Our Marvelous Teachers

Can you believe it? This is the 15th blog post celebrating all 15 marvelous years of our school – right here inside the Ronald McDonald House. We have loved sharing about our awesome students, the wonderful volunteers and all of the aspects of this special family service. Today, we celebrate the teachers who make this program happen! We are so fortunate to have Cindy Britain as our Teacher and Libby Hoops as our Assistant Teacher. Their styles blend and complement each other in amazing ways and to see them in action is truly remarkable.

In 2006, Mrs. Hoops joined our team. Every day, she brings her calm, soft-spoken nature to the classroom. As she works, Mrs. Hoops uniquely  observes exactly what each student needs. It may be a compliment, guiding him or her to an alternative method, or just the support to master an unfamiliar or challenging task. Mrs. Hoops also brings her insight to staff as we work to determine the most effective way to continue to provide support and guidance to students. Her perspective is so valuable! She has the unique gift of seeing challenges as opportunities. You are a gift to us, Mrs. Hoops! Thank you for your dedication to our mission.



Mrs. Hoops (left) and Mrs. Britain (right) work together to support and nurture RMH students. They are a dream team! :)

Back in 1998, Mrs. Britain joined the RMH team as the first (and only) teacher at our newly opened school. What an awesome day that was! Mrs. Britain has nurtured, cared for and encouraged growth in the program – in the same way as she nurtures, cares for and encourages growth in her students. The enthusiasm Mrs. Britain has for teaching is visible in the faces of each student. They are inspired to learn! Mrs. Britain loves to continually update and build out curriculum for each student. This is no small task, considering new students enroll throughout the year.

Wrapped up in her enthusiasm for teaching and inspiring students to develop a fundamental love of learning, is her love and dedication to each of "her kids." Mrs. B is tuned in to the whole child and works to strike a balance between the emotional and academic health of each student. The circumstances that bring families to stay at the Ronald McDonald House are complex. Students here are experiencing unthinkably difficult realities. Each day, it is Mrs. B's mission for each child to feel loved, supported and successful. This method includes setting high (but attainable!) academic expectations. And...you know what? In the midst of the challenges students face, with the love and support they feel in our classroom, they meet and often surpass these expectations! How amazing is that?!

Thank you, Mrs. Britain! The Ronald McDonald House thanks you and each of the 500+ students whose lives you have touched and changed throughout the past 15 years thanks you! You and Mrs. Hoops are our mission in action.  

Mrs. Britain (above) has been the RMH teacher for the past 15 years – since the school opened!



 

Race for Grace!

Thanks to community support in Baxter, Minnesota last Memorial Day weekend, the Ronald McDonald House – Oak Street "Help Yourself" pantry was fully stocked through the first annual Race for Grace! Parents, Jake and Alyssa stayed with us after Grace was born in May 2011. They organized the annual Race for Grace Memorial 5K walk/run to remember Grace and continue serving others in her honor.

This year, the funds raised will support our friends at Faith’s Lodge. Faith's Lodge does such amazing work for families. Their mission is to provide a place where parents and families facing the serious illness or death of a child can retreat to reflect on the past, renew strength for the present, and build hope for the future.

We support the wonderful Lee family and invite others to join them on Sunday, May 26 for the second annual Race For Grace. For more information, find "Race for Grace" on Facebook or learn more on the race website.

Kids like Emmie (above) are so thankful to have convenient snacks available in the "Help Yourself" pantry.

"How could we ensure Maya received all of the support and love she deserved and needed? The RMH filled in the gaps."

Kindergarten is a big year. When folks say “Oh, they just play in kindergarten!" We know it's so much more than that. Kindergarten is the foundation and the beginning of a lifetime of learning. When students begin kindergarten at our school, our teachers pay close attention to this critical transition in the child’s life as it coincides with all the other stress, transitions and loss they may be experiencing. Former student, Maya, made the transition to kindergarten at the same time she made many other difficult moves in her young life. Maya and her family were living and working in Senegal, West Africa when one of her brothers was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer. Her brother’s treatment brought them to Minnesota...and brought Maya to our school to begin kindergarten.



Maya joined our school from Senegal, West Africa for her brother's 16-month medical treatment.

Tina, (Maya’s mom) shares...

