Thursday is HER day. For all the pictures where she is left out. I'm giving her a little press. Just because it's tHERsDay.
Last week I got a note home from CB's room mother with a great idea for Teacher Appreciation Week. She sent home a scrapbook page for the kids to draw some kind of "thank you" on. She also said she'd love to get the 2 teachers a nice gift and requested a $4.00 donation for any parent who would like to participate.
I sent in the money and scrapbook page. Apparently I, and one other mom, were the only parents who participated. The deadline for collection came and went, so CB's room mom said she would not be able to do a classroom gift for the teachers as planned due to the minimal participation.
You know, the whole thing should make me angry but the funny thing is? It makes me so sad I can't even muster the strength for anger.
Some of you may recall the beautiful Halloween party this same room mom put together for parents and students, and that I was the only parent who attended. A row of beautiful potted mums sat on the floor for the parents, unclaimed.
Now, I'm sure there will be parents who send in little gifts for the teachers. There will probably be some who won't. The bottom line is that these teachers are incredible. I cannot describe the difficult population they work with and how committed they are to these kids. It woulda been nice to show them some "group luv." And it woulda been nice to show our first room mother EVER (that I have seen in CB's 5 years at her school) a little support too. But that's just me. I get heartbroken over things like this. Mostly because of what it represents, and I don't like what it represents.
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It's so hard to know,though, why other families are not willing to be involved. Lack of time? Lack of money? Embarrassment about their family situation? I love that you choose to be a part of this classroom and acknowledge the work of the staff and I can't imagine that it doesn't make an enormous difference in their lives, too.
Love to you all.
I remember your Halloween party post so, so well. It totally made me cry. M's classroom participation would be exactly the same as yours and it sucks. It just totally sucks. Of course, I don't have as many praises to sing about our teacher, but I know she has a difficult job nonetheless.
I remember being at one of these parties in Alex's kindergarten year. The room mother had elaborate games planned for the kids. So sweet. And while the Aspergers kids played the games being made to play was absolute torment on the lower functioning kids....they screamed, cried. I couldn't help thinking that something was wrong with this picture - that kids with LFA were being expected to fit into a party mold of what's considered fun for NT kids. For every other kid in the school a party is fun, time off from expectation and routine....but kids like mine still had to work, perform. I thought a party for those kids should be to eat whatever they want and play on the computer as long as they want, or to do whatever it is the individual childen enjoy most.
One year I brought a set of Christmas ink stamps and paper, my thinking was kids could do this alone. It was the most popular draw at the party.
I work at a public school. Some years are better than other's for "room mothers" and parent volunteers, but you're right. Lack of parental participation is very sad. It is also sad how many Kindergarten backpacks go unchecked, coming back the next morning with the same papers, homework and parental info inside.
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