What a year this has been in education.

As I sit back and reflect on successes and accomplishments for our students, I remain in awe as to the strength and flexibility of our learners. There have been so many changes this school year, so many new requirements in education, such a push on state assessment — and the staff in all our schools works diligently every day to make these changes, meet these requirements and teach our children.

However, the staff that I would like to give a “shout out” to would be those individuals that I would describe as our supporting cast. Those individuals who work in all of our school buildings provide support and accommodations to some of our most struggling learners. 

Some of them are called para-professionals, some are health aides, and some we call our support staff.  Their title may not be the same, but what they have in common is a passion to work with the students who need their help the most. 

These individuals may work with individual students or a whole group.  They may be working with students during a lesson, or spending time at recess with a group of students playing a game with them. 

I have observed them reading tests to students that needed that extra help, to walking the hall with someone when they needed a chance to re-group.  I have observed them helping students to cut up their food during lunch, to showing someone, one more time, how to tie that shoe.

It has never mattered as to all of the different acts I have seen from this group, but what I have always seen is that desire to provide that help to our students who want to learn, but struggle to do so. 

I thank each and every one of you.

SARA PARK

Director of special education