Monday’s early risers on the northern stretches of the path around the Falls were greeted with a mix of snow and cold rain, not the usual expectation for the start of the first full work week in May.
For people in the school business, May is a month of celebration as many school organizations and grade levels have their end-of-the-year concerts, recognition events and annual banquets. I had the chance to go to a couple of these already, and there are more on the docket. It’s worth reflecting on how they represent an important part of the school experience.
Some of these are held at supper clubs, and others might be held in school gyms, the PAC, the high school commons or cafeteria.
What tends to happen in many smaller communities when the venue is a supper club is that there may be only one or two places that can hold a larger group, in our case the Holiday Inn, as noted in last week’s comment about FFA.
The proprietor is a real master of organization with the highest standards of service, including the straightest of lines for the place settings. The majority of his dining staff employees are high school students. His high standards for customer service carry former employees far in life.
A few neighboring school districts also use that facility. It is interesting to see that students from one district may be working as dining staff for an event honoring the students in another district. A couple of nights later, the roles may be reversed.
These banquets bring parents, teachers, administrators and other interested adults together in celebration of students. Few other venues do that as well. The informal conversations, while passing the plate of tips around the table, can build meaningful connections.
We are having more of our banquets in our high school, since it’s a bit more convenient, and programs can seat more people in our Performing Arts Center adjacent to the commons. We have a great food service department that prides itself on its catering service. There tends to be more healthy foods on the menu, and they love experimenting with new menu items.
Regardless of the venue, the real meat and potatoes of these events, if you pardon the pun, center around recognition of the good work of the students. The best recognition programs are run primarily by students, usually the officers of the organizations. Leadership isn’t something tested on standardized tests, but it can be observed as students take to the podium and share the year’s accomplishments. Leadership matters. Student organizations provide that opportunity.
The advisers to these organizations often take a behind-the-scenes role, and let the students stand in the front-row spotlight. However, they may be the people most nervous about whether everything will click off like clockwork. Most advisers are paid for their service, but when one does the math, the hourly rate may not amount to much.
Most of the time, administrators don’t play a big role in these events, but being there is important. These are not classroom observations, but the experience can provide great insight into the health of a program and the engagement of students. Often administrators complain about feeling disconnected from their students, but this is a great opportunity to build those relationships.
With all the recognition and celebration events this month, teachers are often behind the scenes. This week is officially designated as Wisconsin Teacher Appreciation Week. Thinking back, each of us can identify a teacher who had a really significant impact on our lives. As often is the case, we didn’t realize it at the time and never said thanks.
Every year about this time, I get at least one retirement letter. As always, it is with mixed emotions that teachers put these together. There is a great sense of satisfaction working with students as they show a sparkle in their eyes as they gain success with one activity or another.
As part of the exiting process, a letter is written to each of these teachers notifying them that his or her retirement request was granted. Usually, I add a comment that over a long career, a teacher never knows how many lives were positively impacted by their efforts, but they were appreciated.
As parents and community members attend these end of the year events, extending a word of thanks for the teachers’ efforts goes a long way to brightening their outlook on life, even if this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week started with a cold, wet snow.
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