In September 1998, I put my daughter on the kindergarten bus to Jackson Street School.
On June 5, I’ll watch my son graduate from Northampton High School.
Eighteen years later, I want to express my deep appreciation for what Northampton Public Schools gave to my three children.
From teachers to administrators, to office staff, to janitors, to crossing guards, to parents, to guardians, to the hundreds of students along the way, I feel lucky and privileged to have exposed my kids to a microcosm of real life when it was most beneficial to them, where the people they shared their days with represented a slice of a diverse socioeconomic community.
They learned how to navigate the ups and downs, and they learned sympathy and compassion, but most importantly, empathy.
When the Giving Tree in your elementary school lobby helps the very students in that building — friends and their families with faces and names — the lesson is lasting.
My kids received an education in Northampton’s schools that will take them places, in the classroom and the workforce, but also in a world full of unknown challenges.
My hat’s off to those who do so much with dwindling resources. Money can’t always buy the best, and alternatives sometimes turn exclusive; don’t overlook the riches right in front of you.
Robbie Sullivan
Northampton