Sarah Dahl

Ms. Dahl has the monumentally difficult task of trying to teach 5 and 6 year-olds, some of whom have never been in a classroom before. She has endless patience, and shows incredible creativity and energy. She works every day to keep the kids engaged and learning, which isn't easy when some kids are in a noisy house, some are in daycare/YMCAs with minimal in-person assistance. Kids this age get emotional and distracted very easily, and Ms. Dahl is always understanding and working hard to not only get the kids on track but also enjoying their time in Kindergarten, regardless of where it happens. A person does not become a Kindergarten teacher unless they enjoy spending time with kids, and is rewarded by helping these kids become the people they will grow up to be. You can easily tell that Ms. Dahl loves her job and cares a great deal about the kids in her class. She carves out time each week to meet one-on-one with each student. My daughter looks forward to these meetings every week. She can't wait to spend some focused time with Ms. Dahl, and Ms. Dahl always makes her feel special, smart and accomplished. She makes my daughter enjoy learning and has helped her want to keep learning. My daughter knows she can be brave because she learned about Ruby Bridges. She wants to do daily science experiments and she's learned about the importance of voting. She now knows how to count in Spanish, is obsessed with books, and loves doing math (something she definitely didn't get from me). Ms. Dahl makes sure the kids are seen and heard everyday, whether they are in class or virtual. She works her way through technical glitch after glitch, day after day, and though she does get exasperated (she has to, who wouldn't?) she never lets the kids know it. She tries her hardest every day to bring quality education to her class. While I hear stories of kids having difficulty learning and falling behind, I find my daughter thriving and learning everyday. This is entirely because of Ms. Dahl. I feel lucky to have Ms. Dahl teach my kindergartener. I'm so glad she's in Ms. Dahl's class. Her kindergarten experience has been anything but normal, but Ms. Dahl has done her best to ensure that it is a positive one that she enjoys and looks forward to.

AnaSophia Bodkin