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June 7 2009
Dear Miss Karen Goepen

Throughout the short period that I have had to endure high school (so far it has been about 2 and a half) I have come to try and adapt to all the changes that one has to make in high school. Bad grades, good grades, bad friends, good friends, all that and more, but there has been no greater lose then that of a wondrous teacher such as yourself.

I have come to realize that in life lose becomes apart of an everyday routine. At home there are lost house keys, lost plates and lost cutlery. At school there is lost homework, lost text books and lost pens and pencils. These I have learnt to deal with for I experience them more then expected, but I guess that is life. Although I may be accustomed to these things there is so much more I concern myself on losing, be it the lose of a amazing friend or the lose of pretty darn good teacher. Suddenly after losing all these things once or twice you realize that maybe that they left you in the past because they weren’t meant to be in your future. After this realization you try to keep the ones that are meant to be in your future closer to you. Although this might be true, I could lose a millions papers, a million house keys etc. but one thing I can not possibly bare is to lose is teacher like you.

Words can not even come close to describing how thankful I am to have had you here to guide me through my English academic career. If not for you, I wouldn’t have been able to write some of my most amazing poetry or short stories, my essays would be crap and my grammar would be even worse then it already is in this letter. Not only have you been an inspiration in learning also in becoming who I am today. One thing you have taught me not by teaching but by example is kindness. When ever I have done something wrong to someone I remember that I am trying to emulate you, and that in your ways you would never do something wrong to someone. “Goepen is tough but kind” I used to tell all my friends that would be entering your class. I also told them that because of this they would be very thankful to have had you as an educator. Apparently after grad last night I am not the only one who is thankful to have met you.

Your speech last night was amazing and I knew that only you could have written it. It was funny, touching and finally it was honest. My wish to you Miss Goepen is; please do not ever forget crescent heights and the ones that you helped to grow. Like you said there are so many people out there that love you, and that we as people should never forget that. That means you too! Are you going to be or not? As you might miss us, we will never forget you Miss Goepen. To finalize this I have taking a poem from E.E Cummings that I look at as one of my favorites.


Yours truly


Sascha Stewart-Burgoyne, grade 10




i carry your heart with me
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
ee cummings