To my son as you start your new adventure at school

By Patricia Kormendy

This morning, Ethan, you are going to start out on a great new adventure. It’s going to be sort of strange and new to you for a while, and for me too. Especially now that I’m not going to have you around the house with me during the school hours. Because today you will be joining your brother and sister at school.

On this day I know that my heart breaks as I drop you off at school. I know there will be tears – maybe not from both of us, maybe only from me!

I wonder if you will think about me? Because I know I will be thinking of you. I’ll be wondering what you’re doing and if everyone is treating you with kindess. As your mummy I have always been near to soothe your wounds and repair your feelings. I’ll be wondering if you drank any water or if you have eaten anything yet? Because you always need prompting.

I wonder if your teacher knows just how special you are to me? I wonder when you struggle, when you are scared, or confused and feeling overwhelmed, will she be able to help you the way I do and comfort you the way I do? I hope your teacher gets to see your gorgeous smile, because your smile can brighten up everyone’s day.I hope she gets to hear your contagious laugh when you laugh at the stories she reads to you and your classmates.

I hope that your teacher will be aware that when you enter their classroom, if they experience a day where you struggle with a transition, or you have a meltdown, that they will be able to tell you that everything is going to be ok. I hope your teacher will be aware that you will need to be supported when you experience a difficult moment, because you do so much better when you feel supported rather than feeling as though you are being ridiculed.

I hope your teacher realises that your personal best may look different than your peers’ personal best. I hope your teacher realises that you may need some additional supports to be successful, but that it’s still important for you to be held to a high standard. I hope she knows how hard you will try to learn new things like counting and reading.

I hope once your teacher gets to know you he or she will see you trying to avoid a task and they will pick up that it is most likely occurring because the activity they are asking you to complete is too difficult. But that this doesn’t mean you can’t complete the activity, it may simply mean that you didn’t quite understand the instructions given, or that you may need a visual, or you may just need some additional waiting time so you can process the task.

Ethan, I can’t wait until I get to pick you up at 2:45pm to hug and kiss you to find out how your first day of school was. I can’t wait to hear all your stories about your day. I can’t wait to continue your schooling journey with you with the many more adventures you will have.