Today was Devon's last day at the local charter school he's been attending all year and the other night he wrote out thank you notes to all the teachers and staff that he regularly interacted with. I loved reading those nine notes! Seeing what things stood out to him about each person was fun and I'm glad they'll each know what Devon appreciated about them.
I shared the letter I sent to the staff at Silas' school when he left at the end of November and now I want to share the one I sent to several people at Devon's school last weekend. Why? Because I think it's important to acknowledge the things that teachers and staff do well. Whether you've had nothing but positive experiences with public school, openly and regularly criticize public schools, or fall somewhere in the middle and believe all school choices have some pros and cons, the fact remains that there are countless men and women working hard, day in and day out, to educate children. Their efforts should not go unrecognized.
To (some of) the staff
of WAA –
This school year is
coming to an end and I want to thank each of you for making it a good year for
Devon.
Our approach to school
choices is “one kid and one year at a time” and until this year that meant our
kids were exclusively homeschooled. However, the 2012-13 school year
was really hard for our family on multiple levels and we needed to change
things up a bit. As we considered options for Devon, we knew that we’d only
send him out if he could attend a small school. We applied to WAA in the
spring, then sat back and waited to see what would happen. It was about a week
into August when we got the phone call saying he’d been accepted and the next
ten months have been exactly what our family needed.
XXXX – I’m glad
you stepped up to the plate for taking over the library next year. I've enjoyed
working with you during the transition and I think you will do a great job from
here on out. I’ll definitely be back to help in the fall!
XXXX - Devon
always looked forward to PE, a chance to get some wiggles out and play some
games. The times you awarded him Star Student of the Day were a big deal to him.
I’m sure that being a traveling PE teacher, with neither a gym nor supply
closet, is frustrating at times, but you do the job well.
XXXX – You
are in multiple places over the course of a day, but you always have a smile on
your face when I see you. I appreciate your cheerfulness.
XXXX –The
fact that you do your job in a crowded room with mismatched computers and
miniature chairs does not go unnoticed. I appreciate your efforts to
raise money for improvements and to do your best with the
resources you have available right now.
XXXX – You are a
miracle worker! If I remember correctly, Devon missed every single word on his
placement test, though he told me as we walked out to the car that he thought
he got all but one right. That was the one area that I was failing him
academically last year and now, thanks to lots of time with you, he aces every
spelling test. I'm sure parents and students in Florida will find you as
wonderful as I do!
XXXX – From your
cheery acceptance phone call, to the helpful visit at the office a few days
later that helped me solidify our decision to send Devon to WAA, to the
countless times I've seen you since then, you've had words of praise for
students who are doing well, words of gratitude for staff and volunteers who
are working hard, respectful words of correction to students who need to adjust
their behavior, and a smile on your face. Your duties exceed those
of the average principal and I’m thankful for the hard work you put into your job.
XXXX & XXXX – As Devon’s mom, I appreciate the years you two have put into creating
a library for WAA. We’re at the public library all the time, but
Devon enjoyed having another place to get books. As an individual,
I’m so glad you put out a request for volunteers back in the fall. I've loved
getting to know the two of you as we've spent so many hours working, chatting,
and laughing together in the library over the course of the year. Ninety-One
will be lucky to get you next year.
XXXX – Devon
was pretty happy about getting to play a drum for the spring concert! Thanks so
much for the time you put into teaching music to the students.
XXXX – I know I
wrote to you after Devon finished speech, but I want to thank you again for
helping him to speak intelligibly. We love hearing the “R” sound around here
these days!
XXXX – I
appreciate the help you gave Devon with writing at the beginning of the year,
but I've also appreciated the work you've done with other students. There were
several times over the course of the year that I’d overhear you while I was
working in the library and you do a great job of maintaining order, praising
accomplishments, and correcting misbehavior.
XXXX – You just
happened to be power washing and painting at school the day we came to visit
during summer vacation, which meant Devon got to spend some time with you while
I visited with XXXX. From then until now, I've been grateful
that you are the teacher Devon had this year. You've always had very
specific things to praise him for at the end of each quarter, at conferences,
and when he was awarded male Student of the Quarter. You also address negative
things when they come up and do so in a firm, but calm and polite, manner. Your
relaxed demeanor and high expectations are a great combination. I'm glad that
our paths crossed during your time at WAA and I'm sure that parents at your
next school will feel the same way.
We've signed our
intent to return to WAA next year, as we want to keep our options open, but we
honestly don’t know what we’ll be doing in the fall yet. A big
factor in that decision is if and where Tim gets a job for next school year. I’m
glad we live in a time and place where so many options are available to families
as they educate their children and, regardless of how next year looks for our
family, I’m very thankful for the role you all played in Devon’s education this
year. Sending him to WAA for the 2013-14 school year was definitely the right
choice for this particular season of our lives!
Sincerely,
Bethany Weathersby
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