Fay Kinaya

I am the parent of Jason Ellerson who is in the class that Mrs. Kinaya teaches. Mrs. Kinaya is more than a teacher to all her students. She truly is a mentor to all her students. She teachers her students to not only be the best they can be academically, but as a person. She teaches her little people to be humble, loving, respectful and unity towards one another and to the world. She teaches them the different ethic heritages and she is very conscious what all ethic groups need, to be comfortable in their own skin. She leaves no one feeling different, or out of place. As a parent that becomes more important than just learning. The world is so divided and has become challenging for those with minority backgrounds. She is from Iraq and her abilities to incorporate the importance's of diversity at such a young age, will take her students so very far in life when they experiences the world as it is and understand that colors aren't as importance as understanding each entity of backgrounds. People are mean to others with different backgrounds because they don't understand them. She makes sure that her students learn and see the differences of ethnicity. She cares, she always tell her students "If you are proud of your work, if it's neat if your heart and pride is in it, then you can turn it in. I look at the students hand writing and how their assignments are so neat, it amazes me their growth at such a young age. She believes in hugs and love, but very discipline and structured. One of her colleagues wrote this about her: "I am so impressed with their writing stamina and how they are able to focus for so long." He said he was observing a fifth grade classroom at a different school, and those 5th graders could barely sit for 8 minutes. Mr. Williamson is the university professor who oversees student teachers. He was so complimentary and didn't want to leave our room. =) . That is just one of many accolades she well deserve. My son was told he had selective mutism as a kindergartener and had teachers who didn't quite understand having anxiety with socializing with their peers. My son is a shy kid but he has grown so much in Mrs. Kinaya's class. Her spirit, her encouragement, her being her students biggest cheerleader gives them nothing but confidences and the reward of her hard work brings all parents to tears to see their children perform so well and have a family full of their classroom buddies. She won't have it any other way, they all have to respect one another. Every parent teacher conference, every school gathering or event, she greets with hugs and loud laugher of joy when she see you and that's with her students and us parents. I always hear her laughter and joy before I see her , she instantly make you forget you're having a bad day. There are millions of great teachers I'm sure, but this lady is gifted with a blessing of bringing conviction to her students, she makes them believe in themselves. That's so important. I see little babies at the mere age of 7 and 8 years old committing suicide from bullying, feeling left out, feeling hopeless. How does a little soul feel those big feelings at such a young age. Parents are only with their kids on week days less than half of the day, but teachers have them in the most important way and it's imperative for a teacher to have a positive impact with their students, the outcome is so significant and profound to have a future of understanding the world and the essentials they can bring . I pray someone read my letter, and with highest honor I hope my heartfelt words are enough for someone to see that Mrs. Fay Kinaya is an angel to her students, she is a person with exemplary personality of virtue and for that she deserves to be honored. Catherine Ellerson

Jason Ellerson