Comments on: Reflecting Back on this School Year

By: Diane Collet

Thu, 18 May 2023 05:28:17 +0000

The end of this school year is very bittersweet for me. When it ends, with 20 school days left, it will be the end of my 5 years with this district as a special needs bus driver. The hubs & I have made a dream a reality of relocating to a major city we love where our already purchased condo waits for us. But, before that move happens, two days after school is over, my sister & her wife & a fellow driver who is now my BFF are going to France for two weeks…a trip of a lifetime! I am extremely saddened to leave ‘my kids’, but am overjoyed to have been able to witness the progress they’ve each made over the past year. I think about the 2nd grader who I have had on my bus since preschool & was mostly non-verbal at the beginning of the year & now identifies animals on his tablet & the noises they make, a long with counting & the alphabet. I think about the middle school boy with Downs Syndrome who was such a terror on the bus at the beginning of the year that one day I radioed my supervisor in tears & nearly quit mid-route, who now is one of our best riders, & always gives me a fist bump or a hug & a peck on the cheek. There’s the screaming bully who got glasses & I cannot keep enough books on the bus for her quiet reading. There’s too many to mention here, but you get the idea. Some might say I’ve made a difference, but the reality is that they’ve made a difference in my life. Some day I will write a book about this job .. the best job I ever had.

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By: Jill

Wed, 17 May 2023 21:49:59 +0000

I also have a daughter in third grade who struggled with reading (and math). I attribute it to being a July birthday (youngest in her class), attending a Spanish Immersion school and the pandemic. How do you learn to speak Spanish via zoom class when you’re in kindergarten? She finally turned a corner and now frequently sits down to read a book because she WANTS to.
PS she’s also a thumb sucker

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By: Elizabeth Lindsey

Wed, 17 May 2023 21:11:58 +0000

Ugh the 3rd grade girl drama has been so tough! We are just west over the boarder from you in Katonah & man I was not ready for it. I’ve lost mom friendships over the drama and seen my daughter struggle to find her place.

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By: Dani

Wed, 17 May 2023 21:00:11 +0000

It triggers me immensely when I hear that a child is being bullied at school. I had the experience myself from first through sixth grade and it still affects me to this day (I’m almost 50). After a few years of therapy, I can deal with it and with the behavior patterns that I have acquired as a result. But it was a long, painful road. I’m sure you’re all paying attention to Marlowe. But kids can be so mean and very manipulative even at a very young age. I hope that she finds great friends and that she will have good memories of her school days later.

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By: Elle

Wed, 17 May 2023 20:10:41 +0000

I LOVE hearing that Marlowe found her love of reading this year. My eldest was is in Kindergarten this year after not having any preschool. She is a strong reader, but struggles with confidence and as a result HATES reading. She will throw a full on fit if we ask her to read to us at home, but in class, she reads at a first grade level. You are giving me hope that she will still learn to love reading as much as I do. I’m having bittersweet emotions about her heading off to 1st grade – there is something so special about kinder. But I’m excited for her little sister to start preschool next year and am looking forward to all of the adventures both girls will have.

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By: Cortney

Wed, 17 May 2023 19:25:00 +0000

I don’t have little ones at home anymore, and in fact am a young grandma, but gosh darn I love reading about your kiddos. Their different personalities and how you love and nurture them as individuals. Well done Momma! They will no doubt grow up and continue being amazing humans!

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By: Anya

Wed, 17 May 2023 19:02:47 +0000

Our school year here in Canada doesn’t come until the bitter end of June! So I’m surprised to hear about the end of the year being so early for you. We moved provinces and the kids were at new schools last year, and while it’s all so scary, it’s also comforting to see them start something new head on and see how far they’ve come in less than a year.

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By: Yvonne Lipes

Wed, 17 May 2023 18:39:02 +0000

I’m on both ends of school. My little guy started kindergarten in a new school and at first it was a struggle. He has an IEP for Speech and is in a smaller class size. however right before Christmas, his teacher came up with a solution of his own para to help him focus on tasks and lo and behold it’s been amazing to see how far he’s come. He has found his voice and is conversing. We will be working on his reading this summer.
My oldest daughter started high school and while I chalked up the first few hiccups to nerves, she’s taken longer to come around and while she’s not doing as well as we had hoped, I’m positive for the future. She is our ace, but even they have their moments.

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