The email that went out to families yesterday:
Hello Language Arts and Photography families,
First, thank you all so much for being who you are, and for being a part of my extended da Vinci family. The outpouring of kind words and support has been overwhelming, and I'm thankful every moment to be part of such an incredible community. As many of you undoubtedly now know, my situation changed on Friday when I was unexpectedly diagnosed with breast cancer. After a litany of tests these past few days, we have determined an aggressive course of action to fight back. In this effort, I will have to take a medical leave and will not be able to return to teaching this school year.
As you can imagine, the diagnosis, coupled with having to relinquish my classroom for the foreseeable future, has been quite a difficult shock. Next Monday, I will begin a four month round of chemotherapy. Assuming this goes according to plan, I will likely need a complete mastectomy of my left breast after completion of the chemo. For my age group and diagnosis, there is a 99.1% survival rate, so while this is going to be an exceedingly difficult time, we know this is just a bump in the road.
In my opinion, one of the most important aspects of teaching is modeling the traits we think well rounded adults should exhibit, and I believe wholeheartedly in openness and mutual respect. We foster community by supporting others when they need it and by admitting when we need it ourselves. Within this difficult work, teachers grow and our students grow, and I believe mutual respect demands it. In that spirit, I spoke to the students today about the situation and we had a very open and honest conversation. I am so proud of their strength and support, and I know we will help each other to get through these tough times.
Thank you all again! I can't believe I get to be a part of this community, and I don't think I can properly express my gratitude for the incredible kindness and love I've received from everyone. So many people have already asked how they can help, and I promise we will let you all know when we have a system in place - my parents and partner are helping to set up an online site that will organize all that stuff for us. In the meantime, I hope to see you all soon, and I welcome your help in kicking cancer's ass!
Jasmine Spiegel
Hello Language Arts and Photography families,
First, thank you all so much for being who you are, and for being a part of my extended da Vinci family. The outpouring of kind words and support has been overwhelming, and I'm thankful every moment to be part of such an incredible community. As many of you undoubtedly now know, my situation changed on Friday when I was unexpectedly diagnosed with breast cancer. After a litany of tests these past few days, we have determined an aggressive course of action to fight back. In this effort, I will have to take a medical leave and will not be able to return to teaching this school year.
As you can imagine, the diagnosis, coupled with having to relinquish my classroom for the foreseeable future, has been quite a difficult shock. Next Monday, I will begin a four month round of chemotherapy. Assuming this goes according to plan, I will likely need a complete mastectomy of my left breast after completion of the chemo. For my age group and diagnosis, there is a 99.1% survival rate, so while this is going to be an exceedingly difficult time, we know this is just a bump in the road.
In my opinion, one of the most important aspects of teaching is modeling the traits we think well rounded adults should exhibit, and I believe wholeheartedly in openness and mutual respect. We foster community by supporting others when they need it and by admitting when we need it ourselves. Within this difficult work, teachers grow and our students grow, and I believe mutual respect demands it. In that spirit, I spoke to the students today about the situation and we had a very open and honest conversation. I am so proud of their strength and support, and I know we will help each other to get through these tough times.
Thank you all again! I can't believe I get to be a part of this community, and I don't think I can properly express my gratitude for the incredible kindness and love I've received from everyone. So many people have already asked how they can help, and I promise we will let you all know when we have a system in place - my parents and partner are helping to set up an online site that will organize all that stuff for us. In the meantime, I hope to see you all soon, and I welcome your help in kicking cancer's ass!
Jasmine Spiegel