Opinion: Teacher receives outpouring of kindness

Visiting Cameo Elementary recently, I found myself in conversation with veteran kindergarten teacher Deanna Cole. Among the many wonderful things she’s doing with her young students, a couple of items jumped out.

Cole, now in her 25th year of teaching, originally came to Clovis with her military family and graduated from Clovis High School, followed by bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Eastern New Mexico University.

When Cole’s daughter was very young and she was volunteering at the preschool, a retired teacher overheard Cole reading books to the preschoolers, and emphatically insisted Cole should become a teacher. That she did and never looked back.

Cole is known for her easy, outgoing warmth and positive outlook, and the day I chatted with her, she was as upbeat and cheerful as ever. However, I heard for the first time that at the end of last school year, Cole was diagnosed with a rare, fast-growing type of breast cancer; this explained why she was wearing a turban head wrap.

During the course of the summer, Cole underwent multiple associated surgeries, followed by other treatments, including chemo. As Cole described the challenges, she insisted that she only touched on her personal story because she wanted others to know about the overwhelming outpouring of love and support from her students, their families, and the Cameo school staff.

At the beginning of this school year, Cole had to explain to her current and former students why she looked different. The result was immediate: an outpouring of love. Cole insisted again, “The only reason I’m sharing this is to let you know how wonderful and loving my kids, their parents, and the Cameo staff have been. My parents continually bring me gifts and always ask what they can do, how they can help; the same with my students.

“They all have such kind, loving hearts. The whole school — every student — tied pink ribbons on the fences around Cameo. I have never felt so surrounded with such love and support while going through this.”

There were many demonstrations of the support she’s received. “Also, my classroom is next to the main entrance where students arrive each morning. This means I get a thousand hugs a day,” she continued, laughing.

When I saw the quote from Proverbs 31:25 on the pink T-shirts Cameo staff had made, that summed it up perfectly: “She is clothed with strength and dignity and laughs without fear.”

Cindy Kleyn-Kennedy is the instructional technology coordinator for the Clovis Municipal Schools. She can be reached at: [email protected]