Dear ,

We’re a family that believes the middle years are where more is quietly decided than anyone admits, which makes your classroom one of the most important rooms in our child’s life this year, and makes you someone we wanted to greet properly before the year begins.

Two things about how we operate, so nothing surprises you.

First, is learning to speak for themselves: at conferences, about assignments, when something’s confusing. So if an email about a grade or a question about a deadline comes from our student instead of from us, that’s not neglect; it’s the plan. We’re standing right behind it. Anything that needs a parent still gets a parent, fast.

Second, we know this age arrives in your room some days as weather. When our student has a hard week, we’d rather hear about it while it’s small, and we promise the same in return: if something at home might wash into your classroom, we’ll give you a quiet heads-up so you’re not left guessing.

What would want you to know: is the thing they care about most right now, and is where they’re finding the work hard.

What you can count on from us: prepared conferences, a student who’s been taught that teachers are allies to be recruited rather than judges to be survived, and at least one note this year that exists only to tell you something you did that worked. Teachers, we’ve noticed, get plenty of mail; not enough of it is that kind. And if a para or aide shares your room, the note, and the folded copy of this letter, is theirs as well. We’ve learned whose mailboxes stay emptiest.

We’re glad it’s you. Onward into the year.

(and, in their own hand:)