Most of the people choosing to work in our public school system do so because they want to serve the needs of children. They do not seek recognition for their work, but celebrate when children in their buildings succeed. Because this past week was National PTA Teacher Appreciation Week, the school board of the Albert Lea Area Schools would like to take this time to thank and appreciate all the dedicated staff of District 241.

Our schools are comprised of many people, who daily have the opportunity to positively interact with our students. The total student enrollment is approximately 3,700 and the district employs 485 staff, which gives us a staff to student ratio of 1 to 7.6. This means that for every seven to eight students in our buildings there is an adult to help them throughout their school day. The Search Institute of Minneapolis has compiled a list of developmental assets that are critical for children to possess in order to become successful adults. Support from family is always number one, but children also need support from three or more non-parent adults and they need a school to provide a caring and encouraging environment.

So who are all these people in our school buildings? We are fortunate in District 241 to have caring and friendly school secretaries and clerks who greet our children when they come to and from school. They are the ones who keep track of all the little details in our kids’ lives, like who is picking them up after school, finding a library book, and when they have a doctor’s appointment, or who to call when they are feeling ill at school. What would parents do without secretaries helping to care for their children?

Then we also have the helpful custodians who make sure that all the little spills are cleaned up and repairs are constantly attended to so that students can learn and work in a safe and clean building.

When it comes time for lunch, or even breakfast, we have hard-working foodservice personnel, whom our children refer to as the &uot;lunch ladies.&uot; These are the ones who keep track of what your child is eating and when they need more lunch money.

We also have 98 para-professionals working alongside our teaching staff to ensure that all our students get every available opportunity to learn and grow. These people are much more than &uot;teacher helpers&uot; although they are in the classroom with the teacher. In effect they are actually &uot;student helpers,&uot; helping to keep students focused on learning so they can succeed. They do a tremendous job and are often overlooked for the contributions they make daily to lives of our young students.

Most of us only think of teachers when we think of school employees. We are fortunate to have 285 high qualified licensed teachers. The teachers in District 241 need to be commended for their dedication to their profession by continually educating themselves through staff development and teacher in-services, but also by undergoing college graduate level work to obtain a master’s degree. We have approximately 105 teachers at this level in our district and many have earned more credits beyond the master’s degree. We need to applaud their commitment and support their efforts to be the best teacher they can be, because ultimately that benefits us and our children.

Finally the last group our community needs to honor this week is our administrative staff. We need to show the leaders of our district the proper respect and trust that they so earnestly deserve. Without their concern for every child and staff in our buildings we would be without vision and commitment to success. Our District 241 students benefit from some of the most hard-working and dedicated administrators that any district could hire. They contribute many extra hours without complaint and are fiercely loyal to their school, their students, their staff and their community.

It’s not possible to celebrate just one group of our employees. They all work together to help all of our 3,700 students become better equipped to think to achieve and to care. Please join me and the rest of the school board during National PTA Teacher Appreciation Week in saying &uot;Thank you.&uot; Let’s all celebrate and appreciate the great employees of our Albert Lea Area Schools.

Margie Thorn is a member of the District 241 Board of Education.