Year-End Post

Nope, this is not Room 213's gang of thieves. It's just us under those masks coping with the new reality and injecting a bit of fun into our Zoom meeting.

I can't believe I am about to print these words, this is my last post of the year. And what a year it has been for all of us (one I imagine none of us will soon forget). I think it is safe to say that for my kids this year, and myself and you as well, there were two distinct learning cycles. The first two thirds of the year were what all of us expected and these last 11 weeks were nothing like we expected. So what did I learn from all of this?

I learned I have a class of truly amazing kids (but in reality I figured that out by October). Their ability to persevere in challenging social and academic situations became abundantly clear. This began in earnest in early September with our Team-building Day, continued in December with challenges at Outdoor Education, and ended in June in your child's classroom in your living room. Throughout, the kids tried to adapt to the challenge presented and to be as successful as possible with it.

I learned that we have created a wonderful community within Room 213 full of caring, kind, and respectful children. Spreading kindness was an initiative at Central this year and the kids did a fabulous job of embracing that task. From mundane tasks of helping one another in our room, to offering words of encouragement to younger kids throughout the building, to thanking teachers for their effort and approach, to applauding for our schoolmates as they stepped into the building, to singing happy birthday to teachers and staff around Central, to spreading Kindness Rocks throughout our Central School neighborhood, my students have embraced this initiative with a full heart and open mind. I am so proud of the community we built and the approach of the kids. I have told the kids from day one in our room that what will separate them from their peers as adults is how they treat others, it is quite evident that they have heard me loud and clear.

I would be remiss not to say thanks at this time of year. I want to thank your children. While in school they came into our room EVERY SINGLE DAY with a smile on their faces and a 'bring it on' attitude that allowed me to push and prod them educationally. I want to thank them for their approach during remote learning. The vast majority of my kids embraced it and worked to the best of their ability. They gained independence as remote learning extended longer than any of us had wanted and they produced some excellent work under these unique circumstances. I MUST SINCERELY THANK EACH OF YOU! You certainly didn't sign up for or ask for this responsibility. I know how disruptive remote learning was to you and your ability to handle your own working and life's responsibilities. Yet, you seemed to be there for your child and assist them through what was a challenging turn of events in their own learning. I know it wasn't easy at all and truly appreciate anything and everything you did to support your child's learning and emotional needs. One of the catch phrases of this pandemic is, "We're All in This Together". In the case of your child's education, no truer words were ever spoken and I so appreciate the support from home.

I am truly saddened that this is how our year is ending and how we need to say goodbye to each other. No hugs, no fist bumps, no high fives. The end of any school year is bittersweet for both the teacher and the kids and this year certainly is the same. We spend the majority of the year trying to look out for one another and building valuable and strong personal relationships, only to begin anew the following year at the next grade-level and this year is no different. I wish nothing but HEALTH and HAPPINESS for this group of kids. I am sure that in the future we will see some of the affects of this pandemic on our society and one of the affects, I truly hope, will be the level of caring and compassion towards one another substantially increasing. The children from my room are certainly well positioned and more than capable to help lead this societal transition to a more caring, loving, and kind environment. They are the hope of our future, which allows me to feel pretty darn good about where we might be heading.

Lastly, I have a favor to ask. Please let your child know how meaningful and important they are to me. It is really hard to appropriately express myself properly over a Zoom meeting and to be truly heard. I want them to know how proud I am of them for having as much success as they did throughout these challenging circumstances. I want them to know how much they mean to me and how much I care for them. Please give them a hug and tell them how much they helped me throughout this pandemic and how much joy they gave me when I was able to see them, smile with them, play a game with them, and communicate with them through our virtual meetings. I am not sure a single hug will express how I feel, but I hope between that action and some words from you to express my emotions, your child will get the sense of how important they have been in my world and how unabashedly proud I am of each and every Elmanski in our room.