Covid has been hard for everyone. Our teachers, a.k.a rock stars, have been teaching through most of it and our parents wanted to show their thanks. Here are some of their heartfelt notes.
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As always at this time of year, our hearts are full of gratitude for the many ways in which you nurture our son’s growth, guide him through challenges, and support our family. Although this semester has been different in many ways, it has been the same in the most important ones: we see our son playing, learning, enjoying school, and loving his teachers! All of this makes us so happy and so appreciative of all the work you put in to make it happen.
We have to mention the pandemic, but only to say thank you to the whole Alphabet community – teachers, directors, Amy Small, and the advisory board – for your successful efforts to turn an extraordinary set of challenges into a very manageable daily routine. We appreciate all of the effort you have made to re-work classroom spaces and activities so that it feels to the kids like it might always have been this way. We love that you have used Brightwheel to keep us feeling connected to our son’s experiences in class, and we thank you for all the times when you have dealt with the little tasks that come up (lost socks and mitts, wet shoes, etc) which we would have handled when we could come into the classroom.
We feel blessed that our has had such a consistent connection to you and to Alphabet despite the difficulties in the past year. We were so glad you were there for him (and for us!) with Zoom calls and weekly activity plans while campus was shut down. They eased our homeschooling burden and maintained the relationships with you and his peers that made the transition to Kindergarten so much easier than it otherwise would have been.
Finally, we thank you for the efforts you put in to support Ms. Cara and her family. Our son loves Ms. Cara and Theodore, and we think it was very special for him to be part of the Alphabet community coming together to support them. He has learned a lot about being a friend in tough times from your example and from putting in some of his own effort on their behalf.
Thank you all so very much, and happy thanksgiving to you and your families.
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My husband and I were just talking this evening about how grateful (THANKFUL!!) we are to be able to send our son to a school where I know he will be safe, nurtured, and supported every day. He is excited to go to school every day to see his friends and his teachers, and is learning so much. I love the kid that he has become throughout the last 2.5 years at Alphabet. To the teachers: thank you for everything you do, each and every day, especially in this crazy COVID world. Thank you for teaching our son and helping him to grow over the past few years. To the Mireille and Amy: thank you for your very hard work in making Alphabet a safe and healthy environment that we feel safe sending our son to every day. Mireille, thank you for your friendly greeting every morning at drop-off. We love Alphabet and we are thankful for it every day.
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To Ms. Tiffany, Ms. Antoinette and Ms. Jodi,
Thank you for all you do to keep our sons safe, engaged, and curious in their preschool classroom!
We are so happy to know they are in your capable hands during this challenging time.
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We just wanted to send our big appreciation to everything you do in this challenging year. We feel that the kids’ experience an amazing joyful learning and meaningful social interaction, while making sure they are safe and healthy. We experienced several learning programs for our girls in the last year, and for sure Alphabet’s manages the COVID crisis in the best way we could ever imagine. We feel that the girls are so happy and barely aware of the “big COVID storm” that exists in our world, and yet, we feel they are safe. It’s amazing how the school days went so smoothly (from our perspective), we know you work very hard to make this happen.
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Dear Ms. Micki and Ms. Takisha,
Words cannot begin to capture how deeply grateful we are to have you in our lives. In a year that has been filled with incredible challenges due to the pandemic. Our son has thrived, in no small part because of his time in your care at Alphabet. You have shown up every day with a smile, strength, cheer, and positive energy, creating a safe, happy, and engaging space in which James can experience childhood unaffected by the circumstances of the pandemic. It has been absolutely amazing to see him grow, develop friendships, and learn from his teachers and friends.
One moment that will forever live in our minds is the day that the tornado went through Hamden this summer. We were so worried and felt distressed being away from our son as the storm rolled through. Yet when we picked him up, he greeted us at the door in Ms. Takisha’s arms with the biggest smile, totally unphased by everything around him and just happy as can be. To us, that moment says it all. The love and care you have shown our child has given him a sense of security, comfort, and confidence no matter what is happening around him — and it has done the same for us.
We are so thankful for all that Alphabet has made possible for our son in his first year of life amid such unusual circumstances. Every photo and video, every piece of artwork, every story you have shared, and the smile on his face at the end of each school day brings us such joy. Having you as his teachers is the most wonderful gift. Thank you for all that you do for our child and for us. We are endlessly grateful for you!
