Thank You Teachers!

Thank You Teachers!
Posted on 05/03/2018

Teacher Appreciation Week is Monday, May 7- Friday, May 11, and National Teacher Appreciation Day is Tuesday, May 8, 2018.  According to information from Hallmark and the National Parent Teacher Association, people in the United States started celebrating National Teacher Day in 1953, when Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded Congress to set aside a day to recognize educators. Then, in 1984, the National PTA designated the first week of May as a special time to honor those who lend their passion and skills to educating our children.

In Menomonie, we are very fortunate to be living in an area very rich in educational opportunities. Between the wonderful teachers who work in our school district, to the educators working at Chippewa Valley Technical College and the University of Wisconsin- Stout, all of these teachers have a tremendous impact in our schools and in our community.

While we take this opportunity to thank our school teachers, it might also be appropriate to thank those in our lives who have taken the time and energy to teach us outside of school. In most cases, our parents are our first teachers in life, and there are often many other family members, neighbors, friends, and community members who help shape us into who we have become. In my life, I was fortunate to grow up in a loving family and a supportive community with many wonderful teachers. My mom had a great career as an elementary teacher, and my dad was a very successful physical education teacher and coach. They taught my brothers and me many valuable lessons, some of which we may have even learned the “hard way”.

Even with both of my parents being terrific parents and talented professional educators, there is no way that they could have done it alone. I can still vividly remember learning about math from my elementary teachers, Mrs. Parker and Mrs. Austin, and my sixth grade teacher Ms. Reali. Their work with me really paid off when I continued to progress in my learning under other great math teachers like Mr. Kabele, Mr. Schmitz, and Mr. Ciolkosz. My eighth grade teacher, Mrs. Rowley, taught me a lot about English, and Mr. Bradley helped me realize that reading and writing could actually be fun. Mr. Van Dueren challenged me to take my writing ability to a higher level, while Mr. Andringa, Mr. Searock, and Mr. Marshall helped inspire me to become a chemistry/physics teacher. There were more great teachers in Portage like Mr. Koerner, Mr. Weissinger, Mr. Bednarek and so many others that helped me develop both as a student and a person. Now, I see the great teachers in the School District of the Menomonie Area doing the same for my kids and the other children in our community.

It takes a special person to be a teacher, and the impact that teachers have on our lives is huge. Not only do our teachers do a great job in the classroom, but many also serve as coaches, advisors, mentors, and volunteers for various school and community groups. Teachers in the Menomonie Area, and all across our country, deserve our sincere thanks and gratitude for all of their great work. Please join me next week in thanking our teachers for all that they do for our children, our schools, and our community.

Should school stakeholders have any questions about Teacher Appreciation Week or anything else in our school district, I invite you to visit the Administrative Service Center on Pine Avenue or contact me at 715-232-1642.  More information about our schools can be found on the school district website (www.sdmaonline.com) and on Twitter (www.twitter.com/sdmaonline).