As promised, I have several teachers I'd like to highlight. That said, if I had to pick any teacher that made the longest lasting impression on our family, it is Ms. Eileen. I know she is no longer Dani's primary teacher, but Ms. Eileen made such a significant impact on Dani's learning that we are forever grateful that Dani had the opportunity to be in her classroom. Ms. Eileen's reach was beyond academics- it was holistic. We never once doubted that she cared about the academic and social successes of Daniella. Ms. Eileen took a real interest in making sure that Daniella felt respected, cared for, and pushed to her potential. Both Dan and I felt comfortable approaching her with any concerns and trusted that she would do the same if she felt something wasn't quite "right" with Dani on any given day. I loved picking Dani up and watching Ms. Eileen getting right into the mix with the kids. She was on the playground having fun, dancing with the kids, doing art projects, and always with a smile on her face. I cannot think of a single time when I've heard Ms. Eileen raise her voice. That's not to say she doesn't set limits or hold kids accountable, but she does so in a developmentally appropriate and supportive way. Seriously, I could go on and on and on but I'm sure you get the idea: we have the utmost respect for that woman. We are so pleased that she played such a foundational role in Daniella's early learning years. She's got a love for learning and a lot of that has to do with the support she received from Ms. Eileen for so long. I'd also like to send a shout out to Ms. Kristin, who has bravely helped guide both of our kids during their early school experiences. Most recently, she had the task of welcoming Max into a classroom setting, something he had never experienced before. I have a photo that I took from one of his first days at KinderCare (you know, back when he would scream and cry his head off!). The photo is of Max sitting on Ms. Kristin's lap as he looked around, taking everything in. It is really, really significant to me just how quickly he trusted her. He felt safe with her and because of that, he is now the little boy we see today- the little man who walks over to the breakfast table and shouts, "bye dadda!!" It is the safe, supportive, loving environment that Ms. Kristin provides that allowed Max to be this kid who loves school. I am certain this will continue to foster a love for learning, which will follow him into his educational career. I'm always in awe when we are in the car and Max starts singing a song I've never heard before, or when he comes up with all of these words that he's clearly picking up from the work that Ms. Kristin and the rest of the Toddler room team has done with him. To be honest, it broke my heart nightly when I first started picking Max up and he seemed so sad, but to know he was with Ms. Kristin really alleviated any concerns very quickly. We have so, so much to thank her for! Ok...this is a novel, I know. I just have to add that we are incredibly, incredibly, so incredibly thankful that Daniella was able to squeeze into Ms. Angela's Prekindergarten class!! Ms. Angela is such a gem! Dani is learning much, much more than we ever expected and we have Ms. Angela to thank for that. From Spanish to site words and everything in between, we are amazed by what Ms. Angela teaches her in such a short period of time. Ms. Angela is patient, understanding, and incredibly supportive of Daniella as a whole person. We appreciate the time she takes with us at the end of the day to tell us how she did. It is clear she is engaging and creative in her curriculum. Dani is thriving and we know she will be super prepared for Kindergarten thanks to the preparation this year. I can go on and on and on (yes, I know you are surprised), but there is a line waiting outside of my office. I do, however, want to make sure we give recognition to Ms. Helen, Ms. Maureen, Ms. Renay, and a super, HUGE shout out to Ms. Carol, who I don't think is recognized enough for the nourishment she provides and the care she puts into that, especially when we were trying to figure out Max's allergy situation. We have been THRILLED with our extended family at KinderCare and just want to say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! And, of course, all of this comes from awesome leadership. Thank you to both of you- Lori and Krista. With admiration, Angela and Dan M.

We know that you asked for us to nominate an individual for special recognition, but we just can’t. Although there are certainly particular teachers who have formed special bonds with our kids, every single staff member at KinderCare deserves to be recognized for the amazing job that they do. From the second that we walk in the door (painfully early!) in the morning, everyone is cheerful, prepared, and happy to see us. All of you change the diapers, break up the fights, kiss the boo-boos and dry the tears. Despite what must often be a grueling, exhausting, stressful job, you somehow all still manage to LOVE all of the kids. You understand their quirks and appreciate what makes them unique. You celebrate their successes and work through their challenges. You become such an important part of their lives that they ask us to invite you to their birthday parties and sleepovers! You certainly don’t hear it enough, but we want you to know that we so SO appreciate everything that everyone at the East Weymouth KinderCare does for our children day in and day out. We pay you to watch after them, but you love them for free. Thank you all.

It is so hard for me to choose one teacher who has impacted both myself and my children. Honestly, your entire staff is incredible. I am always so delighted at how caring and wonderful each and every staff member is to Grace and Gavin on a daily basis. It makes it so much easier to leave Grace and Gavin each morning, knowing the wonderful care I know they’ll receive. I don’t know if I will be great at this because this email is likely to turn into a book. I will try to just name a few teachers who really stand out (who am I kidding, they all stand out!) In no particular order: I have to mention our first loves, Ms. Diana and Ms. Kathleen. They still provide a sense of security for all of us. When Grace and Gavin see Ms. Diana in the Toddler room, they are so incredibly excited to see her. She is always ready to greet them with a big hug and a kiss. On days where one or both are sad to see me leave, I know that Ms. Diana can make them feel better. Ms. Diana always asks how I am doing and checks in on me and my family, and I really appreciate that. Grace and Gavin love seeing Ms. Kathleen in the afternoons when they are near the Infant room. I know they feel safe and loved by her. It always warms my heart to see her holding them when I come to pick the kids up. She has told me (and I don’t doubt it for a second!) that when she goes to leave for the night, Gavin tries to get his coat to go home with her. They truly love her! Ms. Kristin is fantastic. Grace and Gavin adore Ms. Kristin (I do too!) and talk about her a lot at home. They love leaving the house to “go see Ms. Kristin.” I can tell they learn so much from her. They miss her on days when she is not there. Ms. Kristin does such a great job at filling me in on things in the morning when I drop the kids off. She will tell me details about the previous day and I love hearing about what is going on with Grace and Gavin. I also love how detailed her daily sheets are and the fact that she gives me different details on Grace and Gavin’s sheets. Ms. Renay is wonderful. She always has a warm greeting for me. Every time I see her, she makes sure to relay a story about Grace and/or Gavin to me. This is so important to me. I miss seeing them all day and just hearing a cute little tidbit from their day makes me feel like I am missing just a little bit less of their day. Plus, who doesn’t love hearing something cute about their children? Ms. Rachel is great as well. Grace really has a strong connection with Ms. Rachel and makes a bee-line for Ms. Rachel whenever she sees her. I love seeing that Grace has someone she really loves to spend time with (and I’m thankful Seamus shares his mom!) I will stop there, although I could keep going about each and every teacher. They are all amazing!