The note had my blood boiling just reading it. So imagine the reaction Mike must have had after learning that a family vacation—which allows family time and a break from everyone’s day-to-day stresses—was actually a cause for disciplinary action.
Mike responded to the principal. Unlike what many of us may have said to her, or what Mike may have wanted to for that matter, the father’s response was full of grace and class.
“Dear Madam Principal,
While I appreciate your concern for our children’s education, I can promise you they learned as much in the five days we were in Boston as they would in an entire year in school.
Our children had a once-in-a-lifetime experience, one that can’t be duplicated in a classroom or read in a book.
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In the 3 days of school they missed (which consisted of standardized testing that they could take any time) they learned about dedication, commitment, love, perseverance, overcoming adversity, civic pride, patriotism, American history, culinary arts and physical education.
They watched their father overcome injury, bad weather, the death of a loved one and many other obstacles to achieve an important personal goal.