Kool and the Gang, 1980
Sweet friends, we made it!
My littlest, sweet boy completed kindergarten with flying colors! What had potential to be a scary and frustrating year became an amazing year full of wonderful surprises and milestones!
I watched him sit quietly and calmly while his friends were recognized as having completed kindergarten and when his name was called, I watched him "walk the red carpet" as his classmates shouted in unison, "Congratulations, Stephen! You did it!" When asked what his favorite part of kindergarten was, he shouted, "Miss May!"
Truly, I agree. Miss May, his teacher, Mrs. Brown, his paraprofessional and Mrs. Santos, another paraprofessional, were the highlight of his kinder experience. I confess to you, as I did to Miss May that I was nervous for Stephen to have a first year teacher, but she was exactly the right fit. His entire team, from the school nurse who helped with hygiene, to speech, to occupational therapy, to the special needs teachers and the administrators - they were all the right team at the right time.
I have said it before, and I will say it again, thank you for taking a chance on him and believing in him. It makes all the difference in the world when the entire team is behind the student.
For those of you who feel that maybe your team is not working together as well as you think they should, don't lose heart. Continue to fight the good fight for your child. Remember to come to the table armed with information about your child and a willingness to think outside of the box to resolve issues that arise. Be open to what the team is telling you and remember to be honest with yourself about your child’s capabilities. Ask questions - as many as it takes. Remember to listen more than you speak. But above all else, be passionate without being emotional!
What an exciting and amazing year littlest, sweet boy has had, and I predict great things for him!!!
Strength and Courage ... sby