kumasa: at end of the universe
You and Kari went to the Museum of Fine Arts to see this exhibit. You were sooooo excited, and didn't stop talking about it for DAYS!
There are times in every parent's lives when they feel so very helpless. Helpless to protect our children from the inherent evil that's out there. A desire to shield you away from ever having to feel confused and disappointed in people. This is one of those times.
On June 12, 2016, a terrorist attack in the form of a mass shooting occurred at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. Forty-nine people were murdered and fifty-three others were wounded inside the nightclub by a gunman before he was killed after a three-hour siege. The attach is the deadliest mass shooting by a single gunman in U.S. history, the deadliest incident of violence against LGBT people in U.S. history, and the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since the 9/11 attacks.
We don't have to agree on everything. You are free to do, say, think whatever you want. This is the beauty of our country. This is what people have given their lives for. This is what people fight for every day. We want you to live in a world where you feel free to be, do, say, feel, think whatever you want without the fear of someone targeting you for your differences.
Unfortunately, you probably, won't. You will always find people who are so closed minded that they can't see beyond their narrow minds and who will try to spread hate because they can't see the beauty in diversity. Should you avoid diversity? Should you stick to the status quo? Of course not! Don't let them win. Meet new, different people. Leave a little piece of yourself wherever you go, and take a little piece with you. Spread love, kiddos.
Love is love.
I don't know what type of women you will grow up to be. I don't know if you'll end up having one kid, five kids, or no kids. I don't know if you'll get married to a man, a woman, or to no one at all. I don't know if your life choices will make you a target for such a horrific act of violence. How do I protect you? Can I protect you? I don't know. But I do know, that no matter what, you will belong. You will belong because you are worthy. You deserve to live in a world where you feel free to be whoever you want to be. You deserve to love whoever you want and live your life as you see fit without fear.
Embrace diversity. It's what makes us great.
Keep an open mind. There's so much more than what's in front of you.
Respect differences.
Speak up. Have a voice.
Practice empathy.
Spread love.
words from ms. leff (kindergarten and 2nd)
Dear Isabella,
You were three years old when I first met you as a PK-3 teacher of the Blue Fish classroom at KIPP Dream Prep. You were in the class right next to mine with the orange door, the Orange Tigers. I remember how happy you were and your dimples smiling up at everyone as you entered and exited school each day. You were like a ray of sunshine. I also remember that you broke your arm that year, right around the time of our Discover Our Dreams Play and it went perfect with your costume because you were a crab! Everyone thought you were completely adorable! Even then, I knew you were special.
We next crossed paths when I got promoted to Kindergarten and you became my student as a Florida Gator. That year, you came in already reading basic words (on a DRA 6- end of Kindergarten reading level), already surpassing the levels of your peers and I saw such potential! That year, you ended up reading at a DRA 30 (3rd grade level) by the time the year came to an end and I was so proud and amazed by your progress that I shared it with the entire school! During that year and with your help, I was able to launch the "Dream Fluency Folders" for the entire school so we all can see the kind of results that I had seen with the Gators. Did you know that you were part of the reason that the DFFs got started?
Then I had the incredible opportunity to get to know you as your 2nd grade teacher in the Clemson Tiger classroom. The amount of growth that you have made this year is, until now, unheard of by any teacher. In MAP, you came in reading at a 6th grade level and left reading at an 11th grade level (that's 5 grade levels!) and in Istation you went from a 261 (already off the chart as 243 is considered end of 3rd grade) to a 401! No student in the history of Dream has ever gotten to 300, let alone 400! We actually didn't know that you could get that high! Not to mention that you beat the entire school in AR points (ending the year with almost 300 points!). Academically, you have soared this year and some of your potential has been realized. However, socially you have soared as well. You made a ton of friends, tried things that you were too scared to try before (that tire swing!), and even joined choir when you have trouble speaking in front of crowds.