"When I see the photos of the staff and students at the RMH School, I can’t help but smile from ear to ear. They. Are. Amazing. Our eldest daughter, Maya, started kindergarten at the RMH in September 2011. Just a year and a half prior, she had gracefully grown through a dramatic life change, when she became the big sister to triplets in January 2010. Yet, she was faced with even more transitions to come. In April 2011, one of her brothers, Khalil, was diagnosed with high-risk stage IV Neuroblastoma and within days, Maya had to say goodbye to all of her friends and loved ones and we packed up the only home she’d ever known and moved from Senegal, West Africa to Minnesota so her brother could begin a 16-month intensive treatment to combat cancer."

"It was a difficult time, a tough diagnosis, a logistically complicated move, and just plain challenging with one-year-old triplets.  How could we ensure Maya received all of the support and love she deserved and needed? The RMH filled in the gaps."

"The truth is, looking back, if I had to choose a school for our kids to attend, medical crisis or not, it would be the RMH school. Why? The RMH school sees and connects with the whole child. Each child is nurtured, inspired, given challenges, opportunities and support to thrive regardless of his or her circumstance. Academically and socially Maya blossomed. The staff worked tirelessly to create a family within the classroom and the empathy and compassion each child learned in that setting was matched by the empathy and compassion shown by the staff."

"Maya regularly says how much she misses the RMH school and how she wishes every school could be just like it. When I ask her why and what she liked about it, she always says first, “The people."  Then she says, “My friends, the castle, and the food." She was surrounded by love and inspired to learn there. Her strongest memories of the year and a half her younger brother battled cancer in Minnesota were not of fear or loneliness or sadness, but of being surrounded by love, friendship, warmth and safety. I know the staff and volunteers of the school have made a huge difference not just in who Maya is today, but who she will be in the future, and for that we are FOREVER GRATEFUL."

Maya shares her memories...

Maya even learned to ride a bike without training wheels while at the RMH!

Thank you for sharing your story with us, Maya! You are an amazing, resilient young lady and we're honored to know and love you and your family.








"We heard they had a school there, but little did we know the lasting impact it would have on our lives!"

Wes and his family are part of our RMH family!

Wes and his family first came to stay at the House soon after his sister, Ireland, was born. Ireland has several serious conditions that require ongoing medical care. During long stretches in the hospital, Wes and his family stay at the RMH to be near her.

Wes and his family have been spending time at the RMH since Wes was a toddler. In fact, he attended our RMH school for most of his Kindergarten year into first grade. During that time, Wes made many friends. As his mom, Shanna, points out, he learned to say good-bye to many friends too; as they headed home while Wes and his family stayed on for Ireland's continued care. Wes learned so much about medical conditions while he was here at the House. We were all touched when he announced his plan to grow his beautiful, red hair to donate to Locks of Love®, supporting kids going through chemo. Wes is wonderfully compassionate and loves to help others.  

 

Inspired by his sister and the other kids he came to know at the RMH, Wes grew his hair to donate to Locks of Love.

 

We love to see kids make a difference!

After Wes left the RMH, we experienced a first for the school; a chance to visit a student's  hometown school. Our teacher, Mrs. B, and Persis (Director of Family Services) helped students learn about Ireland's conditions, what children experience at the Ronald McDonald House, and how we help families stay together. It was a wonderful visit and something we wish we could to for every student.  

 

Shanna (Wes' mom) shares her memories….

"We had our first stay at the Ronald McDonald House in 2008, just a few months after Ireland was born. Wes was 2½ years old. We heard they had a school there, but little did we know the lasting impact it would have on our lives! When I asked Wes what his favorite part of going to school at the RMH was, his reply was, "We'll that's easy. The teacher!" Wes has such great memories of that time. He frequently looks through his RMH scrapbook and Ireland loves looking at it, too! Wes formed friendships that will last a lifetime! The kids there form such special bonds and help each other through tough times. The hardest part of leaving the Ronald McDonald House for Wes was leaving behind his friends and of course his teachers. The RMH staff does such a wonderful job helping kids as well as parents through these difficult transitions. Having a sick child is stressful enough. It was so reassuring not to have to worry about Wes academically on top of everything else."

Sibling love at the RMH! Devin, Ireland and Wes. 
- Photo by Jim Bovin

 

"Wes turned 8 years old yesterday. His time at the Ronald McDonald House has definitely helped shape him into the wonderful little boy he is today.  Thank you, Ronald McDonald House and staff!"

 

Happy Birthday, Wes! We're so glad to have you as part of our RMH family.