Last day of school, LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!

Lib and Mrs. Janie Macfarlane- 1st grade

Aspen and Ms. Jamie Rupp- 3rd grade

What a mixture of emotions for me when the girls pass life's milestones such as this one.

On one hand they are growing up (HOORAY!), but on the other hand- they are growing up (BOO!). I'm not always sure how to feel, so I plaster on my smile and go about giving kudos for a job well done- on everyone's behalf while occasionally shedding a tear.

I have felt grateful beyond words for these two superb teachers in the lives of my girls. Especially Mrs. Macfarlane for being a champion for Liberty's successes, however small they might have been. I'm so grateful she allowed Liberty to feel good at what she knew and be herself in the areas she thrived.

I worry so much for next year with that girl. She's far behind her peers, academically. But socially and artistically- if those were assessed, she shines.

I worry for Lib's future, for the effort she will have to put in to do her best educationally. I worry for gearing up for another year of one and a half hours of homework each night- for both of us! I don't have the patience I should, day in and day out. I constantly pray that there will be a break through with her learning, and for anyone who might be able to assist Mick and I in helping her. Secretly, I get so mad at myself as her mom, who doesn't know how to tear down the walls in her lovely little brain. But I don't hold those keys and it is so frustrating. So far, I count my blessing for those who we do have in her circle of help, and they are such competent professionals that both Liberty and I feel comfortable with.

Her's a note I sent Principal Sue about these great ladies:

Dear Sue,

First off, I want to say Thank You!

Thank You for being such a great Principal of a outstanding school. Our family loves Ellis Elementary! Your hard work and effort does not go unappreciated by us. We have loved having our children attend Ellis which has offered them so many opportunities. Having a neighborhood school our children can walk to, learn and play at while creating fond memories, has been important to us. It has been so rewarding to watch Aspen and Liberty grow and learn through great teachers and staff that are genuinely invested in seeing their academic, social and creative successes.

This year Aspen and Liberty have been particularly blessed with the best teachers- Miss Rupp and Mrs. Macfarlane respectfully. We trusted in your decision to place them with these two great teachers and have been so pleased with the outcome.

We are so thrilled that you were able to hire Miss Rupp and that she has been Aspen's teacher. She has helped calm and focus Aspen's attention to the task at hand by commanding a quiet atmosphere for learning and respect for other students. Her classroom management is top notch for learning, and we would bet all her students have grown leaps and bounds this year, as Aspen has. Her loving, positive comments, have provided good feedback for Aspen and us, and boosted Aspen's self esteem. We appreciate Mrs. Rupp's hard work and dedication to preparing Aspen both socially and academically for the years ahead. We have also admired her ability to push Aspen to reach goals ahead of time, and to advance her reading. 

Time and time again, it has been confirmed to us the blessing of having Mrs. Macfarlane be Liberty's teacher this year. Thank you, thank you, thank you for choosing Liberty to be in her classroom! It has truly taken an army of people this year to get Liberty to where she is. We are so grateful to you, Mrs. Macfarlane and all your staff (including Mrs. Hanson and Mrs. Pruze) who have given their love, time and talents to Liberty's success. Liberty has grown leaps and bounds, despite her setbacks and a great deal of credit goes to Mrs. Marfarlane for her professional abilities, energy, patience, compassion and drive to see Liberty succeed. She helped secure more individual academic help with resource and helped tailor Liberty's homework to fit her needs to insure success and to keep us all from going crazy! Her classroom is super organized, relatively calm, creative, fun and an overall great learning environment. We have appreciated that she noticed Liberty's learning strategies and incorporated that into teaching Liberty individually. Mrs. Macfarlane is so great at teaching. She runs a tight ship with 6/7 year old's and quite frankly, deserves a medal for having 26! this year. We'd love to see her rewarded for her efforts by having a slightly smaller class next year. She is a wonder and hope to see her still at Ellis when Abbie makes it to 1^st grade! 

Sue, you are a delight! Carry on in all the good work you do as an advocate for our children, as well as countless others. Thanks for accepting this note, as all our thanks and thoughts would not have fit on tiny lines. Not to mention you having to read our horrid handwriting!

Sincerely,

Mick and Jennifer Perkins