The Last Day

The Last Day
By: Amy

To Our Kindergarten Teacher: Ms. Kimball.

It seems like yesterday we walked into her classroom.  I remember that day very clearly, my first born, a child who had some issues with preschool and at the tender age of 5, did not love school or want to go. We were a bundle of nerves and anxiety.  She took us calmly and compassionately by the hand and guided us through the transitions, helping a little boy to love school again, guiding him through his obstacles and successes.  Now here we are, the last day of school, after a sprint to the finish culminating a year of challenges, joys and most of all growth.

It is bittersweet, our last day today. We have had such an amazing year but we are sad that our time with our teacher has come to an end.  For us personally it is very hard. My little guy struggles with transitions and it takes a special kind of teacher to know how to handle that. With the end of year transition it has been especially difficult and to end our year of learning from such an incredible teacher who has had such an impact on our lives is even harder.  Last week, each day he came off the bus a little sadder than the last, his head hung as he walked toward me.  My heart broke each afternoon watching him struggle through the transition of the year ending and the next phase beginning. 

When I look at her, our special teacher, I see someone brimming with talent: Passion, Understanding, Creativeness, Compassion, Strong Work Ethic and most of all Belief. Belief in our children and the possibilities of what they can do.

She could have used her talents to work in any career she wanted but she chose teaching and everything that goes with it including raising other people’s kids to be the leaders of tomorrow.  She chose to push through on days when she was sick, overwhelmed, or tired because these little kids needed her. She chose to give her kids -- my kid — second, third, fourth and fortieth chances, and to always believe they could be better tomorrow. She chose to LOVE our children, to invest and put her heart on the line. She laughed at their jokes and anticipated, even came to enjoy, all their crazy quirks including the infamous spring worms. It couldn’t have been easy, taking a group of first time students and turning them into a community, helping to create relationships between the kids that would be a foundation for a lifetime.  The world will be better because of her impact in the classroom, the life lessons she has taught and because she cared and loved our children.  She is someone who will forever be part of our story and her influence will live on for the rest of my son’s life. Her teaching has shaped my child’s upbringing, character, and helped them on his way to becoming the person he will someday be.

So thank you, Ms. Kimball, for everything you have done for us and given to us. You are a very special teacher who will not be -forgotten. We love you.

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