Hello Friends,
This community is unbelievable. Every day I see so many acts of kindness I lose count. Parents from the (6-9) community have volunteered to help with recess and lunch for months. Many other parents have stepped in to sub when needed. Another shows up and makes our entryway planters beautiful with gorgeous, lush green ferns. From our volunteer board, to chaperoning, donating to our auction or annual giving, creating staff appreciation gifts, and so much more, we are blessed with a community of families that time and again show us the value of kindness.
And then, as I walk through classrooms I see the teachers, day in and day out, loving, guiding, pivoting between educator, counsellor, or nurse as they wash out a scratch or put on a bandaid. This staff, from Audrey in the kitchen, to our admin team, teachers, and everyone else who supports these amazing children, blows me away. Over the past few weeks there have been powerful reminders in our staff community that life can change suddenly. A parent passing. A birth. An illness. This is when I am humbled by how deeply caring our community is as I witness how we support each other. How we step in to help. Or even the ones who are in the middle of these changes finding time to help others or offer congratulations in the midst of their own struggles. These moments are human beings at their best. There is a quote I always keep close to my heart but will often forget, “Be kind; everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle.”
On Wednesday my office phone rang at 5:00.
Caller: “I’m a grandmother of three children at your school. What your teachers are doing matters. I don’t know all of them, but the ones I do know are so important to my grandchildren. Will you please tell them that they matter? What they do really does matter.”
I shared that the next morning with one of the teachers, and I noticed That teacher’s eyes welling up. “Sorry, I didn’t expect that,” the teacher said. Then after a quick thanks, went back to working with children in a way that really does matter.
Thank you parents, staff, grandparents, children and everyone who lifts up others.