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Dear Ms. Courtney & Ms. Ashley,
We are overwhelmed with gratitude for your unwavering support, thoughtfulness, and preparation provided to our child and the special Two’s group. We are thankful for your consistent and reliant communication and your loving demeanor. THANK YOU for providing a safe environment for my child to be inquisitive, gain independence, effortlessly build his self-concept and self-initiation, and develop socially and emotionally.
In our son’s words: We thank you with a loud “ROAR!!!!”
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Dear Ms. Rachel and Ms. Shaquira,
We cannot quite put words to how important your work is! It takes so much creativity, resolve, and patience to lead a bunch of independent kindergarteners. Each day, we’re in awe of you, and we have ALL learned so much from you.
THANK YOU for inspiring us and for being leaders.
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Ms. Cora and Ms. Ida – Thank you for always being a friendly face VOICE! in the times of masked drop offs. Showing our kiddos kindness when they can’t see a reassuring smile is beyond comforting first thing in the morning. Thank you for all that you do.
Ms. Carly and Ms. Cristina – Thank you for taking the time to write such beautiful daily briefings and remembering to snap photos of our children being themselves! It is so comforting to see that in a year of so many precautions, our littles are still getting a chance to be themselves, get dirty, and be kids!
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To all the Nest Teachers:
Thank you for the enriching and loving environment that you are creating daily for our children. It is a privilege to be attending school in person and we recognize that it comes at no small cost to you. You are working extra hard to make each day valuable and taking risks to be present with our children. Your continued flexibility and positivity are astounding. Thank you for all the especially hard days; the overtired baby, the sideways driving sleet, the gear lugged inside-then-outside-then inside again. We see how hard you are working and the personal investment you are making in our children.
Thank you
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We would like to say our million thanks to our wonderful preK team! Our amazing teachers are working tirelessly to make sure our kids have healthy and rich environment to learn and grow. For my family, we leave our son at NEST with so easy a heart because we know how much love and care he is getting while at the Nest! We are super lucky to have you. We pray that we all stay safe and virus free so we can continue to be together. So many positive words can describe you ALL! And we THANK YOU for EVERYTHING !
When I asked our son what he is thankful for about his teachers, he said “when they hug and do squeezer when I have a boo-boo”
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We are thankful to Ms. Lori and Ms. Jess for being the outdoors- enthusiasts they are!! When our son was asked what his teachers’ favorite activities were, for both of them, he said: ‘Going outside!!!!!!!!!’ We are thankful for that!
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Ms. Lori and Ms. Jess —
We are incredibly grateful for the kindness you show and love you give our son every single day. We know he feels safe, supported, and loved. We appreciate how y’all encourage his creativity, imaginative play, and love of building and digging with anything and everything. Especially during these incredibly stressful times, we feel so fortunate to have y’all as his teachers! THANK YOU for all of your hard work, grace, patience, and love!
Ms. Beth and Ms. Karen —
We are incredibly grateful for the warmth and love you give our daughter every single day. We know she feels unbelievably loved and excited to be at school every day. We appreciate how y’all create a safe and supportive environment for her to be the adventurous, free spirit she is. Especially during these incredibly stressful times, we feel so lucky to have y’all as her teachers! THANK YOU for all of your hard work, grace, patience, and love!
Ms. Andrea, Ms. Stephanie, Ms. Lexie–
We feel so fortunate to have you at Alphabet. We know your hard work makes seamless school days and our daughter’s fabulous ponytails possible 🙂 We are so lucky to have even more people to love on our little ones, even during these challenging times. THANK YOU for all of your hard work and love!
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We don’t have sufficient words to thank the Nest Shoreline Campus for all you do for our family. My children, husband and I could not be more in love with the Nest. Our children talk about their beloved teachers and classmates all the time. The ethos and spirit of the school is imbued into them and has really kept their spirits up amidst such a difficult time. Thank you for being so thoughtful and diligent in how you have managed this prolonged crisis and made in-person school possible for our children and all at the Nest. We don’t know what we will do when our kids age out of the Nest as we cannot imagine a learning environment more superb than what you offer. We are so, so, so grateful.
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