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Thank you Park City teachers for a great year
My oldest kid “graduated” Kindergarten today. Like many things in Park City, it was a little over the top. There was a scheduled performance with songs and many of the formalities you probably witnessed when you graduated high school.
That said, my Kindergartener was broken up. He didn’t want to leave Mrs. Martin’s class at Jeremy Ranch. He was crying during the songs. He was crying during an awesome video Mrs. Martin had made for the kids.
He loved Kindergarten… every minute of it.
That was due to his teacher, her aide, the Principal (who he seems to love but he swears he has never had to go to the office) and the volunteers in the classroom.
I’ve followed the school district closely since about 2015. I watched the Master Planning committee intimately as they decided whether we needed to bond for new schools. That effort all seemed artificial. It all seemed produced. It wasn’t real. It left a sour taste.
Today I saw real. As my kid cried, his teacher didn’t indulge him or give him some platitude. She said, “I’m sad too. You know, I had a dream last night about how much I was going to miss all of you kids and that made me sad… But next year you’ll be just down the hall and I expect you all to come visit.” It was real. It was just what he needed to hear.
It’s what I wish we heard during every discussion we have about schools. However, that’s a post for another day.
So, thank you Mrs. Martin and the rest of the teachers who took care of our kids for the last year. We appreciate you. We appreciate how much you care for someone who is not your own. You make a huge difference.
I hope you all get some time off this summer.
Parkrag
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7 Comments
This was so tender and sweet. Loved it. I remember our four year old going to her sister’s kindergarten graduation and saying to the kindergarten teacher’s face “I hope you’re not dead when I’m in kindergarten.” (which was the following year).
Ahhh…I held it together all day until I read this article! Love that sweet boy!!
And I really did have weird dreams and could barely sleep last night because I was sad about the goodbyes. These are some very special little people!
We are so happy to hear your son had a great year in Kindergarten. A special thank you to Mindy Martin and all the teachers in PCSD who have taught and loved our students this school year.
-Park City School District
Mindy Martin is amazing! 🙂
Hurray for Mrs. Martin!!!
You nailed it, Josh! This is why I care so much about good teachers who make a difference for our kids and about keeping them happy in the work they do. I want our teachers to not just survive, but thrive and love what they do and where they are doing it. Allowing them to be authentic in their classrooms and explore teaching outside of the standardized testing box would unleash everyone’s inner love for education. Mindy is one great role model. Many other such role models have left PCSD even as recently as this month. We should create a climate that permeates our entire district where all good teachers can realize their true potential, so our kids in every grade can learn more than rote memorization and feel a sense of true accomplishment. Let’s celebrate teachers who make real impact. Let’s give them the reins! More Mindy, please 🙂
Yer back!!! Missed you, Josh
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