Make new friends, but keep the old....

So, I need some advice. I really want to maintain relationships with the kids I lost in the schedule shuffle, but I'm not sure how to do it with the ones who...well, who don't know how to do it themselves.

If a kid pops into my room before or after school or at lunch and plops himself down, well, then I know that he wants to stay friends and I can go from there. But some of them...I don't think they've ever had a teacher that they just hung out and chatted with.

The Antagonizer came to visit me after school today - twice. The first time, he wandered in, stayed for a few minutes, talked a little bit about his new teacher and how he thinks she's mean (which, honestly, she kinda is - I've never heard another teacher speak as rudely to students [and teachers, and administrators] as this woman), and then disappeared. Forty-five minutes later he was back, this time with a story about some guy who'd been yelling at his girlfriend outside the school, and how the Antagonizer and his friends had stood up for the girl.

Clearly he wants to keep up the relationship too, and I think it's good for him, but I'm not sure he'll continue doing this without some sort of encouragement (beyond my stopping to chat with him when he does come in, or saying hi in the halls), and I'm not sure how to do that exactly.

I'm thinking I might offer him a morning pass - a bunch of kids have permanent passes to come into my room in the mornings, and I get anywhere from five to ten every day. They like having someplace to go, especially when it's really cold outside.

I'd also like to let kids know that they can come have lunch in my room, so I thought I might post a sign with a list of days that my room is open for lunch and that they just need to tell me they want to come in so that I can come get them. Having it in the hall might help kids like my hugger from Tuesday (who stopped and hugged me again today) realize that they can come too.

Do those seem like reasonable ideas? Any other thoughts?

(Image credit to The ChainMaille Lady - get it? Silver and gold?)