An Appreciative update!...WPS 5-1-22
May starts off with Teacher Appreciation Week. Please join me in thanking our incredibly gifted and caring staff. Everyday they work tirelessly to prioritize student centered learning environments, build positive relationships, and provide the necessary support our students need to be successful. Teaching is truly a calling and we appreciate their service.
Every year as we appreciate the teachers in our schools, the focus certainly includes the entire staff, as well. Our schools are filled with educators of all kinds and with all different responsibilities. All of our students interact with a teacher regularly but they might not always know all of the work being done by the other professionals in the buildings. From our teaching assistants working directly with students on a daily basis to our nurses who prioritize everyone’s health, safety and overall well-being, it truly takes a team effort to create welcoming learning environments for everyone to succeed. While classroom teachers are certainly the lionshare of the educators for whom we think about during this week, we acknowledge all of those with whom they collaborate, as well. School counselors provide tremendous support to our students as do our social workers and school psychologists. Our custodians and facilities crew maintain our ability to safely utilize our buildings and fields, our food service teams provide often creative and always nutritional sustenance, our drivers ensure our students arrive and leave everyday, and we all know that the administrative assistants are the backbone of every organization.
I know how proud the entire leadership team is of the people they serve and that they appreciate the great work being done. I am appreciative of all of them, as well. The principals, assistant principals, curriculum coordinators and special education team chairs have all collaborated to move us forward this year and that is greatly appreciated. The staff here in the Millenium Building have welcomed me with grace and humor and their dedication, partnership and regular counsel is also always appreciated.
During Monday night’s School Committee meeting, I was able to introduce Ms. Magaly Rodriguez Ronan as our new Director of Equity, Curriculum and Instruction. She will be joining us officially on July 1, 2022 but is already taking the opportunity to meet her new colleagues and start building relationships. I am very grateful for the support that we have received from both the School Committee and our leadership team as we reimagine our structure and establish this new position.
May also ushers in the season of ceremonies and celebrations, as well. As we enter the last two months of the school year… our seniors remind us it is really their last month…the number of events begin to pile up quickly and fill the calendar. The month is truly filled with opportunities to appreciate and honor the accomplishments of our students and the contributions of our staff. While I would like to think that we are all always showing our appreciation of each other, it is great to have a very specific time to do so, as well.
With that, let the appreciation commence!