Weatherly Elementary School Principal Christopher Kimmel always looks for ways to make his students feel special.

He sought connections as a teacher and refused to lose those bonds with young people when he became an administrator.

“I’m a teacher at heart,” he said sitting in his office adorned with Philadelphia Eagles memorabilia and life-size cutouts — one of Jalen Hurts and another of Kimmel himself as an elf.

Every morning, Kimmel pops his head into classrooms to say, “Good morning, boys and girls,” just to put himself into their lives and let them know they matter to him.

He even reaches out to the Tooth Fairy on behalf of students who lose teeth while they’re in school — just to make sure that they are properly compensated, even if the lost tooth is well … lost.

That happened earlier this month as kindergartner Korbin Miletto was on his way to school.

A baby tooth that was on its way out made its way out on the ride into school and then promptly disappeared into the vast abyss of Bus #3.

No one could find the tiny tooth, leading to a distressing situation for a 5-year-old with no tooth to put under his pillow for the Tooth Fairy.

His teacher and other staffers offered comfort, said Kimmel, who dashed off a letter to the Tooth Fairy on Weatherly Area School District letterhead detailing the time, place and manner of the lost tooth.

“As a trained Elementary Principal and hobby dentist, I can verify that there is definitely a gap in Korbin’s teeth that was not there yesterday when he left school,” the letter read.

“It is my understanding that you usually require the child to present the physical tooth, but I’m also recommending that you consider this letter for official lost tooth purposes,” Kimmel wrote.

“Please provide Korbin with the standard monetary exchange rate as you normally would for a lost tooth,” the letter continues.

Kimmel also put a postscript on the letter to the Tooth Fairy explaining that he was still waiting for money from his wisdom teeth in 2006.

“Please feel free to drop the money off at the elementary school as I have several new books that I would like to purchase for the library,” he wrote.

Kimmel explained that he actually got the idea from educational forums and then saw a news story, and it resonated with him.

“You could tell that it had an impact on the kids,” he said. “I thought how can I take that and make it a formal letter, but at the same time, put my humor and wit into it.”

He does like to joke, including asking his kids if they know what time it is when you have to go to the dentist. Tooth hurty, of course.

Korbin’s isn’t the first letter that Kimmel has sent home as lost tooth verification, and he’s enlisted the help of the school nurse to document other cases of lost teeth when they occur, he said.

But with Korbin, it was the first time the Tooth Fairy wrote back, Kimmel said. The letter to Korbin explained that all was well with the tooth he lost on the school bus.

“Teeth know exactly when it’s their time to go,” the Tooth Fairy wrote. “I was able to find it and confirm it was sparkling clean, so please don’t worry at all. I left a special treat for you under your pillow. Enjoy!”

The Tooth Fairy’s letter also had a postscript explaining that she left an extra $5 to buy a special book for the class library in Mr. Kimmel’s name.

Kimmel did give a nod to Korbin’s mother, Tonia, who teaches at the Panther Valley Elementary School whose own quick wit shined through in the reply, he said.

“She actually gave him $10, $5 of which was to be given to Mr. Kimmel for books toward the library,” he said.

“That certainly made my day and made me know that a simple gesture like this is making that much of a difference for a little one,” he said.

“This was my first letter back from the Tooth Fairy,” he said.

The letter also reinforced his own mantra that connections matter, seeing his own goodwill and kindness return to him.

But Kimmel’s secret connection to the Tooth Fairy is now out in the open.

“Now that the kids know that I can talk to the Tooth Fairy,” he said, “They like to tell me when their teeth are wiggly. It keeps school fun.”