If your child is starting a new school year in active or post-treatment, one of the most useful things you can do is hand the teacher a thoughtful letter before the first day.

This is the letter template we use, with permission from a few other cancer families. Adapt freely.

What the letter does

It gives the teacher a head start

Teachers often inherit information about students through hurried emails, snippets from administrators, or summer paperwork they did not have time to read. A clear, parent-written letter cuts through. It gives the teacher a frame.

It humanizes your child

A medical chart is not a child. The letter helps the teacher see a kid first and a medical situation second.

It opens the door for an early conversation

After the teacher reads the letter, they will usually want to follow up. That conversation will be easier because they have already been oriented.

The template

(Copy and adapt the text below. Add specifics from your family. Send via email a few weeks before school starts, or in person on meet-the-teacher night.)

Dear [Teacher's name],

Thank you for being our child's teacher this year. We are looking forward to a wonderful year and want to introduce ourselves and share a little bit about [child's name] before the school year begins.

[Child's name] was diagnosed with [diagnosis, in plain English] in [year]. They completed active treatment in [year/season] and are now in [remission / off active treatment / maintenance therapy / etc.]. They are doing well.

Here are a few things we want you to know about [child's name]:

About [child's name] as a person

[Two or three sentences about your child's personality, interests, what they love, what makes them feel safe at school. Specific is better than general.]

Example: "[Name] loves dinosaurs, building things with Magna-Tiles, and reading anything about animals. He is shy with new adults but warms up quickly. He loves it when teachers ask him about his weekend."

What we are watching medically

[Child's name] is followed by the pediatric oncology team at [hospital] for survivorship care. They have follow-up appointments [frequency]. The medical things relevant to the school day include:

· [List any current medications taken at school]

· [Any physical activity restrictions]

· [Any sensory or fatigue considerations]

· [Any infection-control considerations, especially during cold and flu season]

· [Anything else that is relevant for the classroom]

Accommodations in our 504/IEP plan

[Child's name] has a [504 plan / IEP] that includes [specific accommodations]. We will make sure you have a copy. Highlights include:

· [Modified PE participation if relevant]

· [Permission to leave class for water/bathroom/sensory break without asking]

· [Modified attendance expectations for medical appointments]

· [Access to a quiet space for rest if needed]

· [Other accommodations]

What we have told the class

We have [chosen to share / chosen not to share] [child's name]'s diagnosis with the class. If a classmate asks [child's name] about their hair, scars, port, etc., [child's name] is comfortable saying [child's preferred script].

If you have questions about how to handle classmate questions or social situations, please feel free to reach out.

What we are watching emotionally

[Child's name] is a regular kid who has been through a hard thing. They may have moments of:

· Fatigue, especially later in the day

· Sensory overwhelm in loud or chaotic spaces

· Anxiety around anything that resembles a medical procedure

· Questions about their body or their classmates' bodies

· Pride in being part of a family that has been through something significant

We have coached them through small scripts for these moments. They are also adjusting.

How to reach us

The best way to reach us is by [email / phone / class app]. Please contact us about anything, including the small things. We would rather hear from you about something small than miss something bigger.

We will be available for a sit-down meeting before the first day, ideally with you, the school nurse, and the special education coordinator. [Suggest a time window.]

A note on partnership

We are grateful you are our child's teacher. We will be your partner this year. We will tell you when something is going on at home that might show up in the classroom. We hope you will do the same.

Thank you for everything you do.

With love and partnership,

[Your name(s)]

[Contact information]

Tips for using the template

Keep it to two pages or less

Teachers receive a lot of paperwork. Two pages of clear, parent-written context will be read. Five pages will be skimmed.

Lead with your child as a person

Diagnosis information matters. Personhood matters more. Open with who your child is.

Be specific about accommodations

Vague accommodations are hard to act on. "Allow rest breaks" is harder for a teacher to implement than "Permission to walk to the corner reading nook for 5 minutes when needed, without asking."

Acknowledge that the teacher is the expert in the classroom

You are the expert on your child. They are the expert on the classroom. The letter is a starting place for a partnership, not a directive.

Update it each year

Children change. Diagnoses progress. Accommodations evolve. Rewrite the letter for each new teacher.

A note for the teacher reading this

If you are a teacher who has received a letter like this one (or you would like to receive one), thank you for being the kind of teacher who reads it carefully. The families who write these letters are pouring trust into your classroom. Your willingness to receive it is part of what makes the school year safer for the child and the family.

A note for the parent reading this

Writing the letter is one of the practical things you can do this August. Block twenty minutes. Use the template. Adapt it. Send it.

It is one of the small acts that sets your child up for a softer school year.

Dina
Mom of Max | Founder, Maxwell’s Toy Shoppe
Childhood Cancer Advocate 💛

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