Stephenson Family Ties

Im like a light-weight electron, lonely and out of 

place, orbiting a room full of heavy-weight protons.

from: Fizz

by: Zui Schrelber

So I've gone and done it. I've turned in my letter of resignation. It was a tough decision to make, for these last 8 months have widened my horizons, opened my heart to a whole new kind of love and have wizened me up a bit.  Who knew that being a PE teacher could do all that for you??!! I've made new friends, and I deeply care for and love more than 300 kids and my feelings about public schools have been altered for the better.

Dear Sue,

Im writing you to say thank you. To acknowledge how very kind and generous you have been  to me throughout this very tumultuous last year of mine. You will always find me eternally grateful for your support.  But now it appears that coming back to work at Ellis is not in the cards for me.  Admitting this makes me quite sad….  much sadder than I expected in fact.  For this truly has been a school year filled with much joy and satisfaction.

Nobody prepared me for falling in love with 300+ kids!! And who knew that a school is actually a living, breathing, empathizing, generous, selfless ‘being’, with YOU as their fearless leader and model!!?   My eyes have been opened!!

I had many a kid attending public schools years ago….and I suppose I just didn’t pay close attention to its inner workings way back then.  Today I’m in awe.  I never understood the impact that a GOOD principal has on a school AND on its community.  You and your dedicated teachers and staff have been a wondrous thing to behold.  It was indeed a privilege to have rubbed shoulders and to learn from you Sue.  But my crazy life and my many feelings of inadequacy, plus my unknown future have now led me to this difficult decision to resign.

This has been a very gratifying year in my life. I will look back at this chapter with the warmest of memories and as a changed woman.  I am grateful that you gave me a shot and the opportunity. So very grateful!  I feel real sorrow when I realize that I wont enjoy the rich blessings of seeing and interacting with your beautiful children next year,  whom I have come to deeply love. (and…if by some good fortune of mine, I find that I haven’t burned my bridges to thoroughly, maybe I could come back next year just as a volunteer?)

Again,thank you so much Sue.  I pray that you find a more qualified P.E. replacement for this grateful, “limited in skill”, grandma that I am.

With much love and respect,

I cant imagine my replacement loving these kids more than I,,,but I am SURE that they will be better coached. Whoever follows in  my footsteps will undoubtedly be more skilled in teaching  the finer points of basketball, soccer and tether-ball etc, etc, etc.  I had no confidence in my ability to do this....but boy did we have fun playing all sorts of games.  Sure, I raised 4 boys...but I havent a clue how to teach the proper dribbling of a basketball or even how to call off-sides in soccer.  How was I thinking that I could possibly control a soccer game with 5th grade Latino boys and white boys all with various skill levels and with aggression and competitive issues.  It aint happening!  We just didnt go there at all.  I attempted some basketball drills and soccer drills but that was the extent of it. I was a glorified camp director of sorts instead of being the 'coach' they all need.  

Beside all this...Im longing to turn in the whistle and put my Mimi hat back on.  It may be  a selfish thing to want to spend more time with our grands...at this juncture in life, but thats what Im choosing to do for the next little while. This is my greatest desire. 

There are about 10 days of school left...and we all remember what these days are like.  There will be Field Day, Faculty Follies, a choir concert, the community Fun Run, more testing, random field trips and a faculty party...

and then this chapter of my life will end. I truly gave it my best.  I will miss the kids and the people I have worked with.  But now I say..."bring on the grands!"

1st grade toothless smiles are the best!

PS- (other random thoughts on this day) Dont you hate it when you spend a significant amount of money on a 'good ' mattress...and then wait the allotted 160 days of 'free trail" and then decide that its not so great a mattress!!!??  Ugh!!

PSS- dont you just love those 6 perfectly ripe, unbruised avocados that come in those mesh bags at Sams Club!!??? YUM!!!