P. strikes again

So today, as we're working in social studies, I overhear (out of the "corner of my ear") P. announce to his group that he's a virgin.

"P!!" I exclaim. "Out in the hallway. Now!!"

I get him outside of the room (as we're leaving, I hear my more innocent kids asking each other, "What's a virgin?")

"P!!" I say again. "That word is COMPLETELY inappropriate for school!! What were you thinking?!"

He looks at me with complete surprise on his face. "It is?"

I pause for a moment. "P., what do YOU think that word means?"

He shrugged. "I heard someone say it in a movie. And I heard about the Virgin Mary. I thought it was a religion."

Me: "P, you need to go home and ask your parents what it means. But I will tell you this: it has to do with sex. 'Virgin' is not a religion."

Him (a completely mortified look on his face): "Oh!! Miss K!! I didn't know! I thought it was like being Catholic!!"

Me: "Well, it's not. Now go back in there and I do NOT want you to talk about that word anymore, do you understand?"

Him (his head hung down and his face all red): "Yes, Miss K. But what does it mean?"

Me (because this is a very fine line, as we don't have "sex ed" anymore in our schools, at least not at this grade level): "Ask your parents."

I gave our assistant principal a heads up about this as I left today (Mrs. A is out of the building until Thursday)--just in case there's a flurry of phone calls from a bunch of flustered parents, wanting to know why their kids suddenly want to convert to "Virginism."

PS--One of my unofficial mentors at school, a 30+ year veteran, refers to P as the "gentle giant." And it finally hit me today--P. reminds of me Lennie from "Of Mice and Men," the "mentally handicapped giant" (description from Cliffs' Notes). You HAVE to have a soft spot for the kid, even when he drives you crazy.