Teacher Appreciation & Gratitude Wall
Thank you to our families for providing these messages of positivity and gratitude for our teachers and staff! If you would like to add an anonymous quote, please email parents@waterfrontmontessori.com.
Primary Parent
Huge shout out to our teachers in P3 Ms. Sarah and Ms. Laura! They have gone above and beyond during this tough time in continuing to enrich the kids while preserving [a] Montessori-driven hands-on approach with personalized learning plans for each child. Having watched these 11 weeks go by, we are impressed with how hard they have worked in keeping our daughter engaged, enriched and excited to go to online school. These are gem of human beings who have extended extreme patience, warmth and enthusiasm to the class. Thank you very much!
Thank you to Mr. Richie for jumping in and helping in every way possible!
We would also like to thank Ms. Cristina for her excellent music class and for keeping the spirits up. And to Ms. Anelis for her excellent Spanish class. You both took every opportunity to call on each child and make them feel special and that is so much appreciated.
Thank you to Ms. Theresa and the [AfterSchool] instructors (Ms. Heather, Hanshi Austin Wright Sr.) for quickly adapting and continuing the [AfterSchool] classes in the new format.
Lastly, Ms. Karen and her entire administration team upstairs. Karen, you are a great leader! You saw it coming way in advance, worked hard to create a backup a plan and were prepared to implement in time!
Thank you to the entire school and we are honored to be part of this great community!
Upper Elementary Parent
Many thanks to the teachers of Upper Elementary for doing such wonderful work teaching online. The last couple of months have been really overwhelming for the kids. The kindness with which teachers handled the kids not only made them motivated to finish their daily work but also created a positive emotional environment to share their feelings and thoughts. As a parent, it was fun to listen to classroom conversations, affirming our belief in WFM's way of implementing the Montessori method even while teaching online. We are very grateful to all the teachers and staff of WFM for making teaching during lockdown so effective.
Primary Parent
Special shout-out to Ms Sarah and Ms Laura in P3 for making the virtual learning experience full of fun and engaging activities.
Ms Sarah is an amazing example to the students, and has adapted the virtual environment seamlessly. [Our child] is very grateful for her kindness, intelligence and agility in this environment.
Thank you again for all you do for our children!
Primary Parent
We would like to take this chance to say thank you to all the teachers, especially to Ms. Sarah and Ms. Laura for their excellent work during this special period.
Thank you for making all the virtual classes possible, always being on time, cheerful, patient, and teaching [valuable content to] the first year students. Your effort has made this difficult time easier for [our daughter] to socialize with you and other friends in the class, sustain her knowledge development and keep a healthy schedule every day.
As parents working from home, we can imagine how challenging it could be to work while taking care your own children at home. Thank you so much for your effort to make this happen and sustain!
Primary Parent
We want to express our sincere gratitude to all the WFM staff in making the virtual school possible. Ms. Nanuli and Ms. Evelyn [have done] an excellent job in engaging every student in the class and creating an inspiring environment. The [lessons are] well-designed, comprehensive and in many ways enriched with the teachers’ own experiences. One example was Ms. Nanuli’s sharing of her cultural food and fond childhood memories, which definitely brought the story to life. [Our son] also enjoyed Ms. Cristina's interactive music class and all the extra-curricular activities. It is their dedication that allows [our son] to continue learning and growing in this unprecedented, challenging period. Thanks so much for being such amazing teachers, and your unwavering pursuit of the best Montessori education.
Primary Parent
A quick note to tell you how impressed I am with [Ms. Cristina's] Primary 2 Music and Movement class. [My child] absolutely loves it. He is focused and happy during the class. I am so happy that I get to see how the class goes as I never got a chance while they were in school. [Ms. Cristina does] an amazing job of engaging the kids and keeping their attention by moving from one activity to the next at a perfect pace. [My child] absolutely loves the panda puppet that pops out and surprises him.
Primary Parent
Thank you for all the effort and affection you shower on these kids! It’s been a blessing in current tough times to get a sneak-peak into the day of these little ones and how engaged you both are with them! how patient and detailed your sessions are!
