Open Letter to the Educational Community of CEIP Doctor Calatayud of Aspe
I have always believed in the importance and value of change: it makes us grow, compels us to keep learning, and keeps us alert. In a school, standing still is not an option: we must move and change just as our kids do, teaching us every day to see the world through a different lense.
As you know, I have been feeling for some time that it is also time for me to change, to return to being a teacher, to reconnect with that initial vocation from another place, with renewed energy. These last years, though beautiful, have also been very hard.
This school, its students, its teachers, its families… have been my life for these twelve years, and I feel enormously fortunate. Leading this center has been an immense honor. Doctor Calatayud will always be a part of me, and I will remember your town and its people with great affection.
Many people have supported and helped me in this work over the years, starting with María Luisa, who gave me the opportunity to take on the role, and continuing with each and every one of you reading this right now.
Infinite thanks to those who have recognized my commitment, enthusiasm, and daily dedication. You have been my driving force. Thanks to your support, I went home each day thinking about how to improve and woke up every morning eager to rise to the occasion. Thanks also to those who did not see it. To those who offered criticism or resistance, thinking that the school and I were your enemies: unknowingly, you helped me grow and appreciate all the good things even more.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, to the families, especially those who are or were part of the AMPA. Your involvement has been exemplary. It has been a pleasure to work side by side with you, always for the benefit of the school.
Thanks to all the staff in the cleaning and dining services, because I could always count on you despite the difficulties.
Thanks to Jose Antonio, our janitor: colleague, friend, and an example of kindness and commitment. Working alongside you has made me a better person.
Thanks to the Aspe City Council, from the mayor to each councilor with whom I have had the pleasure of working. You never left us alone. Special thanks to the Department of Education and social services: Yolanda, Emiliano, Paqui, Begoña… without your closeness, wisdom, and support, everything would have been much more difficult.
Thanks to my fellow principals of the schools in Aspe, past and present: only you know how difficult it has been at times. You are an impressive team, and it has been a privilege to share the journey with you.
Thanks to the faculty of Doctor Calatayud, for your dedication, your patience, for enduring my craziness, my intensity, and also my outbursts. I have never met a better team.
Special thanks to Esther and Eva. There are not enough words to express what I am feeling. Your constant support, your joy, your work capacity, your affection… along with the rest of the faculty, you are the soul of this school. Doctor Calatayud is very lucky to have you.
Thanks also to the education inspectors who have accompanied me on this journey: Emma, Raúl, Bárbara. Thank you for guiding me, supporting me, and putting up with me. Thank you for always seeing beyond the difficulties.
And thanks, with very special affection, to my class of the 2015 cohort and their families. You were the beginning of something great and the reason I fell in love with this school.
I leave with my heart full of memories, lessons, emotions, and people who have profoundly marked me. Thank you, thank you, a thousand times thank you. It has been an unforgettable adventure.
With all my affection and gratitude,
Daniel