It Takes a Village...Including You

Dear parents

• We would like to remind you that magic words such as hello, please, you’re welcome, I’m sorry, and thank you, all begin to be learned at home
• It’s also at home that children learn to be honest, to be on time, diligent, show friends their sympathy, as well as show utmost respect for their elders and all teachers.
• Home is where they learn to be clean, not talk with their mouths full, and how/where to properly dispose of garbage.
• Home is also where they learn to be organized, to take good care of their belongings, and that it’s not ok to touch others.
• Here at school, on the other hand, we teach language, math, history, geography, physics, sciences, and physical education. We only reinforce the education that children receive at home from their parents.

These words were copied down from a school in Portugal that I found (and re-posted) through Facebook. As much as I hate to mix my Facebook life and my school life, I had to share this on Facebook because it is absolutely true. 

My parents (okay, my school parents) are some of the best people around. But some it is no less true that I spend a crazy amount of time reminding their kids to push their chairs in, to pick up their trash instead of walking away from it, and not to interrupt while someone else is talking.

Oh, and by the way, my actual parents are some of the best people around, too. If only you could understand how often I tell them stories about how I've had to talk to my students about not caring about their work, and my mom looks at me and says, "Does that sound familiar?!" Not only do I understand what she was dealing with at the time, but now I understand what my teachers were dealing with as well.

Our work is cut out for us! Let's tackle it together. I'll do my part for sure. If you can do yours, mine will be all that much easier!