Here's a letter I received in the email bag that I thought I would share with the group. I got this during the year last year and with a new school year starting I thought I would share a little taste of our top notch elementary school staff.
It's a real letter. Names have been changed though.

As an introduction, I've spoken to the author of this letter many times and commiserated on this terrible teacher at Wakefield Elementary, her name is Mrs. Fink. Here's the letter:

There is a little girl in my daughter's class named Amanda, she goes by Mandy. She's a good little girl and I have had the unfortunate chance of meeting her "parents". Her mother got pregnant with her when she was 15. Mandy has 2 other siblings from different daddys and the man this girls' mom is married to now is old enough to be Mandy's grandfather. He had a vasectomy a few years back so the child that Mandy's mother is carrying right now belongs to...whoever she met in the bar 7 months ago. But I hear it's no big deal on account of they have an "open marriage". So you get the picture. Not only that but they are dirt poor. Mandy's mom has never had a job that I have known of and the step-dad has been on unemployment for quite some time. They have no car, no phone and little food,(not a single luxury). Mandy comes to school in rags and is often in need of a shower. Sometimes I want to steal this little girl very badly. This year the gym teacher bought her a new pair of tennis shoes, cause the only shoes she had were a torn up pair of 80's cowboy boots.
Throughout the school year Sarah (my daughter) and I have made it our practice to take Mandy clothes that Sarah has out grown. I never give her junk, or things stained. I have even thrown in a few brand new things from time to time. I instructed Sarah that when she takes these things to school to give to Mandy that she do it in a discreet manner. That she wait until a time when other kids aren't around and that she do it in-between school hours say, first thing in the morning to avoid embarrassment to Mandy. Now how big of a deal it is to Mandy as far as embarrassment goes, I don't know. Sarah says that Mandy is always glad to have the clothes. Now mind you that before any of this started I wrote a letter to Mandy's mom and it went something like this... "Dear Mandy's Mom, Sarah likes to trade clothes with her buddy Kelly and there are a few things she would like to share with Mandy. Is this okay with you?' The reply was..."I think that Sarah and Mandy are about the same size but sure, if something doesn't fit I can always give it to Goodwill if that's okay with you." (Sarah is actually a size above Mandy, so it worked out great) But you see how things were worded between us. I not to offend, she not to be lowered. And so it should be. It's called TACT, something Mrs.Fink may never learn, or in this case didn't want to have.
Sarah came home to me last week and we did our usual sit down and tell me how your day went.
" Well" I say..."I cleaned the kitchen and took a nap, this came in the mail and I saw a bunny in the yard, How was your day?"
Sarah says,"Today I learned what a hand-me-down is."
"Oh?" I say... "You learned that word in school? That's strange. How?"
"Mrs.Fink read us a story about a family with brothers and sisters who pass down their clothes to one another. And then Mrs.Fink said that that is what I do when I give Mandy clothes. I am giving her hand-me-downs."
" Really? When Mrs.Fink told you this, where were you?
"In class." Sarah says.
"Let me understand this, After reading the story Mrs.Fink announced to the class that, 'hand-me-downs are what Sarah brings to Mandy', is that right?"
"Yes."
"And what did Mandy do?"
"Well, everybody was staring at her and her cheeks were getting red, but she just looked at me and smiled, so I smiled at her. We just looked at each other."
"And Mrs.Fink?"
"She was smiling too."
The following conversation was then about how we don't embarrass people and make them spectacles in front of others. We learned about feelings. How Mandy must have felt and why her cheeks turned red. How Sarah would feel if someone did that to her and how Mrs.Fink is from THE DEVIL!
That evening I told my husband the story. He was without words. I summed it up by saying that it was totally unnecessary for her to do that. The story was self explanatory, I doubt the point or essence of the story was to teach solely about hand-me-downs and even if it was, it was JUST PLAIN CRUEL to do that to a 9 year old.
I have a real problem with people who get their kicks from the pain and humiliation of others. I'm not sure what exactly I'm gonna do just yet. But something needs to be said.
Until next time.
Gathering the towns people, pitch forks and torches,
-Jane Smith

Thanks for the letter Jane. I hope everyone has a good long weekend. If any of you are in Florida, please be careful and we'll see you on the other side.

-Wakefield