A US father gave his school principal a lesson in important life after being scolded for taking his kids out of school for a family trip.
Mike Rossi, a part-time radio personality and father from Rydal, Pennsylvania, took his 9-year-old twins on a three-day vacation to watch the Boston Marathon on April 20.
This wasn’t just a family trip: it was a dream come true for Rossi, who completed the race despite a shoulder injury.
On Saturday, a few days after her family returned home, Rossi received the following letter from the school’s principal: “I call this a nasty letter,” Rossi, 47, told Yahoo Parenting.
Source: Facebook.
The letter from the school principal was addressed to “Dear Mr. and Mrs. Rossi.”
“We understand that your family recently took a family trip. Regardless of the nature of the trip, please understand that family trips are not an acceptable excuse for absence from school in the Abington School District.”
Hoping to hear her friends’ opinions, Rossi posted a photo of the letter, along with her own response, to Facebook, where it has since gone viral, with over 32,000 shares and over 230 likes.
The full text is as follows:
To the Principal
I appreciate your concern for your children’s education, but I can promise you that they learned as much in five days in Boston as they would in a year of school.
Our children had a once in a lifetime experience that cannot be replicated in a classroom or a book.
During the three days off school (and standardized tests that could be taken at any time), students learned about commitment, responsibility, love, perseverance, overcoming adversity, civic pride, patriotism, American history, culinary arts and physical education.
Mike Rossi and his family at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Photo credit: Facebook.
They have watched their father overcome injuries, inclement weather, the death of loved ones and many other obstacles to achieve important personal goals.
They also experienced firsthand the love and support of thousands of people rooting for those with a common goal.
At the marathon, they watched as blind runners, runners with prosthetic limbs and serious illnesses, and people running to raise money for great causes, ran in the world’s most prestigious and historic marathon.
They also mourned the victims of senseless acts of terrorism and learned that no matter what evil may occur, terrorists cannot stop the American spirit.
These are things you can never truly learn in a classroom.
Mike Rossi holds his Boston Marathon medal. Photo credit: Facebook.
Additionally, our children walked the Freedom Trail and visited the sites of the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre, as well as the graves of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
These are things that they will be learning in school a year or so from now, so our kids are actually ahead of the curve.
They also visited an aquarium, tasted delicious food, and got hours of exercise by walking and swimming.
We are grateful for the efforts of our fantastic teachers and staff and value the education they are receiving at Rydal Primary School – we really love this school.
But I wouldn’t hesitate to pull them out of school again because of an experience like what they had last week.
Thank you for your time.
Sincerely,
Michael Rossi
Since the letter was widely circulated, Rossi has met with representatives from the school to discuss the matter.
“It was a very constructive meeting where both sides had the opportunity to discuss and convey their feelings,” he wrote on his Facebook page on Wednesday.
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