26/01/2022
Northjersey.com just got this from a long serving teacher. Not sure if we can run this as a news item but doing my best to help her get the message out. Here's her letter:
Good afternoon Mr. Fagan,
My name is Melanie Pressley-Jackson and I am a teacher at school #11 in Passaic. On Monday, January 31, 2022, I will be retiring from the Passaic School District after 30 plus years and really want to share a letter I recently wrote to my students both past and present. I am retiring due to health issues and really wish that I could stay but I promised myself I´d leave when I needed to. I promised many of them that I´d let them know when I was leaving because they often come back looking for me - but this was a sudden decision.
There is no way to reach them all except to possibly print it in the newspaper and someone just suggested sharing it on social media. Please if this is not something you can help with, pass it on to a colleague that may be able to. I'm attaching the letter here along with my contact information.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Melanie Pressley-Jackson
(973)640-9287
[email protected]
Dear Student,
Today is the start of the last 7 days I teach for and within the Passaic School District. After 32 years, I will retire from teaching. It seems surreal to say and my ambivalence towards the idea surprises me. As with all jobs and careers, there are days we want out but overall, as the beloved Baptist hymn says, “when I look back over my (time here) all of my good days outweigh my bad days, so I won’t complain.”
No, the hard days aren’t so clear in my memory anymore but the laughter, the teachable moments, and the joy of learning with you, my students, is what I can’t forget.
As adults, many of you have come back to me expressing the positive ways in which I’ve impacted your lives or pushed you to do better. Those remarks have kept me going. Yet, the real truth is that you have inspired me and made me a better person! You sparked my curiosity and kept me abreast of pop culture and the newest games and fads. I know that, if I look young, and people often say I do, it’s because of you!
The myriad issues and serious problems many of you faced after 3pm astounded me and drove me to work just that much harder to be all that I could be and do all I could to lighten your load and at the same time introduce the joys of reading and why education is so important.
I have cried with you through the uncharted and often terrifying territory of adolescence and the beginnings of Covid-19. I have sat silent with you in the aftermath of 9/11. We’ve pondered global warming and the slow response of the world to this crisis that affects us all as a global community. I’ve celebrated the births of siblings and mourned with many of you the loss of parents- including my own, and others close to us. I’ve hurt from laughter at the funny things you say and do and even laughed with you at myself - yes everything I draw on the whiteboard still looks like a cat!
Every lesson wasn’t a success and there were times when I just got it wrong, but I always tried. I need you to know I always tried. I promised you all on the first day of school - year after year that you were now a part of my family (my kids) forever and even now that is no less true. I may forget names, but I’ll never forget your faces.
I don’t know if you all will read this, and I wish I could address you all individually but if I could I´d tell you about my hope for your lives and your bright futures. You are Passaic strong and that simply means that you can go anywhere and stand among anyone with your heads held high knowing that your presence makes a difference and that the very room you stand in is better because you are there. I love you all and that won’t ever change!
Love,
Mrs. Melanie Pressley-Jackson (Turner)
Love,
Mrs. Melanie Pressley-Jackson (Turner)
