Jacqui's Thank you! — 75 Morton

Dear Families,

Thank you again for the life changing experience of creating and leading 75 Morton. I could fill pages with thank yous- literally. And they would all be a bit damp from tears.

Thank you to the original 75 Morton Street Community Alliance- their hopes and dreams for a new neighborhood middle school- our school- started with them. They inspired me from our very first meeting.

Thank you to the founding staff of teachers, school aides, secretaries, and paras, for being visionaries, for giving a tremendous amount of energy and time that first year, and for setting the standard of how to grow 75 Morton.

Thank you to the staff that followed and opened their hearts to 75 Morton, bringing so much expertise, and for believing in this school and its potential.

Thank you to the founding families and students- that group of 194 that was supposed to be a bit over 100! Thank you for giving a place in District 2 and for saying to the District that a non-screened school could and would shine!!!!

Thank you to the families and students who followed and continued to teach us, the District and the city about equity in education. Your voices are essential to the message we are sending every day.

Thank you to the enormously amazing Co-Presidents of the PTA over the last 4 years; Nick and Bob for 2 AMAZING years, Alexandra and Stella for 1 AMAZING YEAR, and Stella and Maya for this AMAZING year! Welcome to Rebecca who will lead with Maya to make next year AMAZING.

Thank you to our SLT Chairs- Heather- what can I say? And Bruce- you have kept us going during Covid! Thank you to everyone who served on the SLT and helped us think through ideas for the best of Morton!

Speaking of COVID- what more significant experience can possibly prove the strength of a community of educators, learners, and families? YOU ALL DID IT. A special THANK YOU to the staff- no one will ever grasp the behind the scenes HOURS of additional work they put in to make these months an effective learning experience.

Thank you to our welcoming, calm, wise Safety Agents! No one better to greet the day- Byrd, Concepcion, Jackson, Ortiz, Sabrina- and to save the day!!!

Thank you to the entire Custodial Crew of Angels- the constant texts to Robby, Nicole, and Ed- along with Anthony, Brian, Javier, Lewis -and we never heard “No”, always a YES.

Thank you to the Office Staff- Lucille and Joanie who got us started!!! And now Doreen, Judy and Ashley who always have a solution.

Thank you to the Kitchen Staff who kept us fed during the pandemic with such patience! Manny and his DJ-ing skills.

Thank you to Fran, our Business Manager, who worked magic to help us open every year, make it through the year, and helped us get ready for the next year. She made sure the finances of the school matched our vision- no easy task and she did it every year with humor, grace, and kindness.

And to Jill- Parent Coordinator/High School guide/etc.- with a writing ability I leaned on, a sense of humor I needed, and total support of 75 Morton. Thanks to our Guidance Counselors- Elaine and Rachel who figured out high school admissions as it changed and changed, and changed again.

Thank you to every PTA and SLT member, to the many volunteers I may never have even seen, to the behind the scenes and thoughtful families that made 75 Morton the school it is. You will never know how much we brag about our families- to anyone who will listen!

Thank you to the students who teach us every day how to teach, listen, laugh, and reflect. Thank you for pushing us to our limits of exhaustion, and then give us crazy bursts of energy to do more and more. Thank you for being Thunderbolts, for making us proud, for giving us reasons to get up in the morning, to greet Mondays with a smile, and to look forward to every September.

Thank you to Fish and Val who stepped out of the classroom and into the office to help steer us this year- and who never ever said NO- who just kept on giving. It has been a joy working with you through COVID!

And finally, thank you to Katie and Ilene who simply do it all, who will continue to do it all, who shared the dream from the beginning and will keep it going. Thank you for late nights, long weekends, panic attacks, endless laughing, and solutions galore.

I will miss the energy, challenges, creativity, and joys of being an educator. I am looking forward to hearing all of the great news about 75 Morton under new leadership and supported by Ilene and Katie and the staff, families and students who know how we get things done! I am also excited to get my Masters degree in Sustainable Fashion- I cannot wait to be a student again.

You have all filled my heart to the very brim of gratitude. Have a beautiful summer, stay true to our Thunderbolt Thinking and stunning Mission and Vision.

Tons of love,

Jacqui