This year, I got to see the maturation of an incredible young lady who I feel honored to have influenced in some way. Remember what I told you about pursuing things in life for the experience and not the win, for failure can oftentimes be a better teacher than success. Continue to question everything, continue to grow and push yourself outside of your comfort zone, and I know you are going to have a phenomenal life!
I will always remember you, and think of you often. I truly hope that we can keep in touch and when you graduate (which I hope you do sooner than you even expect!) I want an invitation! Thank you Isabella for being my student and my inspiration to prove the possible for all students.
Love,
Ms. Christina Leff
You were three years old when I first met you as a PK-3 teacher of the Blue Fish classroom at KIPP Dream Prep. You were in the class right next to mine with the orange door, the Orange Tigers. I remember how happy you were and your dimples smiling up at everyone as you entered and exited school each day. You were like a ray of sunshine. I also remember that you broke your arm that year, right around the time of our Discover Our Dreams Play and it went perfect with your costume because you were a crab! Everyone thought you were completely adorable! Even then, I knew you were special.
We next crossed paths when I got promoted to Kindergarten and you became my student as a Florida Gator. That year, you came in already reading basic words (on a DRA 6- end of Kindergarten reading level), already surpassing the levels of your peers and I saw such potential! That year, you ended up reading at a DRA 30 (3rd grade level) by the time the year came to an end and I was so proud and amazed by your progress that I shared it with the entire school! During that year and with your help, I was able to launch the "Dream Fluency Folders" for the entire school so we all can see the kind of results that I had seen with the Gators. Did you know that you were part of the reason that the DFFs got started?
Then I had the incredible opportunity to get to know you as your 2nd grade teacher in the Clemson Tiger classroom. The amount of growth that you have made this year is, until now, unheard of by any teacher. In MAP, you came in reading at a 6th grade level and left reading at an 11th grade level (that's 5 grade levels!) and in Istation you went from a 261 (already off the chart as 243 is considered end of 3rd grade) to a 401! No student in the history of Dream has ever gotten to 300, let alone 400! We actually didn't know that you could get that high! Not to mention that you beat the entire school in AR points (ending the year with almost 300 points!). Academically, you have soared this year and some of your potential has been realized. However, socially you have soared as well. You made a ton of friends, tried things that you were too scared to try before (that tire swing!), and even joined choir when you have trouble speaking in front of crowds.
This year, I got to see the maturation of an incredible young lady who I feel honored to have influenced in some way. Remember what I told you about pursuing things in life for the experience and not the win, for failure can oftentimes be a better teacher than success. Continue to question everything, continue to grow and push yourself outside of your comfort zone, and I know you are going to have a phenomenal life!
I will always remember you, and think of you often. I truly hope that we can keep in touch and when you graduate (which I hope you do sooner than you even expect!) I want an invitation! Thank you Isabella for being my student and my inspiration to prove the possible for all students.
Love,
Ms. Christina Leff
Congratulations, little lady. Another year is over, and officially a 3rd Grader! You won an Excellence in Reading Award and the top award of the grade, the Principal's Trust Award. You've wanted this award every year, and it was so good to finally see you get it. Every year you're disappointed, and every year I tell you to keep working hard and eventually you'd get it. Well, this year (like every year) you worked extremely hard, and this was your year. This has been a real lesson in perseverance for you, keep trying your best and eventually you'll reach your goals, no matter how small. We are so, so, so very proud of you, kid.
I can't wait to see what 3rd grade has in store for you. We'll be here every step of the way for you. Love you.
This was the nomination that was read when you got your award:
This student come to school every day with a love for learning and growing her brain. She is extremely helpful to her peers that need extra support and often gets pulled to other classes to help teachers as well. She is continuously striving to improve and try her best in all that she does. She models excellent leadership and the KIPP values every day.
Second Grade Lock-in
End-of-Year Choir Party
End-of-Year Choir Party
no one said it'd be this hard...
...ok, they did, but I didn't believe them.
