President's Message By Teri Breaux

I've held my breath for over a week since our Presidential election.  Who am I kidding?  I have been holding my breath for months.  Throughout the campaign, I was anxious, disgusted, and saddened by how our society has behaved.  As an elementary school principal, I wasn't sure what to expect in my own school.   Being part of a community and country so divided, so angry, and so helpless, it is scary.When I was approached at the end of last school year about having a mock Presidential election at our school, I wasn't sure that I was ready.  In fact, in the beginning I was adamantly opposed....but we powered through, nonetheless.  At the end of the day, I received an email from a staff member entitled, "Voting."  Oh boy, I thought.  As I opened it up, I took a deep breath and read:

When the announcement was made about who won for our students voting today, it started many discussions in the class I had today for dismissal. It was wonderful. All opinions were heard and everyone was able to speak their mind (or their parents J). Opposing opinions were discussed, not argued. We even had a student who's parent was becoming a citizen and was excited to vote.  It was refreshing!

Exhale!  They did it!  They exceeded my expectations, and I was so proud!

However, the whole day had not been as successful.  There was one student,  who will forever stand out to me because she was scared of what the election might bring for her family.  She was absolutely petrified about the election results and didn't want to have any part of the mock election.  The beauty of democracy is that she didn't have to participate, but the reality of her fear was dark and heartbreaking.

For people who make fun of or mock the fear that Americans have after this campaign, they haven't looked into the eyes of a child who is frightened that her family may be deported.  As a mom I was confronted with, "Mom, can people who are black and people who are white still be together and be friends?...Will we have to be separated from you and daddy?"  Oh my...my heart just sinks thinking about the tears that I saw in my own child's eyes and the fear that I heard in the voice.  Kids are hearing some pretty scary things.

What do our children need through this?  They need us.  They need us to listen.  They need us to validate their feelings and hear them out.  They need us to be comforting and to be honest.  They need us to promise them that we will do everything in our power to keep them safe.  They need us to take their worry, so they can do their part to get ready for our tomorrow.

For the first time that I can think of in my career as an educator, on November 9th, I didn't want to go to work...I was anxious at what the day was going to bring.  But what I quickly realized spending a majority of the day in classes with children is that it's bigger than the children needing us.  I need them.  I need them to be kind.  I need them to be compassionate.  I need them to lead our country to a better place...a place where we are more than tolerant...a place where we are truly accepting of one another.  I need them just as much (or more!) as they need us.