Just Had to Share This!

Dear Parents,


Today was one of those days in teaching where I find myself stepping back in awe at these wonderful children. The day started out rather "rough," which sadly, has become a bit of a pattern in behavior since the week of Halloween. Teaching for many years, I am well acquainted with the "ebbs and flows" of focus and effort (with students always a bit more "off" as the holiday season kicks in). Mrs. DiVetta, however, was a bit surprised to see the rather drastic change in the students demeanor.

So today, after a rather frustrating morning, I took a moment to have a "heart to heart" with the kids. We talked about respect, responsibility, discipline, and "personal best" effort. We tied it in with the Veterans' Day holiday, and discussed how awesome it is to live in a country where we are free, and how thankful we are to the veterans who have fought for this freedom. From this discussion, we started to talk about how we can "be the best we can be."

The students were amazingly honest and self reflective, so I asked them to jot down their feelings in their journals. What they expressed inside these simple paper pages, warmed my heart and I was overcome with emotions (brought to tears more than once). The fact these young ladies and gentlemen were able to dig deep inside and truly think about how they can become better human beings (in class and out), made me so incredibly proud I just had to share this with you.

I am so thankful to have the opportunity to teach your children,

Mrs. Keene