HSE parent to teachers & staff: you are important, valued & loved

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Dear Editor:

For 180 days, maybe a few less for illness, I have prepared my children to head to school with the hope they have a great day and learn important educational and life lessons. Whether we have a tough morning or it’s a breeze, I send them off to their teachers and school staff knowing they will feel safe, loved, and seen even in a classroom of 22 or more students.

This year has been filled with teachers who hyped my child up with fashion shows and morning affirmations, nurses who reassured with Band-Aids, ice packs, and hugs, educators and staff who stuck with, dug in, and challenged my children to push through adversity with material, or took the extra time they needed to be sure they understood the work.

Teachers who showed patience and grace when my child made mistakes, helping them grow with discipline and love.

Assistant principals who had a smiling face and willingness to help in the dreaded car drop-off line after our morning routine did not go as planned.

Bus drivers who kept my children safe, made sure they had their glasses as they boarded the bus, and even loved them when they were having a rough day, going above and beyond what is in their job description.

We also can’t forget the cafeteria staff who kept them fed and the custodial staff who made sure they had a clean, safe environment to learn.

The end of this school year is especially bittersweet for our family, though. For the past three years, my twins have attended preschool at Brooks School Elementary. I remember the initial meeting vividly because, as a mother of children with special needs, this transition was terrifying for me. The patience and love offered to me that day set the tone for what my family could expect in our time at BSE. We have been supported through growth, regression, and family tragedy. They have been unwavering in their love and commitment to my children and our family.

I will never have the words to adequately express my sincere appreciation and love for each of them. Your impact is profound on the Hunt family.

We all have our own experiences in life. No organization, or human for that matter, is ever going to be perfect. HSE school district is no different. As this school year ends, I want to make sure that the teachers, staff, bus drivers, and in school admin know how IMPORTANT they are, how VALUED they are, and how VERY LOVED they are. Our children achieved so much because of YOU.

The fight you put in every day to be the remarkable humans you are is not lost on this community. Not ever.

With my deepest gratitude,

Stephanie Hunt
HSE Schools parent