| Each year in America, the first week in May is set aside as Teacher Appreciation Week. In the Spring Lake Park Schools, we use that opportunity to celebrate all employees of our school district, because each one makes a significant difference in the lives of our children—your children.
Our custodians keep the hallways and classrooms clean and bright. They work on old boilers, ancient water pipes, and weather-worn roofs, and they keep them functioning well for the safety, protection, and comfort of our children.
Our paraprofessionals, tech support, and media staff are all considered instructional support staff as are our counselors and school nurses. They and others work hand-in-hand with classroom teachers and parents to ensure that our students get the support they need both in and outside the classrooms of our schools.
They stay current with educational programming, with multiple levels of current events, both statewide and nationally, and they daily greet and work with our children with patience and caring and always with our goal in mind: "High Expectations, High Achievement for All, No Excuses."
The food service staff, bus drivers, and our office staff also have multiple roles, but an overriding priority is that of helping our children feel comfortable and welcome each time they interact with them. Every staff member is a vital member of our team and vital to providing for the needs of our students and families.
Many of our staff members choose to remain with us for twenty, thirty, or more years. This is a much-appreciated display of loyalty to our schools, communities, children, and families.
Minnesota schools have some of the finest teachers in the world, and Spring Lake Park Schools is certainly no exception. Spring, and especially the month of May, provides an opportunity for parents to feel and express their appreciation to the classroom teachers, coaches, and principals who have most directly influenced their children throughout this past year.
Teachers recognize that they are not the student’s first teacher; the parent or guardian is the first and most important teacher. However, our teachers know that they must provide the knowledge, skills, support, and time over and above that which parents are able to provide. A classroom teacher has between 20 and 30 students in a homeroom, and the middle and high school and teacher may have as many as 135 students throughout the day. For them to be able to know and to treat each child as one "of their own" is a monumental task that they undertake year after year.
Yet that’s what makes our teachers and staff so special—they don’t consider it a task, it’s more like a calling. They choose this profession because they know they’ll have an opportunity to positively impact children—because they know they can provide for other students the same kind of nurturing learning environment that others once did for them.
So my challenge to you is this: use these next few weeks before school adjourns for the summer to encourage your children to write a note, to send a card, to simply thank the teachers and other staff members who have influenced them over the course of this past school year.
Even better, do it yourself as well. None of us is an island. There have been many who have positively influenced our lives—even our adult lives, and we ought to let them know how much we appreciate their efforts.
For the record, the staff and school board appreciate your loyalty and support as well.
Thanks! |
