From Students:

“Thank you so much for being my teacher this year. I loved how you could relate to us tweens and how easy you were to talk to. You changed my outlook on English and inspired me to become a poet.”
–R., sixth grade

“You are the main reason that I feel part of our community. Everyone needs someone to connect with or talk with during hard times, so I just wanted to tell you that I wouldn’t be in the position that I am if it wasn’t for you.”
–H., sixth grade

“You have been my mentor this year and have prevented me from doing some REALLY stupid stuff.”
–L., sixth grade

“I think you know from all my complaining that English has been a major struggle for me…But you are the best teacher I’ve ever had, and English is by far my favorite class.”
–T., sixth grade

“You are a teacher that I will never forget and I will always look up to, even as I get older. You have been a great inspiration to me.”
–D., ninth grade

“I just wanted to thank you so much for all the help you have given me, not only for college essays but everything over the years. I respect you so much and look up to you…You really are the definition of what a teacher should be. You’re the best.”
-B., senior

From Parents:

“Thank you not only for attending the graduation lunch last week, but also for being the best mentor and advisor to so many students. I am forever grateful that [my child] knew he could trust you and turn to you, in good times and bad. Ben, you have a very special gift, and our community is so fortunate to be the beneficiary.”
—K., parent of a graduate

“You are such an important current in the school culture—you truly are the punctuation mark that emphasizes how the Middle School faculty relate to and care about the students, coupled with teaching excellence.”
–H., parent of a sixth grader

“Thank you for being the one person to have taken the time and made the effort to change the course of [my child’s] academic direction…You stuck with him through two difficult years when honestly everyone else had given up, and now his life is completely different.”
–J., parent of an eighth grader

“We dreamt of teachers like you. Thank you for the passion, the dedication, the care, and the fun you bring to learning.”
–B., parent of a sixth grader

“With your guidance, [our children] have become the tremendously confident, compassionate, and capable almost-adults who love their school.”
–P., parent of a tenth grader and a senior

“Who knew that extra work would be the perfect way to begin the summer? To hear [my child] say, ‘I can’t wait for Middle School!’ warms my heart. You clearly have a gift.”
–A., parent of a fifth grader

“There are some extraordinary educators you meet on a warm September morning in a freshly polished classroom and carry with you for the lifelong seasons thereafter. You are that rare gift…I am not a teacher, but an awakener: Robert Frost’s words perfectly capture the awakening we had as a family through your teaching…Thank you for your commitment and caring.”
–A., parent of a sixth grader