Words really matter.  Think of the difference in these two sentences with only one word changed.

I have to go to school today.

I get to go to school today.

We might have been taking for granted the privilege of going to school.  Not anymore. We need each other and our students/children need and want to be together. We build and strengthen relationships. We learn from and with each other. 

While the days are long, the years go by so fast.  One minute you are (or have) an Early Learner grappling with sounds, letters, numbers, friendship, kindess and more, and then blink, you are (or have) a middleschooler ready for the next school and adventure.  

Today’s the day. Our last day of the 2019-2020 school year. Normally, the building would be buzzing with excitement, joy, and cleaning. Lots of cleaning: cubbies, papers, notebooks, tables, chairs. Oh, and love. Love is in the air.

This rite of passage brings a sense of accomplishment: Look at what I did! Students, parents, and teachers all experience this sense of accomplishment and pride.

Look at what I did! “I am now an X-Grader.” 

Look at what I did! “I now have an X-Grader.”

Look at what I did! “They are now ready for X-Grade.”

Teachers and parents: We have to be proud. We get to be proud.  We have been teaching, and they are learning.  It has not been easy.  The relationship between home and school is an important connection in the life of a child and family.  The distance between home and school is an important marker for our children. There are more people in the world to love. We need them, and they need us. Not everyone is like me and my family. There is more to learn and love. We must learn how to love one another.

Students: You have to be proud. You get to be proud. We have been teaching, and you are learning.  It has not been easy.  That wink, nod, and smile of encouragement from  your teachers and your friends is easily missed when on a screen. I promise it was there.  We are a community of learners, ready and able to support one another.

We have to and get to remember to expect the best of each other.  Teachers are working hard behind the scenes planning, assessing, developing videos and other resources. While they make it look easy, it is so time consuming. Students are working hard behind the scenes grappling with ideas, experiencing productive struggle, and learning. Parents are facilitating learning while working from home.  I don’t know about you, but I am not really sure how to teach topics like onomatopoeia, adding fractions with unlike denominators, similes, metaphors, homophones, homonyms, phonemes, and so many other foundations skills.  I know what they are (?!?), and I can use them, but teaching them … Yikes!

Time is a variable; learning is the constant.   

The building has been closed, but our school has been open. We will be ready in the fall. Our students will be ready in the fall. 

As for today, our last day of 2019-20,
there is still a buzz of excitement, joy, and love.
Love is in the air.

We have to clean up. We get to clean up. The cleaning will happen slowing over the next couple of weeks. Lots of cleaning: cubbies, papers, notebooks, tables, chairs. 

Words really matter.

#ThankYouTeachers 

We are teaching and they are learning.

We have to teach. We get to teach.
That’s who we are. It is what we do.

We have to learn. We get to learn.
That’s who we are. It is what we do.

We learn from and with each other. We need each other and our students/children need and want to be together.

We will be ready when we get to go to school.
We will take long days over fast years.

Together and apart… we are Trintiy School.

Once a Trinty child, always a Trinity child.

Once a Trinty teacher, always a Trinity teacher.
This year, parents, that means you too!

I love you, and I miss you.