Dear Principal:
An open letter to the school principal after the 8th grade graduation ceremony failed to acknowledge progress made by exceptional students.
Dear Principal________,
My husband and I gathered virtually with all of our closest friends and family to view the digital graduation and awards ceremony last night. It was wonderful to see the growth, recognition and progress made by so many of the 8th grade graduates. Our hats are off to them, all of their hard work as well as the challenges while learning remotely.
However our focus was turned to our son, who as you know struggles with many co-morbid conditions; cerebral palsy, ADHD, an anxiety induced vocal tic disorder, and autism. With each announcement we noted that Evan sat completely silent, fingers crossed, waiting with great anticipation to see if his name would be called and if he too would be recognized in some small yet notable way.
I guess there currently isn’t an award to recognize the growth made by a student who began the start of his public school education as a non-verbal pre-school disabled student at just three years old. I don’t believe there is an award that takes note of the on-going struggles that a child with cerebral palsy faces as they are forced to wear unwieldy, cumbersome and apparent leg braces- making small challenges such as climbing even bus stairs or walking down a hallway a laborious task. Apparently, there currently isn’t an award that acknowledges the progress that a student makes to find a competing response and the development of new neuro-pathways so that they can find a more socially acceptable and less conspicuous way to tic. Sadly, there isn’t any way to recognize the on-going struggle to make just one friend, despite the many attempts and the endless hours spent in social skills therapy both inside and outside of school. Or finally, notice of a student who has had to forego every field day, field trip, class pool parties and any other physical activity beyond their means when more accessible alternatives offered. Despite this all, somehow our son has managed to show up everyday, accept the disappointment and on-going challenge with a smile on his face and on-going sense of optimism.
While we understand that not every student can be recognized, there are certainly students who exemplify excellence in regard to their tenacity, determination and effort to excel in school- if for no other reason we are still unaware as to why Evan’s academic excellence was not recognized as he has had earned straight “A’s” in every subject since 5th grade as an honors student.
The message that our son came away with from last night’s ceremony and reiterated to us at breakfast today was that he hadn’t made one friend during his time at _______ Middle School and obviously didn’t make any sort of impact on his teachers.
As parents of this twice exceptional young man, it truly begs the question, were any students with special needs acknowledged in any way? My husband and I watched the disappointment spill over son Evan’s face and as a result, we too were simply crushed.
We hope in time, the ________ Middle School will become more inclusive and begin to publicly take note of the small and subtle ways that children like Evan work hard each and every day, despite the many obstacles they may continuously face. Our hope is that no child is left leaving their middle school experience feeling so alone and unacknowledged as our son.
Regards,
A Saddened and Defeated Parent
