Notes From Public School - Day 147

Trevor’s Precept - April 14, 2022

This afternoon, I received this e-mail from my co-worker and dear friend Lynn Vines.

“Thank you to you, Mr. Barton, and your two astounding classes. Olivya and I both enjoyed our time with you today! We appreciate your kind invitation to your classes.”

Let me give you some background information 

about Ms. Vines and Olivya.

Ms. Vines is a teacher to exceptional children at my school.

She used the word ‘astounding’ in her message to me, and there is no better word that I could use to describe her.

She is astounding.

If you could spend one day with her in her classroom, you would understand what a good human is.

Olivya is an exceptional child in her classroom.

Born blind and autistic, she came to our school as a kindergartener and will leave us this year for middle school.

She is astounding, too.

She has known my voice for 7 years now.

I say, “Hello, Olivya,” and she knows it’s me, no matter the time or the place in the school building.

As a matter of fact, I dress up as St. Nicholas each year and bring presents to our exceptional children but no matter how hard I try to disguise my voice, I can’t fool Olivya’s keen sense of hearing.

“You’re Mr. Barton!“ she always exclaims.

“You’re always right!” I respond to her. “But let’s keep it our secret so we can bring laughter and joy to the other kids.”

She’s my partner in this bringing of laughter and joy, and I just love it!

So when my Reading class started the book Six Dots: A Story of Young Louis Braille written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Boris Kulikov, I immediately thought of Olivya and Ms. Vines and invited them to my classes to teach us about braille.

And boy did they teach us.

Olivya came to my classroom with Ms. Vines, her walking stick, and a book written in braille and read to us.

My friend an co-teacher Emily Muldrow said it best.

“It not only brought tears to my eyes to watch Olivya read and the students give her their rapt attention and applause, but it also touched my heart that she was showing them that you can overcome obstacles to learn to read.”

Teaching at a Title I school, we know those obstacles and understand how difficult they are to overcome.

Ya’ll, there are some days when being a teacher fills you with beauty, ingenuity, wonder and courage.

Today was one of those days for me.

Ms. Vines and Olivya, you are astounding!

I’m thankful we’re a part of each other’s lives.

You make the world a more human place for all of us.

¡Muchas Gracias!