I hope your school year is finishing up on a positive note! As busy as things are at West Branch, it’s difficult to imagine we are just a few weeks from graduation. May is also a month where we like to show our gratitude to those who make a difference in our student’s lives.
National Teacher Appreciation Day is on May 8th of this year. This day is part of Teacher Appreciation Week, which is the first full week in May of each year.
West Branch thinks of this day “as a day for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives”.
Teachers play a critical role in educating and shaping our children: the future leaders of our country. They are kind, patient, hard-working, dedicated and understanding professionals that mold our children’s lives in a positive direction. We entrust our children with the teachers, and they affect their lives on a daily basis.
We don’t just stop there by thanking our teachers. We take this week to thank all of our staff including associates, secretaries, nurses, custodians, bus drivers, kitchen staff, and volunteers for everything they do for our students and for our school. Without them, West Branch would not be the school it is today!
May is also School Board Recognition Month, and we want to take some time to thank Greg Hetrick, Keith Schultes, Julie Sexton, Amanda Whaley, and Jodi Yeggy for all that they do serving our students, our staff, and the community of West Branch.
The Iowa Association of School Boards theme for School Board Recognition Month is “Superheroes”. While our board members are elected to the position by the community, they serve unpaid. They’re volunteers who are true superheroes—School boards are charged with making decisions that can sometimes be quite difficult, or require sifting through a great deal of information. They also bear responsibility for developing a vision that will guide the school district for years to come. Through collaboration as a team, and with school district staff, their governance and advocacy are building the future of education here in West Branch. The time and commitment they put into these volunteer roles on a monthly basis is truly appreciated!
Please thank them for volunteering their time and playing a critical civic role that helps form the bedrock of our democracy—public education. As a crucial bridge between the local community and the school district, their efforts are instrumental in helping all of us realize the hopes and dreams we have for the children of West Branch.