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'They're Like My Kids': Dallas ISD Teacher Sends Handwritten Letters To Her Students

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Across the country ​students have had to adjust to at-home school and many are relying on phones, tablets and computers to communicate with their teachers. ​One Dallas ISD teacher is taking it old school by writing them letters which she says is more memorable. ​

When Mikayla Roach​ packed up her ​bags and moved from ​Colorado to Texas ​to teach for Dallas ISD, she thought ​she'd only be with the district for two years. ​

"Taught for ​my two years and just completely ​fell in love with it and ​decided that it's something I couldn't see myself not doing and so I ended ​up staying and now next year will be ​the start of year five," Roach said.

Over the years, the Medrano ​Middle School history teacher ​has formed unbreakable bonds with ​her students, so not seeing them has been hard.​

"They're like my kids," she said.​ "It's not a secret, March to May is the ​best time to be a teacher or a student. You have end of the year ​celebrations and reflections and yearbook ​signings and so it was a sadness​ of like oh my gosh.. I have so many ​words that I want to say to them​ that I haven't been able to say yet." ​

So she started writing those words ​down, sending letters that her students can keep forever. ​

"It's making ​the end of the year more special," she said. "I've sent out ​like 67 letters or something." ​

In return she's asked ​any student that wants to write her a letter ​to send it to the school and she'll ​be sure to write back.

"I have a couple that have started writing back," she said. "Everybody is trying to ​find something special out of this. It's really important to us to make sure they're okay as people and we do everything we can ​to make sure that there's a positive ​spin on something that is pretty ​chaotic for them." ​

Since this all started a few weeks ago, more DISD teachers have jumped on board and started sending letters to their students. They now estimate they're sending hundreds a week.

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