Patrick Henry Post

This week, we were thrilled to celebrate our amazing Patrick Henry staff for Educator Appreciation Week! The first week of May is always "Teacher" appreciation week, but we know that anyone who works in a school is a true educator at heart. Every single position in our school works to ensure our students have a clean, safe, happy, and calm place to learn and grow. We all support our students so that they have the very best chance to succeed into their adult life. Normally we are all about celebrating the kiddos, but this week, we had to take a step back so that we could celebrate our staff and the incredibly hard work they put into their positions. Take a look below for our thank you to every staff member and how we celebrated them.

Ms. Brown chose the rolling and folding cart for her treasure pick of the day. Now she can take home loads of paperwork and student work to grade without straining her back with the weight of her students every day! Ms. Brown, thank you for being so CONSISTENT and CALM! You bring a wonderful attitude to work every single day and we love having you in 5th grade!

Ms. Ivory chose the classic pillow for her treat, and we know this really is her happy place! Ms. Ivory, thank you for being here for your students and making this a happy place for all of them and for all of us! Whether it is through your classroom transition songs or your instructional competitions, your students are happy to be here with you and it shows!

Ms. Hammock, thank you for bringing the laughter to work every day - you keep things lighthearted and funny every single day! You are dedicated to your students and their academic achievement. Thank you for holding high expectations for every student in your class and in our school!

Ms. Jackson, thank you for encouraging your students every day in their growth as people and as learners. I love whenever I walk by your classroom, you can hear positive praise for students trying new thoughts out in discussion! Your students are eager to participate in class and they love to work hard for you. Thank you for encouraging independent student thought!

Ms. Baumann found a classic teacher tote bag for her treasure dive item! Ms. Baumann, thank you for your consistency and timeliness. You are always on time for work and you always put in hours of extra work to your school day. Thank you for working with every student to meet their needs!

Ms. Jami chose the massive glow stick packs for her treasure dive - though it was very obvious that she was picking a gift for her class instead of for herself! Ms. Jami, thank you for your compassion towards kids and the way you care for the whole child, inside and out!

Ms. Young discovered the magic tape that actually sticks to our walls (which is a bit of a miracle!) and a gardening set of gloves and apron for her work outside. Ms. Young, thank you for your commitment to collaborating with staff so that we get our very best for our students. Your focus on what is best for students is unwavering!

Ms. Versen found the giant Post-It Notes immediately at the treasure table! Ms. Versen, thank you for your deep commitment to academic achievement for every single child no matter their starting point. You have a clear vision of what students can achieve and you never stop aiming for that high goal!

Ms. Wolfe found the MASSIVE box of markers for her treasure pick (and her students were very excited about her choice). Ms. Wolfe, thank you for taking on a classroom midyear and for stretching yourself into a new grade level. Let those markers go to good use with your kindergarten students as they continue to express themselves artistically in your class this last month!

Ms. Kim, thank you for joining our staff late in the school year to fulfill a need on our team. Though you have only been with us a few short weeks, we are thankful for you filling in where and when you're needed, and we look forward to continue getting to know you!

Ms. Willard found the one and only gift card on the table and she made a smart choice with the QT support! Whether it's a tank of gas or a soda with that perfect QT ice, we hope you enjoy your treat! Thank you for your consistent enthusiasm for the grade level you work with every day, and for the content you provide instructionally. Your excitement is contagious!

I really don't know who was more excited to be at the treat table - Ms. Munnelly or Ms. Munnelly's students - but we were just as excited to celebrate everyone! Ms. Munnelly, thank you for your unwavering support for your P3 and P4 students as they grow up academically, socially, and emotionally. Thank you for your hard work to shape their young minds and grow their potential!

Ms. Tolbert, thank you for your work as a Teaching Assistant in our Early Childhood classrooms, and for your extra work at the front door in covering late drop-offs every day. Thank you for your kind attitude towards every child who walks through the doors and into the classrooms, and thank you for your consistent attendance!

Ms. Smith found the magical Post-It Note pack along with a gardening set of gloves and a matching apron at her treasure dive. Ms. Smith, thank you for your optimism and your solutions-oriented thinking. Thank you for always seeing the light even in the darkness and for committing to your students' lives even as they grow up!

Ms. Hill, thank you for your continued commitment to our youngest students in Ms. Smith's Early Childhood class! Thank you for your willingness to collaborate with the entire Early Childhood Team, and for providing the wisdom that comes from being the longest-standing employee of Patrick Henry!

Mrs. O'Shea, thank you for your continued love and support of the Patrick Henry school community, no matter the position you are in! You switched positions this school year in the middle of the year but you remained steadfast and passionate about providing a great learning environment for every student!