I constantly find myself wondering and worrying if I'm doing right by you two. It's a constant concern for us: Are we doing the right thing? Are we making the right choices? Is this all really in YOUR best interest? Parenthood is proving to be by far the hardest, most all-consuming, draining, greatest, and most rewarding experience of our lives.
We get such a sense of purpose when we see you two reach a milestone, achieve a goal, or just thrive as children your age should be doing. Those moments justify everything we've had to endure to get to this point.
We won't always seem like the best parents to you, I can guarantee that. I can guarantee that by the time you read this, we will have had hundreds of arguments and that more than once you'll think to yourself "Why did I get stuck with THEM?" Believe me, we've all been there. I also hope that long after you've read this, when you have a family of your own, you'll be able to understand where we came from.
Parenthood is hard. I mean, really, really hard. More often than not, I find myself second-guessing every choice I make regarding you two. I really do wonder how someone like me was able to produce such phenomenal human beings. You two are polar opposites, and sometimes it's a real challenge for us to know how to handle two very different children's needs. Do we always make the right choices? Probably not. Do we always handle situations the best way? Definitely not. Do we feel that the choices we make are what we feel is the best choice for you? Absolutely.
I think back to when I was young, and I'd get in arguments with grandma. I remember being upset at whatever she said/did to me and thinking "I'll never be that way when I have my kids. I'll be different." I remember thinking I'd be different. Fast forward to the present, and I'm a lot more like grandma than young me would like to admit.
I'll most always be mom first, friend second. You won't always like that, but believe me, you'll always need it. I'll be strict because discipline is a solid foundation. I'll be more closed minded than I'd like to be because the world is a scary place and I want to protect you from it. I'll be more demanding than you'd like because you have ALL of the potential and I won't let you fail. Failure is not an option. I'll be mean because tough love builds a backbone. You're gonna need to grow a real thick skin to make it out there, kiddos. I'll always be there, even when you don't want me to. I'll be nosy because I care.
I constantly find myself wondering and worrying if I'm doing right by you two. It's a constant concern for us: Are we doing the right thing? Are we making the right choices? Is this all really in YOUR best interest? Parenthood is proving to be by far the hardest, most all-consuming, draining, greatest, and most rewarding experience of our lives.
We get such a sense of purpose when we see you two reach a milestone, achieve a goal, or just thrive as children your age should be doing. Those moments justify everything we've had to endure to get to this point.
We won't always seem like the best parents to you, I can guarantee that. I can guarantee that by the time you read this, we will have had hundreds of arguments and that more than once you'll think to yourself "Why did I get stuck with THEM?" Believe me, we've all been there. I also hope that long after you've read this, when you have a family of your own, you'll be able to understand where we came from.
Parenthood is hard. I mean, really, really hard. More often than not, I find myself second-guessing every choice I make regarding you two. I really do wonder how someone like me was able to produce such phenomenal human beings. You two are polar opposites, and sometimes it's a real challenge for us to know how to handle two very different children's needs. Do we always make the right choices? Probably not. Do we always handle situations the best way? Definitely not. Do we feel that the choices we make are what we feel is the best choice for you? Absolutely.
I think back to when I was young, and I'd get in arguments with grandma. I remember being upset at whatever she said/did to me and thinking "I'll never be that way when I have my kids. I'll be different." I remember thinking I'd be different. Fast forward to the present, and I'm a lot more like grandma than young me would like to admit.
I'll most always be mom first, friend second. You won't always like that, but believe me, you'll always need it. I'll be strict because discipline is a solid foundation. I'll be more closed minded than I'd like to be because the world is a scary place and I want to protect you from it. I'll be more demanding than you'd like because you have ALL of the potential and I won't let you fail. Failure is not an option. I'll be mean because tough love builds a backbone. You're gonna need to grow a real thick skin to make it out there, kiddos. I'll always be there, even when you don't want me to. I'll be nosy because I care.
Above all, I'll love you every minute of every day, forever.