Tuesday, October 1, 2019
Mike Lanteigne, Edmonton, AB Sep 30, 2019
My favourite teacher of all-time, Mrs. Miller passed away last week.
She was my grade 3 teacher at Richard Secord School.
It’s funny how we remember that one teacher whom made such an important impact on us and carry that memory for a lifetime.
Not only did she teach cursive writing to me, she encouraged my love of writing.
But I remember Mrs. Miller for something else... something very special:
Every Monday, Mrs. Miller would ask us to write our name on a piece of paper torn from our weekly journal, and place it in a toque that she passed around the room. (You can’t get more Canadian than a toque, and for my American friends whom may be unfamiliar with this term, it’s a “ski hat”.)
One by one, we would go to the front of the room and draw a name out of the toque.
Whom ever you drew was your “Secret Pal” for the week.
You had to be kind to that person, do something special for them, and help them without revealing that you drew their name.
At the End of the week, if you could guess whom your secret pal was, you would receive a prize.
During the last week of school in grade 3, I drew Mrs. Miller’s name.
She was my Secret Pal and I was kind to her all week.
I bought her favourite chocolate bar, and wrote in my daily journal about how fabulous she was to all of us.
She guessed that I was her Secret Pal that week, but it was really all of us in her grade 3 class at Richard Secord School that year of ‘79 who won the prize.
Mrs. Miller was our prize.
She was our Pal, and that was no secret.
It just so happens that as I write this, it’s Monday.
Thank you Mrs. Miller.
You were The Best, my favourite, and you will be missed, loved, and cherished.
Your Pal,
Mikey
