Tomorrow marks the final day of Pre-K 3 for Enzo. He gets done school a week earlier than Tony, who will be finishing kindergarten next week.
Enzo has grown by leaps and bounds since his first day of school at St. Charles this past September and it can be attributed to the love, attention, instruction, and care he received from his teacher, Mrs. Karin Finelli.
Words cannot express the impact Mrs. Finelli made on Enzo this year.
Everyone can name that one teacher who left a lasting impression on your life. For me, it was my fifth-grade English teacher at St. Joan of Arc, Mrs. Marie Kubiak. She encouraged me to write and I haven’t stopped. That was 20-plus years ago.
For Enzo, I hope it will be Mrs. Finelli. I know it’s early in his education but what Mrs. Finelli did for him this year will help him throughout the rest of his life.
Enzo entered pre-school having just turned three at the end of July. He was quickly potty trained and ready to take the world by storm.
There was something missing; Enzo needed structure more than anything. He needed someone who would point him in the right direction who wasn’t mom or dad. He needed someone to push him to his limits. He needed to learn from other kids his age.
Enzo needed someone who could help him improve his speech.
We knew what type of attention and education Enzo would be getting from the start. It helps when your wife is a member of the staff and you’ve gotten to know the rest of the teachers personally over the years.
The love, care, and instruction that the entire staff at St. Charles provides cannot be matched. We’ve seen it with Tony since he was in Pre-K 3 and continue to see it today.
Enzo quickly became enamored with Mrs. Finelli. He has talked about her constantly since day one to anyone who will listen.
Enzo loved school from the minute he walked into his classroom for the first time. He never shed a tear at morning drop-off. In fact, I couldn’t walk him fast enough to his building every single day.
I don’t know what tomorrow, Enzo’s final day of Pre-K 3 with Mrs. Finelli, will bring. It might take him a day or two, maybe even a week or two, to really understand that school is done. He might not understand that he won’t have Mrs. Finelli for a teacher next year.
Everything Enzo learned this year will remain with him for life. His speech has greatly improved. His listening skills are better. His ability to follow instructions is the best it’s ever been.
All of this can be attributed to the focus and energy of Mrs. Finelli.
All I know is that Nicole and I are eternally grateful for everything Mrs. Finelli did for Enzo this year. We also know that a simple thank you will never be enough.
Enzo is lucky to have called Mrs. Finelli his teacher. Nicole is lucky to call Mrs. Finelli a mentor. We are lucky to call Mrs. Finelli a friend.
