To My Talented and Amazingly Beautiful Students ~
As the year wanes, I cannot help but look back at what we’ve accomplished in this very short period of time. I have to say that, as I reflected, I was in a state of NOSTALGIA. My memories took me back to the first week of school when you began the year writing “I Am” poems. I was so excited to get to know each of you! Then I did, and I fell in love with each you. Despite your quirks, both emotional and academic, I can honestly say that I began to love you like a mother loves her children. I wanted the best for you, I prayed for your health and happiness and, as you all know, I was not afraid to “lay down the law” when you needed it. That’s love! If you haven’t figured it out from all the conversations we’ve had, love means wanting the other person to grow, evolve and become all that they were meant to be. I saw more in you than you did in yourselves, and I knew if I challenged you, you would prove me right…and you did! As seen in these pages, “my little sweeties” can really write. Not only was it evidenced in your STELLAR writing scores, but it’s also quite apparent in this collection of poems!
What I want you to take into next year is the feeling of success you may have felt during the course of the year in our English class. It would be nice if you carried all of the lessons and knowledge with you, too! However, the most important aspect of class I want you to remember is the life lessons…and that when you truly try, success is inevitable! When you want to quit, reflect on how much better it feels to produce your best work. Your teacher will appreciate it, too. Remember, “what is written without effort is, generally, read without pleasure!”
Words cannot express how this literary magazine is a “work of heart.” The poems inside represent the school’s most creative minds, talented writers, gifted artists and tenacious students! I am so amazed by your insight and your ability; and, not to mention, how you can take a simple task and make it your own, add your flair and flavor, and produce such beautiful (and sometimes comical) pieces. I have been creating literary magazines for my classes since 1999, and this is my favorite so far (and I don’t just say that every year). Not only do I love the new title, but I also believe it’s a beautiful collaboration of your work.
It is with pride and pleasure that I present you with “Nostalgia,” our class collection of poems!
Love you,
Christine Rodriguez
Your English Teacher
As the year wanes, I cannot help but look back at what we’ve accomplished in this very short period of time. I have to say that, as I reflected, I was in a state of NOSTALGIA. My memories took me back to the first week of school when you began the year writing “I Am” poems. I was so excited to get to know each of you! Then I did, and I fell in love with each you. Despite your quirks, both emotional and academic, I can honestly say that I began to love you like a mother loves her children. I wanted the best for you, I prayed for your health and happiness and, as you all know, I was not afraid to “lay down the law” when you needed it. That’s love! If you haven’t figured it out from all the conversations we’ve had, love means wanting the other person to grow, evolve and become all that they were meant to be. I saw more in you than you did in yourselves, and I knew if I challenged you, you would prove me right…and you did! As seen in these pages, “my little sweeties” can really write. Not only was it evidenced in your STELLAR writing scores, but it’s also quite apparent in this collection of poems!
What I want you to take into next year is the feeling of success you may have felt during the course of the year in our English class. It would be nice if you carried all of the lessons and knowledge with you, too! However, the most important aspect of class I want you to remember is the life lessons…and that when you truly try, success is inevitable! When you want to quit, reflect on how much better it feels to produce your best work. Your teacher will appreciate it, too. Remember, “what is written without effort is, generally, read without pleasure!”
Words cannot express how this literary magazine is a “work of heart.” The poems inside represent the school’s most creative minds, talented writers, gifted artists and tenacious students! I am so amazed by your insight and your ability; and, not to mention, how you can take a simple task and make it your own, add your flair and flavor, and produce such beautiful (and sometimes comical) pieces. I have been creating literary magazines for my classes since 1999, and this is my favorite so far (and I don’t just say that every year). Not only do I love the new title, but I also believe it’s a beautiful collaboration of your work.
It is with pride and pleasure that I present you with “Nostalgia,” our class collection of poems!
Love you,
Christine Rodriguez
Your English Teacher