Last spring we attended a very special event. The Standard Examiner (the newspaper for Weber-Davis counties) has a contest. They invite all their readership to nominate teachers- for the "Apple for Teacher- Teacher of the year" award. ( Which is VERY exciting to bet nominated for! Thank you Kade!) Nicole came to me one night claiming to need help on a paper. I must have respelled 20 words- not knowing what she was really up to. I think her words will tell the next part of the story.
" I want to nominate my teacher Ms. Brooks. Before I met her school was very hard. I could not read. The other kids had started reading Harry Potter and I was reading picture books. She helped my parents decide if I should go into Special Ed. She taught me how I learn, and she taught my parents how to help me learn. She helped me see that big books are just like picture books, only longer.
I feel so good about school. I can DO IT NOW! School is easier to understand, I even understand reading. I am getting all good grades. My parents are proud of me. I am catching up to the girls my age instead of getting behind. She has taught. She has taught me words like disposition, which means how one acts most of the time. Ms. Brooks knows how smart I am, and she is teaching me to see just how smart. She makes me feel good and happy about reading. She is really the best teacher at my school.
Thank you for listening,
Nicole Swaner"
Ms. Brooks was chosen out of hundreds to be honored and given a very nice token because of Nicole's letter. Nicole letter was printed in the paper and we were invited to a ceremony where they read her letter and honored Ms. Brooks. It was a wonderful night!
Why do I bring this up? Tomorrow is going to be Nicole's last day of school. In 6 short months Nicole has gone from the girl you read of above to an insecure, crying, confused, and hard on her self little girl. The confidence and progress Nicole has made is vanishing fast. Her new school has not encouraged her, or helped her. this has been a trial for us, and it we decided thatI would home school her. She deserves not to be slipped under the rug because she requires a few extra moments of her teachers time. We will not stand for it. I am sure there will be more on this topic but now, this is all I have to say on this topic.
I love you Nicole!
* The picture is of Nicole and Ms. Brooks in May of 2007
3 comments:
I love you to Nicole! What a neat letter, and what great writing! Wow!!! Aunt Kelli
I hope things will get better now!
Good Luck!!
Beautiful Girl!!
this made me cry, she is so sweet! I love it. that is so cool and I am so sorry that things didn't go better here. I have been so behind on blogging which I think you might have notices sorry I haven't read in a while so, I love all your posts, and hopefully I will stay caught up.
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