Hope Inspired

I returned to work at Graceland after a week of study leave, walking down the pathway I noticed a sweet little girl on the swing, a new face I did not recognise. I immediately asked my colleagues and the children in my class if they knew who the new little girl was, she held back and she was very shy with the sweetest smiling face. Her name was Alice, her parents are known to be heavy drinkers, which resulted in Alice being slightly affected by Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, showing slight signs physically and mentally, but she is a dedicated learner always trying her best. Each morning it took a while before she could settle in and feel comfortable in the classroom, at home things weren’t easy as her parents used to get into arguments, resulting in physical abuse, which I could tell really affected Alice. At one stage she said to me that she wanted to stay at school and not go home, her words still resonate with me: " I don’t want to stay with my mommy, I want to stay with you, teacher!” After a month of Alice attending Graceland, we had formed such a strong bond as teacher and learner. Her development throughout the year has been incredible, she is talking, progressing well with work and is confident enough to speak out in class. I could see so much of myself in Alice, it was as if I were looking back at my own childhood, where I myself had also attended Graceland, at the age of 4 years old in 1999. I was in a class with a large group of children between the ages of 2 and 6-years-old, under the supervision of Teacher Elizabeth Solomons, who is now Graceland’s very own Principal, I spent 3 wonderful years learning and growing and 3 years I would always remember. Alice is one of the biggest reasons why I love what I do, every morning when I get to school no matter where Alice is on the school grounds, all the other children call out to her to let her know I have arrived, we then run toward one another and give each other the biggest hug. I love being a teacher at Graceland and I am in awe at how these children learn and develop over the years, it reminds you just how essential an education is for a child and ensuring we as teachers give them our all. I am just so grateful to be a part of this school, working with so many lovely people that have accepted me as a part of the Graceland family, who have taught me so much and still teach me something new each and every day.