This summer we say goodbye to a wonderful teacher at CMESS. I hope she enjoys her retirement after her hard work of 22 years.
I have been
lucky enough to have Mrs. Sanderson teach all three of my children over
the past several years. Mrs. S. has always embodied that perfect mix of
kindness and firmness that is so important in a primary teacher. Those
first few years are crucial as our kids learn to love learning, and
that is where Mrs. S. excelled. Her students came into her classroom at
age 4 or 5 and quickly learned that school is safe, fun, exciting, and
that the world is a rich and diverse place we can love and protect.
I
think she did well with all subjects, but it is clear to me
that science is close to her heart. From the worms in the worm farm,
the hatching ducklings, the spiders, tadpoles, bugs, snakes that briefly
visit, and the bearded dragon, the kids learned from Mrs. S. that these
creatures are our friends and caring for other creatures is part of
being in her room. She models good stewardship of the earth, and the
kids will take those lessons with them throughout their whole lives.
The
other big inspiration for my own kids is Mrs. S's love of music. When
we came to this school my daughter was too anxious to walk across a
parking lot alone, but after a few months in Mrs. S.'s classroom, she
was belting out a solo at the talent show Mrs. S. had organized. We
were shocked and grateful for the drastic increase of confidence my
daughter enjoyed with Mrs. S.'s encouragement.
Another
strength is her ability to inspire kids to be kind to each other. She
instills empathy and compassion in our youngest students, and i think
that makes a huge impact on our school, as these kids face all the
confusion and insecurities that come with growing up. Our school
culture of inclusion, kindness and generosity is due to the hard work of
all school staff and volunteers, and Mrs. S. has always played a huge part in that.
I
would love to say a thank you to the woman who gave "outside play" as
homework, and reminds us all that life is better with a song in your
heart.
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