Ode to School Four

Two weeks ago I wrote a very difficult letter. After much deliberation, Brad and I decided to remove Kyra from her current daycare. School 4 has been an important part of our lives for the last 3 years. Kyra was only 6 months old when we moved her there. The daycare however, is changing. A lot. Come January 1, 2010, her teachers will change, her classroom will change, heck even her school building will change. Half the kids in her class have already left. It was a hard letter to write - one I couldn't even deliver myself.

Then today, Brad sent the director and her manager an email and it made me even more sad. We informed them that, despite the requirement to give 30 day notice for withdrawal (so ours was up December 4), tomorrow would be Kyra's last day at School Four. Ever.

You see, in the last 2 weeks, the school has received 2 bomb threats.... they've received a total of 3 bomb threats over the last 4 months. What kind of psycho nut job would threaten to bomb a daycare?? I can't imagine. In my head, I know it couldn't be possible - that a parent is upset about losing their subsidy or a teacher is upset about losing their job (over half of them did)... but after the 3rd threat, we just weren't willing to take that risk anymore.

This just makes me so sad. I wont even get to say goodbye to some of Kyra's friends or the teachers she once spoke about daily. I'm sure she'll probably never even remember Ms. Michelle, Ms. Crystal, Ms. Kristen, Ms. Katie, Ms. Kim, Ms. Candi, Ms. Tamara or Ms. Jenna... but these woman loved my daughter every day and took care of her as if she were their own... teaching her so many new things. I'll remember them... I'll always remember them.

Henry has been gone from School 4 for 2 years now and when we told him that we were moving Kyra, he said, "But when will I get to see Ms. Tamara again?"

I'll remember her the most. I'll remember how excited she was when she called to tell me that at age 4, Henry was reading books to her class. I'll remember how excited she was when Kyra moved in to her class... how thankful she was when we recognized her birthday... and I'll remember that awful time in May 2007 - when she set aside her personal pain and tremendous grief and put a smile on her face and came to work every day so that my son and his classmates wouldn't worry... so that they would have stability.

Yes, I'll remember them all.