A Holiday Reflection

The tragic event in Newtown occurred the day after our monthly Adopt A Classroom presentation day.

I spent Thursday, Dec. 13 with happy, cheering kindergartners and first graders. In fact, look at the picture taken by Kathie Woulfe at one presentation — happy smiling kids — our kids. My last presentation was made outside in the Kindergarten play yard at Haight to cheering Kindergartners. I got many hugs from the beautiful students. One little boy even said, “Thank you, sir, for the money.”

The next day the tragedy occurred. I thought of our kids and the families of the murdered first graders, the teachers and principal of Sandy Hook. The horrific event troubles me greatly.

I want to continue making our kids and teachers smile and laugh. I want more young students, like one last week who came up to me while I was grocery shopping, to say “thanks for bringing the money to our class” and tell me "we are going on a field trip."  

I want to keep in my thoughts the young high school teacher who was crying so hard when she received her adoption, she couldn't say thank you.

I want the sad and troubling thoughts of last Friday’s tragic event to wane. I do not ever want what happened to the kids at Sandy Hook to happen again.

Your support of the Alameda Education Foundation has enabled us to make many kids and teachers smile and enables us to continue to make a positive impact in the lives of our precious students, but we will save those stories for another day.  

For now, let me just wish each of you a safe and peaceful holiday season.