“I will be your teacher this year. We haven’t met yet, but every day this summer I’ve thought about the amazing group of 5th graders that will cross the threshold of my classroom in just a few weeks:
- I’ve thought about challenging you.
- I’ve thought about embracing your differences.
- I’ve thought about your strengths.
- I’ve thought about your weaknesses.
And I have a secret that I can’t keep in for another few weeks. You are all geniuses.”
Ohio teacher Arin Kress was inspired by Choose2Matter to write two letters to students in her upcoming class, telling them how much they mattered and how excited she was to discover their genius.
We published the letters, and they received 40,000 hits within a month, with thousands of teachers writing similar letters to their students.
Assistant Principal Christie Collins and the staff at Euclid Elementary School produced this video of them reading similar letters and shared it with students and their families over the summer.
Never have students felt more welcomed on their return to school.
