Today I was brought to tears, not once but twice.
I hope you all know how much I LOVE YOU and THIS PLACE. I know the work you do is the GOOD work, the RIGHT work and the work that EVERY CHILD DESERVES. You also know how strongly I feel about culture and the energy that we bring to this place. This morning we were in an ETR with a family of a student who, about a year ago, quite honestly did not want their child to come to this school. They had "heard" things about this school and they had intentionally moved to an area in our district that has "the best school". So after they learned that he needed to attended JW Reason to get his IEP services they were less than thrilled. Well, I love a challenge, and I knew that with time this family would soon learn that they were very wrong about JW Reason. Today at the end of our ETR the student's mom thanked the team over and over again and then she said, "I just feel like this school is kind of like church!" She went on to say, "you know how you walk into church and everyone is so kind and welcoming? That's what this school is like. And, our daughter is going to kindergarten next year and she really wants to be a 'DOLLY DOLPHIN'!" Well, that did it and I started crying. My tears were those "proud mom" tears. The ones that start flowing when someone else recognizes your child for something and you know fully the hard work and determination it took to get to that place. The tears were also because a 5 year old wants to be a "Dolly Dolphin". I know that may sound silly, but to me, it means that we are a brand, Dolly is special and kids want to be part of the school with Dolly! Later today, I had another meeting. This time, through an interpreter, a parent said "God bless all of you for helping my child." It's been a good day. Maybe I didn't realize how much I needed to hear those words from parents. And, I'm assuming if I needed to hear this, that you all need to. So, take a moment and remember that we are making a difference in the live of kids and families. I also want to remind you that the impact of an educator is measured by generations. It may be years down the road that some families realize how impactful their time here was. Whether it's now or later, it's because of you.
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