An open letter to my kids school

An open letter to my kids’ school,

I see many parents take to social media to air their anger and frustration at their child’s school, mostly, when I see an article or a blog post about a school it is quite negative. This is not one of those letters. I wish to thank you, for all you have done.

My kids started last week, in the middle of term, if that was not hard enough they had so many things in their lives change recently. Your school, the students, staff and parents have all made my kids and I feel incredibly welcome. You did not brush off the anxiety my daughter felt, you never once told her she was silly for having feelings. I appreciate that, more than you know.

You embraced my kids as the people they are, you did not try to make them fit in to someone else’s standard of ‘normal’. I feel this is an incredibly important message you are sending the students, and, if more schools did the same perhaps we would have future leaders who embrace all types of people, regardless of the way they look.

To my daughter’s year 3 teacher, you made my daughter feel welcome from the moment she set foot in your classroom, when I took my kids on a tour of the school, you took my daughters hand and took her around your classroom to show her everything, you did not even know if she would be in your class at that stage, but you still took the time to make her feel welcome. You sat with my son, who wasn’t even going to be in your year level and talked about dinosaurs with him. You made my kids feel incredibly welcome on that day, you did not know the effort it had taken that morning to get my kids to agree to tour the school, you did not know that their trust, as well as mine, in people had been completely shattered. You helped them, and myself, start to trust people again. I was so thankful when I found out my daughter was in your class. I knew she would feel a bit better, and hopefully be a bit less anxious with you as a teacher. You have a special way with kids, especially kids who are anxious and worried.

To my son’s year 2 teacher, you made my son excited about being in your class and learning from the time you met him on his first day. You ensured he had an activity he was excited about to do and made sure he was introduced to other kids so he did not feel lonely or left out.

To you, you were probably only doing your job but to my kids and myself the care, compassion and kindness you have shown has meant the world. I know teachers do not always get appreciation, that often parents will complain about something but know that, for this family at least, we appreciate you and your actions have meant the world to us.

Lynette