Our motto for this 2024 is
FREE TO BE UNIQUE…..TOGETHER TO BE SPECIAL.