Thank you. You are absolutely loved!
Primary Parent
Thank you for the weekly activities menu. It's great. We tape it up in our kitchen and [our children] love getting stickers for as many squares as possible before the week is done. The range of activities and topics is just perfect for simple things parents can help with. Makes me feel more effective and lets me direct their energy at key moments.
I also really appreciate the end of week communication about what topics have been covered each week. I particularly look for the music that they've been hearing in music appreciation and then we play those same pieces over dinner. It allows my husband and I to be more part of the teaching team, having fun reinforcing and supporting the learning that's happening by computer.
Thanks for all these details. They matter.
Primary Parent
I would like to add to the gratitude wall a huge thank you for turning virtual learning into a positive experience for the kids. [My child] loves “going” to class and seems well adjusted to the format. The patience, lightheartedness and happy smiles you display during every single class is admirable and something I look up to and learn from as a parent. I’m sure that you, just like us, have your bad days yet you’d never know hearing the sound of your voice or seeing your face. Your hard work does not go unnoticed by the parents and the kids. THANK YOU!!!
Primary & After-School Parent
To Ms. Sarah, Ms. Laura, Ms. Cristina, Mr. Richie, Ms. Theresa,
Thank you so much for your hard work in the past few weeks setting up all the virtual classes. It’s been a tremendous help for us. [Our child] enjoys the routine and being able to communicate with you and her friends.
Please extend the same gratitude to her after-school teachers (Ms. Heather for Art and their Hanshi for Karate). We look forward to more after-school classes becoming available in the future weeks!
Middle School Parent
Thank you all for working so hard to ensure that each student continues to recieve their education. Your effort and dedication during this difficult time is much appreciated. ❤
Lower Elementary & After-School Parent
To Ms. Aecha, Ms. Alex and all the amazing teachers (Spanish, Chess, Hip Hop, Music Appreciation),
You should be very proud of yourselves for the work you are doing. We certainly are all amazed to see how much you care and do for our children.
Sending you (and ALL the Waterfront Team) love and gratitude!
Primary & Lower Elementary Parent
Shout out to Ms. Sarah and Ms. Laura in Primary 3 for all their hard work in keeping the kids happy and engaged during the Zoom calls, as well as all the behind the scenes work in preparing materials for each kid!
Shout out to Ms. Susan and Ms. Yvette in Lower Elementary North for their extraordinary classroom management skills and wonderful work in keeping the learning going strong over Zoom!
Shout out to Karen and all the admin staff for planning and implementing such a seamless transition to the virtual learning world! It is beyond impressive and we are so grateful to be a part of the WFM community!
Middle School & Lower Elementary Parent
I just wanted to let you know that we are so very impressed with how well the past two week went. It was clear that a lot of preparation and thought went into the packets, the scheduling, guides, and the logistics of it all. As a working Mom in a high-pressured job on “Wall Street”, and [my husband], the CEO of his own company, the past two weeks were stressful enough let alone all being under one roof, meal prep three times a day, laundry, constant cleaning, etc. The one thing we really didn’t have to deal with too much were the kids. Once setup, they were on their own. Figuring stuff out, doing work, etc.
Anyway, just wanted to let you know all your efforts are appreciated. Proud to be a part of WFM.
Primary Parent
Thank you all for bringing this online class experience to our kid within such short time! We feel grateful that [he] can attend virtual lessons, do interesting exercises and laugh with his classmates every day. Every weekday we were glad to see him sitting in front of the screen, waiving hands to friends, raising hands to interact with teachers and classmates as if it were in a real classroom. Our little one seems to have adapted himself quickly to this virtual learning environment. He is definitely excited about the upcoming sessions of music, Spanish class and other activities. We are grateful to the Primary 3 teachers--they have apparently well prepared for the virtual classes and patiently dealt with the students despite the new online features. The absolutely valuable and positive aspect of this virtual learning for us parents is that we also got an intimate touch with our kid during the class and his interactions within the classroom.
