A special Thanksgiving note to those who truly make a difference
As we head into this Thanksgiving week and as I ponder over the tragedy happening at Penn State University, a deep feeling of gratitude has swept over me towards the team of people that watch over my children on a daily basis. So much so, that I feel compelled to communicate this note to all faculty members of Pathways Elementary, Stanford Middle School, and Orange High School. All five of my children (yes 5, that’s not a typo) have gone through Pathways and two of them are still there. I have two that have gone through the middle school (one is there now) and two that are currently at Orange High. Due to some extenuating family circumstances (which for the most part have been self inflicted by me), I have lost touch with the school systems that watch over my children on a daily basis. My message today is a heartfelt message of appreciation, gratitude and admiration for the job you do each day educating and protecting my children. Teachers and faculty members who work tirelessly, each day, to ensure that my children are properly educated, safe and prepared to take the next step in their journey through life. This note today is dedicated to all of you great folks at these three fine educational facilities in Hillsborough, NC.
Yesterday, I read the grand jury report in the Jerry Sandusky case in its entirety. To be honest, as a parent, I’m not sure that I would recommend that you read through this, but for me I just had to know the details that surrounded this unbelievable tragedy. I literally got sick to my stomach as I read about the nine victims in the report, each accompanied by graphic details of the manipulative nature of this evil man. These poor boys, who were already in a compromising life position in their own right, had to endure such confusing and persuasive attention from an adult whom they trusted. What they must be going through now is painful to imagine, and recounting the events to the grand jury must have been torturous. As with most parents, when I hear about things like this, my thoughts turn inward to my own children. The emotions that align with these feelings are powerful for me as they would be for any parent, and I can’t imagine what these families must be going through. Despite all of my own personal family difficulties I face: distance from my children, losing touch with their daily activities, financial issues surrounding divorce and job loss, and other every day issues...none of this comes close to the maniacal components that accompany the abuse of children. I can’t remember hearing a more disturbing story about abusing children; most likely due to the fact that it surrounds such a high profile college like Penn State. The facts are still being disseminated, but my sense is that the tentacles of this incident reach very far and wide, and the perception of a Penn State “cover up” is unconscionable to me. We will be hearing about this for quite some time, and it will take a very long time for this school to recover. If I had a child there now, I may seriously think about removing them from the university, something that I believe many parents will be doing. I keep hearing compassion calls for Joe Paterno, and all I can think about are the children and their families. To be honest, the firing of Joe Paterno was a mandatory act, and I have a feeling that he will pay a much deeper price for not doing more at the time. I’m not making judgments here (or maybe I am...it’s hard not to when children are involved), and I am sure that Joe Paterno has done way more good than harm to young men. However, in my view, his legacy will be forever tarnished, that’s just the way I see it.
You may ask: “How is this relatable to our local educational facilities?” Well, for me; the incident in question was centered on an adult who was entrusted to take care of troubled children. Even though most of our children do not fall into that category, we do entrust these faculty members and administrators of our schools to watch over them each day. We entrust them to keep our children safe, out of harm’s way, and in a comfortable learning environment. This act takes tremendous effort, dedication, caring, and a deep sense of responsibility. Something that I, for one, have taken for granted for many years. Many people feel that just because they pay taxes, that the school systems are responsible to educate our kids. Part of that is true. However, the extra care and concern that these teachers take at these three schools is admirable. Even from afar, I have witnessed the caring and love that has been shown to my children over the years. As a matter of fact, just last week I was talking with my six year old daughter’s teacher. The excitement and joy she shared with me about how well my little girl was doing was very comforting and soothing to a father. Especially one who doesn’t get to spend as much time with his kids as he used to. I was overwhelmed by her enthusiasm as she showed me my daughter’s projects in the halls, and although the meeting was very brief, I left with a sense of pride (for my daughter) and great appreciation for her teacher. In another recent situation, I e-mailed my son’s third grade teacher about his report card a few days back. You see, I was concerned that since many of his grades went from 4’s to 3’s (Excellent to Good) that he was potentially struggling in his new grade. A day later his teacher responded in a manner conducive with what I have grown to expect from Pathway’s Elementary. She explained to me, in detail, that the switch from 2nd to 3rd grade was a huge leap for most children, that he was doing quite well, and that she fully expected to see his grades return to 4’s throughout the year.
