Tomorrow is the last day of school

Tomorrow, Friday June 20th marks the end of third grade for Jacob. It is with happiness and sadness that he is moving on to fourth grade. This year has been such a difficult one for him. Juvenile arthritis is such a challenge for any kid, especially a child who is going through such an ordeal. Every morning over the last six months or so Jacob has gone through ups and downs of joint swelling, morning stiffness and the eye issues. Some how everyday for the most part he was able to get to school on time. It is such a hard thing when you are nine and have to hurry out the door and your knee won't work properly. Or you are trying to rush to get down a handful of pills. Or sit still for the eye drops that you can't stand having to put in. By the time you get out the door your stomach feels terrible and your just plain exhausted from the disease itself or the tiredness the medications you are on give. Paying attention has always been so difficult for Jacob and the pile of medications he was on made it so much worse. All of these issues and he still was able to do his best in school. The reason for this was that Jacob had one of the best teachers he could ever have. Jacob's teacher's name was Mrs. Corbett. She is one of the most caring dedicated teachers I have ever met.(there have been a few of these in the past that I will never forget:)) Her patience and eagerness to help and learn about everything surrounding Jacob was beyond exceptional. I have decided to share what I wrote in her card that he is giving her tomorrow:

Dear Mrs. Corbett,
It is so hard to believe this year is over! Time has flown by. This year turned out to be truly challenging. I am just so grateful that you were the one to help Jacob through it all. Everyday brought new challenges, emotionally and physically for him. One less worry in all of this was knowing that he was in good hands all day with you. You always made yourself available to talk, listen and care when needed. Juvenile arthritis can have many challenges. You always tried to educate yourself on everything he was experiencing to make it easier on him physically and mentally. His comfort was always top priority over anything else. I appreciated that fully. Jacob knows that you have such a big heart and he has increasingly grown so close to you. He talks about you all the time! He is going to miss you immensely. He is leaving third grade with his big smile and his head held high. I don't know that he could of gotten through this year without you. I can only hope that he has more teachers as caring as you. You have made a huge difference in his life. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything. We will miss you!

Joanne

Thank you again Mrs. Corbett!