We are both working parents and know how challenging it is to switch to virtual meetings and still reach desired objectives for every organization. It doesn’t come with ease for sure. It was particularly amazing when Ms. Morgen told us a few days before the spring break that materials were made available to the families in case of a closure. We were pleasantly surprised by the preparedness of the school at that time without anticipating such a situation became reality. We also found the communication with the parents very effective and were glad to learn that there will be additional sessions for the kids into the week three. We really wanted to say Thank You to all the teachers and staff behind the scene and hope everyone stays safe and healthy!
Upper Elementary Parent
A big shout out to Mr. Henry, Ms. Susan and Ms. Preeti who are dedicated to providing the best experience possible in an unprecedented and uncertain time for our kids. We see you working harder than ever to educate our children! To Ms. Karen, Ms. Fabiana, Ms. Theresa, Ms Deanna, Ms. Cristina and everyone in the admin team who "reinvented" school and after school classes, you worked tirelessly over the last two weeks to devise, build, and implement this very ambitious plan.
We truly appreciate you all!
*air hug* and thank you again!
Lower Elementary Parent
We are so grateful to our teachers in West and North who work so hard to keep our kids engaged all day, providing them with stability, connection and moments of joy. Their efforts are heroic and humbling. And thank you to all the staff who are supporting them (and us) behind the scenes. 💕
Lower Elementary Parent
As per the ancient Hindu culture and traditions the position of “ Guru” or the “Teacher “ is above the Gods. I totally concur with the above. The teachers play a pivotal role in molding and shaping a student’s personality. They have a deep insight of a students psyche and thought process. They hone a student’s already existing skills as well as help them inculcate new ones. They encourage the students to tap their potentials and nurture their creativity. In difficult and unprecedented times like these, a teacher’s role is that of an essential worker. They manage their own uncertainty while motivating the students positively. They manage their own home front chores while giving their fullest to the students. All this commitment and hard work shows up in the tasks and assignments. It isn’t easy to manage and communicate with all the students in a virtual setup. Ms. Susan, Ms. Yvette and all other Teachers are my heroes. Ms. Jessica, Ms. Deanna and all others (the IT team) are giving their heart and soul to the WFM community. I salute them and am so proud of our school, the staff and the community. Thanks Ms. Karen for your wonderful inspiration and dedication. I express my profound gratitude to everyone who is working hard to ensure the “show goes on'“ against all odds.
Primary Parent
Ms. Maria has been amazing through this entire transition to online learning. She has always been available for questions and really listens to the parents' concerns and needs. Despite all this chaos, I feel better knowing that she is our P2 teacher.
Primary & Lower Elementary Parent
To all the WFM staff and teachers, thanks for doing an amazing job transitioning to a virtual school environment. We’ve seen how much work you have done and continue to do, from the amazing packages of school materials prepared before school closed to creating the current virtual classes. Most of all we appreciate your proactive approach, responsiveness to feedback and spirit of continuing to evolve and improve this new virtual dynamic. As you’ve no doubt heard from other parents our WFM virtual curriculum is head and shoulders above what we hear is happening at other schools in the area. Thanks again for the incredible work!
Upper Elementary Student
You make me feel like I am at actual school and not at virtual school. I feel happy to have teachers like you thank you for being a part of my life.
Upper Elementary Parent
I am really impressed to see how much all the children are eager to learn and engage in learning. This is more than I've seen through Open Friday, parent-teacher conferences or bring your parent to school days. They are genuinely enjoying the interaction with the teachers and their friends in addition to learning. Thank you for creating such an environment and for your caring and efforts!!!!
Lower Elementary Parent
Thank you for the incredible effort and dedication you put into recreating the Montessori classroom experience for [our child] and the rest of her class. I’m amazed everyday at your ability to engage and motivate the students from 8:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. I am so grateful for the extra hours you put into planning to make this happen. It’s appreciated more than you know.
Upper Elementary Parent
Thank you for the tremendous patience you show toward our children, providing them with such a positive atmosphere for learning and exploration.