In the end, the teachers, faculty members, administrators and all other school personnel deserve a great deal of respect and credit for what they do each and every day. I am hopeful that my letter reaches all of them as a message of thankfulness and hope. A message from a concerned, but very grateful father of five to the staff of each school that I hope resonates with those who read it and perhaps can elicit many more “thank you’s” from other parents who may share my thoughts about some of the real hero’s in our children’s’ lives.
With sincere gratitude, Tony Caico
Yesterday, I read the grand jury report in the Jerry Sandusky case in its entirety. To be honest, as a parent, I’m not sure that I would recommend that you read through this, but for me I just had to know the details that surrounded this unbelievable tragedy. I literally got sick to my stomach as I read about the nine victims in the report, each accompanied by graphic details of the manipulative nature of this evil man. These poor boys, who were already in a compromising life position in their own right, had to endure such confusing and persuasive attention from an adult whom they trusted. What they must be going through now is painful to imagine, and recounting the events to the grand jury must have been torturous. As with most parents, when I hear about things like this, my thoughts turn inward to my own children. The emotions that align with these feelings are powerful for me as they would be for any parent, and I can’t imagine what these families must be going through. Despite all of my own personal family difficulties I face: distance from my children, losing touch with their daily activities, financial issues surrounding divorce and job loss, and other every day issues...none of this comes close to the maniacal components that accompany the abuse of children. I can’t remember hearing a more disturbing story about abusing children; most likely due to the fact that it surrounds such a high profile college like Penn State. The facts are still being disseminated, but my sense is that the tentacles of this incident reach very far and wide, and the perception of a Penn State “cover up” is unconscionable to me. We will be hearing about this for quite some time, and it will take a very long time for this school to recover. If I had a child there now, I may seriously think about removing them from the university, something that I believe many parents will be doing. I keep hearing compassion calls for Joe Paterno, and all I can think about are the children and their families. To be honest, the firing of Joe Paterno was a mandatory act, and I have a feeling that he will pay a much deeper price for not doing more at the time. I’m not making judgments here (or maybe I am...it’s hard not to when children are involved), and I am sure that Joe Paterno has done way more good than harm to young men. However, in my view, his legacy will be forever tarnished, that’s just the way I see it.
You may ask: “How is this relatable to our local educational facilities?” Well, for me; the incident in question was centered on an adult who was entrusted to take care of troubled children. Even though most of our children do not fall into that category, we do entrust these faculty members and administrators of our schools to watch over them each day. We entrust them to keep our children safe, out of harm’s way, and in a comfortable learning environment. This act takes tremendous effort, dedication, caring, and a deep sense of responsibility. Something that I, for one, have taken for granted for many years. Many people feel that just because they pay taxes, that the school systems are responsible to educate our kids. Part of that is true. However, the extra care and concern that these teachers take at these three schools is admirable. Even from afar, I have witnessed the caring and love that has been shown to my children over the years. As a matter of fact, just last week I was talking with my six year old daughter’s teacher. The excitement and joy she shared with me about how well my little girl was doing was very comforting and soothing to a father. Especially one who doesn’t get to spend as much time with his kids as he used to. I was overwhelmed by her enthusiasm as she showed me my daughter’s projects in the halls, and although the meeting was very brief, I left with a sense of pride (for my daughter) and great appreciation for her teacher. In another recent situation, I e-mailed my son’s third grade teacher about his report card a few days back. You see, I was concerned that since many of his grades went from 4’s to 3’s (Excellent to Good) that he was potentially struggling in his new grade. A day later his teacher responded in a manner conducive with what I have grown to expect from Pathway’s Elementary. She explained to me, in detail, that the switch from 2nd to 3rd grade was a huge leap for most children, that he was doing quite well, and that she fully expected to see his grades return to 4’s throughout the year.
In the end, the teachers, faculty members, administrators and all other school personnel deserve a great deal of respect and credit for what they do each and every day. I am hopeful that my letter reaches all of them as a message of thankfulness and hope. A message from a concerned, but very grateful father of five to the staff of each school that I hope resonates with those who read it and perhaps can elicit many more “thank you’s” from other parents who may share my thoughts about some of the real hero’s in our children’s’ lives.
With sincere gratitude, Tony Caico
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