Though you haven't been with us all year long, we still thank you for your work here at Patrick Henry in the spring semester! The front office role is not an easy or simple role, but you are learning the procedures and processes quickly, and I thank you for your steadfastness to the learning process!

Ms. Jones found books about remaining calm in the treasure hunt, but ironically, she doesn't need any of those because she's already naturally gifted in that area! Ms. Jones, thank you for all the roles you play at Patrick Henry - from Dean of Students to carpenter - because everywhere you go you make an impact on our school community for the better!

Ms. Webb, your attitude in this photo says it all - your sunshine and happiness comes out of you and spreads to us all! Thank you for bringing a calm but joyful demeanor to the office, to the parent interactions, and to our student support team. Thank you for stepping up your game to be a leader in so many different ways this year!

Ms. Gregory, your silliness is always on point, including when you find Pete the Cat border and you start dreaming big about bulletin boards for next year. Thank you for knowing when to make us laugh and when to support us when we cry, and thank you for pushing yourself to get to know all of our students in your first year at Patrick Henry in the counselor position!

Ms. Evans found the other set of giant Post-It Notes and I know she will be displaying them all along Readers' Row! Ms. Evans, thank you for supporting our students in their quest to become the best readers in the world. You are pushing each child who is under your wing to grow as an academic student and to grow in maturity at the same time. Thank you for being our Reading Specialist!

Ms. Smith, thank you for your tireless effort to coach our teachers to be the best possible educators they can be! We all need a coach in our lives to build our confidence, foster our growth, and challenge our thinking, and you do that for every adult in this building! Somehow you still have time to support our students at the same time. Thank you for being a pillar of leadership!

Ms. Harris, thank you for your incredible wisdom as you navigate some of the darkest and most difficult issues we face as a school community. You could easily have lost your faith and sense of hope, but instead, you are a positive light shining even more hope on all of us. Thank you for your check-ins that most of us never even see/notice because you do all of your work behind the scenes, and thank you for those obvious more overt efforts to check in on us as the adults.

Ms. Womack was subbing in a class when she was called down and she was shocked that she got to take a dive in the treasure chest, but of course she had to be a part of the fun! Ms. W, thank you for pouring your heart into this job and transforming into a teacher over the past year. You have worked hard to get through the first year battles, and you have come out stronger on the other side. Thank you for being aware, kind, and empathetic!

Ms. J went straight for the "too many tabs open" mug which might be quite telling of her personality. Ms. J, thank you for joining our team midyear and taking on a position where you have to build relationships fast in order to establish respect and rapport. You do a wonderful job working with kids in any grade, and we want to say thank you for filling in gaps when our teachers are absent!

"Fire and Ice" might describe Mrs. Ralphs' awesome tumbler gift, but it also describes her teaching success this year - on fire and yet so cool. Mrs. Ralphs, thank you for joining us at Patrick Henry this year and transforming our PE program into something that is highly engaging for our students and inspiring to all of us to be healthy and strong. Thank you for taking on the Wellness Champion role for our school and ensuring our grant funding runs smoothly!

Ms. G found great comfort in the sticky note package and seemed to be magnetically drawn to it. Ms. Gonzalez, thank you for walking into what could have been an impossible situation - a first-year teacher taking on a music program that hasn't had a teacher in two years - and making the sweetest lemonade out of lemons! You have brought singing, instruments, and joy back into the music wing of Patrick Henry, and we are so thankful that our students get to experience this with you every week!

Is it surprising to anyone that Ms. Godfrey went for the happily colored polka dotted bulletin border? I think not. Ms. Godfrey, thank you for living out the happiness that is in that polka dotted border - you constantly tell our students they are true artists, and then you give them the tools to actually be successful as artists! Thank you for saying yes to every opportunity for our students and for giving them every chance to express themselves creatively!

Ms. Teska found the large format floral calendar for the 2022-2023 school year in the prize bin and took it happily! Ms. Teska, thank you for your commitment over this school year to transition to full in-person learning and to get to know your students on a deep level. You care so much about the health and well-being of every student, and you work hard to make sure they are well cared for!

Nurse Gibbs was caught on School Nurses' Day cracking up over her gifts! Ms. Jones installed amazing displays in her office to make the walls look both pretty and professional, while the rest of the courtesy club ensured Nurse Gibbs received some of her favorite treats (including thousands of cotton balls and crayon band-aids from me!). Thank you, Nurse Gibbs, for how you take care of all of our students and our staff when we are not feeling our best.

Mr. Farmer chose the Black History Month tshirt to take home as his prize from the treasure chest. Thank you, Mr. Farmer, for your constant support of our Speech Club and all of our students who receive speech services. You are always open to helping students in any context, but you are highly specialized in your training for speech and the results are fun to watch! Students really make progress under your care, and we thank you for your patience and your skilled approach!