Special messages connect a teacher to her students
As Cleburne ISD (CISD) teachers reached out to their students by phone, email, and text to see how they and their families are doing while school campuses remain closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19, teacher Amy Thomas chose to go one step further with her Coleman Elementary Kindergarten class.
Mrs. Thomas placed mylar balloons with a personalized message on the front porches of each of her students’ homes to let them know she is thinking about them and their needs.
“These times are uncertain, and I’m sure that if I’m anxious, then our Kindergarten kiddos must be, too,” Mrs. Thomas said. “I just wanted to bring some happy to their doors in doing this. I didn’t tell them I would be coming by and didn’t knock on the door when I came, in keeping with our safety and social distancing protocols. What joy it brought me when emails, texts, and videos came in from kids saying, ‘thank you!’”
The balloon messages also brought a lot of joy to Thomas’s students. The smile on the face of Janelly Maya’s son, Aiden, spoke volumes.
According to Aiden’s mom, “His smile alone told me how touched he was that Mrs. Thomas took the time to do this—just for him. It told him how much she cares and misses being with him. It made him feel so special.”
Messages coming back from her students indicate that the learning they have gained in Mrs. Thomas’s classroom is being maintained while they are apart. Remote instruction for CISD students began on March 30th.
“My kids are finding fun ways to practice their power and sight words with chalk, sand, and paint,” Mrs. Thomas said. “I’ve received pictures of older siblings helping my Kinder kids to read. They are making lemonade out of lemons—and being successful.”