Built With Love: A Thank You From My Heart ❤️
There are moments when I look around My Learning Farm and think, how did I get this lucky? I get to wake up every day and do something I truly, deeply love. I get to work with kids and families, help children discover that learning can feel different, and remind them that hard things can become possible. I get to watch confidence grow and see that moment when a child realizes, “Hey, I CAN do this.” There really isn't anything better.
I get to teach reading, writing, spelling, and math, but I also get to read books with kids, sit outside and listen to the sounds of the farm, plant flowers, snuggle animals, laugh, make messes, explore, create, and celebrate little victories that are actually really big victories. Somehow, all of the things I love most—kids, animals, learning, families, agriculture, and community—have come together in this little place called My Learning Farm. And I am incredibly grateful.
Over the years, My Learning Farm has grown in ways I never could have imagined. What began with a heart for helping my own children-Ava and Ryker has grown into Farm Classes, where kids can get outside, learn about animals and agriculture, explore nature, get their hands dirty, and learn from some pretty incredible people. It has blossomed into READS!, where books become the beginning of an adventure filled with vocabulary, writing, projects, animals, outdoor experiences, and lots of fun. And, of course, at the heart of My Learning Farm is still the individualized work I love so much—sitting beside a child and helping reading, writing, spelling, or math finally begin to make sense. It has sprouted into supporting families as they navigate SPED advocacy and with homeschool and educational consultations and assessments.
But the truth is, I didn't build this dream alone. My family has supported every wild idea, every new program, every animal, every project, and pretty much every “What if we…?” that has come out of my mouth. They have volunteered, hauled things, cleaned things, moved things, cared for animals, helped with classes, listened to endless ideas, and cheered me on every step of the way. Thank you Nick, Ava, Ryker, nonni and nano!
And my husband…there really aren't words. When I say he has literally built my dreams, I mean it. So many things that started as an idea in my head became real because he picked up the tools and figured out how to make them happen. He has built, fixed, moved, repaired, created, problem-solved, and supported this dream over and over again. My Learning Farm simply wouldn't be what it is without him standing beside me and believing that even my craziest ideas are worth building. Thank you Nick!❤️
Then there are my friends—Kim, Jen, Erika, Sabina-too many to count-I am LUCKY. Thank you for showing up. Thank you for volunteering, helping, encouraging me, sharing your talents, and being part of this little community. Thank you for loving this place right alongside me. There is something incredibly special about having people in your life who don't just say they support your dreams—they roll up their sleeves and become part of them.
I am also so grateful for every one of our Farm Class guest speakers who has taken time out of a busy day to come to My Learning Farm and share something they love with our students. You have brought your expertise, your passions, your stories, your careers, and even your animals to the farm because you wanted our kids to experience and learn something special. Those are the experiences children remember, and I don't take a single one of them for granted.
To my families—past and present—thank you for trusting me with your children. That trust means more to me than I can adequately put into words. I know how precious your kids are. I know how much hope, worry, love, advocacy, frustration, and celebration can be wrapped up in a child's learning journey. Being invited to walk even a small part of that journey alongside your family is something I will never stop being grateful for.
And then there are my former students. ❤️ The kids who have grown up, graduated, and moved on to college, careers, businesses, adventures, and lives of their own, but who still send me a text, a picture, an update, or a little “Guess what I'm doing?!” Please never stop. I want to hear all of it. I want to know about the classes you passed, the jobs you landed, the places you've traveled, the animals you've raised, the businesses you've started, the scary things you tried anyway, and the dreams you're chasing. Once you've been one of my kids, a little piece of my heart goes with you.
Sometimes when you're busy building something, you don't stop long enough to look around and realize what has been built around you. When I look around My Learning Farm, I see so much more than a business. I see a community. I see kids who have found confidence. I see parents who have trusted me. I see animals who have somehow become some of our very best teachers. I see friendships. I see people giving their time simply because they care. I see my family standing behind me. I see years and years of students whose stories I have been lucky enough to be a tiny part of.
And most of all, I see love. A whole lot of it.
This is one very, very loved girl—and I feel that love. ❤️
And maybe that's why I'm so excited about what comes next for this little business built from love.
My Learning Farm will keep doing the things that have become such an important part of who we are—individualized academic instruction, Farm Classes, READS!, summer learning, and opportunities for kids to learn in ways that feel meaningful, joyful, and connected to the real world. But there are some new things beginning to grow, too. 🌱
Next year, I am planning small-group math class: Multiply & Divide (8 students 3-6th grades) as well as career exploration group class: Growing Futures (10 students 5-12 grades) designed to help kids discover their strengths, interests, possibilities, and the many different paths their futures might take. Interest Lists forming: https://www.mylearningfarm.com/calendar
Just like everything at My Learning Farm, I want these groups to stay small and intentional. I don't have dreams of filling giant classrooms. I want to know the kids sitting around the table. I want them to feel seen. I want there to be room for questions, conversation, encouragement, laughter, and individualized support. That means space will always be quite limited—and I'm okay with that. That's part of what makes My Learning Farm, My Learning Farm.
Interest lists are beginning to form now for upcoming classes and programs. Families who think one of these opportunities might be a good fit can explore what's growing next and join an interest list through the My Learning Farm calendar.
Thank you for believing in me, for believing in My Learning Farm, and for helping me create a life where I get to spend my days doing what I love most: loving kids, supporting families, helping children learn, caring for animals, and watching all kinds of things grow.
I don't know exactly where this little farm will take us next, but goodness, I am grateful for every single person who has helped us grow along the way.
From the very bottom of my heart, thank you. 🌻❤️
Happy Learning, Sara
Comments