Thursday, December 22, 2011

Christmas Letter

I received this Christmas letter and wanted to share it with you. This truly shows how everyone coming together over the years from early childhood, elementary special education teachers and aides, elementary general education teachers, related services like speech language and OT, middle school special education teachers and aides, middle school general education teachers, and band teachers can have a positive impact on a student and their family.

Thank you for all you provide for our students with disabilities.  All of your love, interventions, patience, belief in a child's abilities, consistency, further education, and skills do make a difference.  Our students with disabilities have some of the best people in any school district working on their behalf. 


Dear Mr. Pat Sullivan, Mr. Joseph Greget, and the Board of Education for Medford Area Public Schools,


It's Christmas Time. The halls are literally full of Christmas Joy and Cheer. Most children, even the less fortunate find something to smile about at Christmas. For my family it's bittersweet.. My dad is dying slowly from PML and so we are guarded in our sense of celebration. But last week Miss Sam Henrichs and Mrs. Becky Risch did an awesome job getting our son and the other "boys" with special needs in the 6th grade class to participate in the Christmas Choir/Band concert. With the help of some very special people, I smiled and cried - When you have a child like Jack, you realize how very hard it was for him to stand up in front of 500 people and play an instrument. But Miss Sam helped Mrs. Risch accomplish what we would put as one of the wonders of "our world".... Seeing Jack being with his peers and being HAPPY while doing it. There are some very special teachers and aides as well as principals at our MAMS; rising above and beyond to be sure our children are safe, and learning in the best available environment. What may come as "no big deal" to most parents, is something we never throught Jack would do. We are so thankful for this Christmas Gift. 

We would sincerely like to thank all of the MAMS individuals who work with Jack daily. Autism is not an easy road by any means. All of us who love Jack know how much it takes and are committed to helping him as much as we can at home, but having a network at school is the key to success. 

Please remember to recognize those members of our school that are the people that go the extra mile and not just for the "easy kids" but the few that require attention. Ask the teachers from MAES what it's like to see Jack from then until now...they will tell you. His progress is phenomenal - We'll take any and all improvements next year, but right now it's about celebrating what he has just accomplished in the last year! 

Merry Christmas! SINCERELY, from the Mayrers

Cathy Mayrer and men

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