This piece is named after Rand Jurf, a Kindergarten teacher who has been teaching for 10 years. When asked why she picked teaching as a profession she said she comes from a family of teachers so she truly believes it is in her blood. She’s also married to a teacher! Rand always wanted to do something meaningful and make a positive impact in kids’ lives. She wants to make kids, especially those from vulnerable communities, feel loved, safe and cared for and to help them build resilience in order to break the cycle and become the success stories they never thought they’d be. When asked what her favourite part of teaching was Rand explained it was the relationship building with her students and being the constant, loving adult they can depend on to be there daily. She continued to explain that, although it may sound lame, she loves the moments shared with her students while dancing, singing, laughing, playing together and being completely goofy along with having the opportunity to watch their faces light up as they learn something new and gain confidence. Rand states that it is not all rainbows and butterflies in Kindergarten like people might think, and they don’t just play all day. She has been bit, kicked, punched, scratched, threatened and spat on by 4- and 5-year-old kids who have experienced more trauma than she could ever think possible. She’s been asked why she still does it, almost daily, and the answer is…kids can’t help the situations they are born into, if every teacher is going to run away when it gets hard, what chance do these kids have? As hard as it is some days, she stays because seeing the pure happiness on their face when they’ve realized she won’t hurt or abandon them and that she truly loves and cares for them, makes it all worthwhile for her. At the end of the day, as physically and emotionally exhausted as she is, she knows that for 8 hours those little ones felt loved and safe, had all of their basic needs met and enjoyed school. When we asked Rand what struggles she faced when COVID forced schools to shutdown, she explained it was really challenging for her. Unfortunately, many of her students depend on school for their basics needs and school was their only safe place. Without notice, that safe place was gone and she had no way of checking in on her students or seeing them. She hand delivered learning packages to each house every 3 weeks just hoping to catch the kids in the window and make sure they were okay. Not knowing if her students were safe or being fed led to many sleepless nights and a lot of tears. When asked what her biggest concern is for the new school year, she explained the following; finding a way to follow the COVID guidelines and protocols to ensure her safety and the safety of her students and EA while still being able to support her students’ social emotional needs, the area they struggle with the most. Also, teaching students with special needs, requires a lot of physical assistance and hands-on support, as all Kindergarten students do during their first experience in school, this is tricky when she is supposed to keep a 2-meter distance. When asked what advice would she give her students this school year she said she would advise them not to worry and feel anxious because she will keep them safe, take care of them and make Kindergarten the most fun and memorable experience, Inshallah!
The model in this picture is wearing a small and is 5'3. The amazing part of this dress is that it has dropped sleeves, which allows for more room in the chest and the arms. The added bonus to this dress is that it comes with a belt but you can also replace it with your own belt. This fabric is made out of satin silk.
Size Guide:
Small- Chest:45" Waist:35" Length:57"
Medium- Chest:48" Waist: 36" Length:57"
Large- Chest: 51" Waist: 41" Length: 57"
Extra Large- Chest: 54" Waist: 44" Length: 57"