LETTER: It is time to thank those who ‘invest their wisdom, energy and emotions in our children’

By TED and MEGAN NEITZKE

May 7 was Teacher Appreciation Day in the United States. It offered us an opportunity to take a moment to thank those who work in our schools and invest their wisdom, energy and emotions in our children.

We have seen how the teachers in our community are highly dedicated to the success of our children. We know how they work hard for our two children and have a significant impact on them as students, leaders and, most importantly, people. We feel blessed everyday that our children participate in the high quality educational opportunities in our city.

What we know about our teachers is that they put the needs of the students above themselves. Every night teachers in our community lie in bed worrying about the well being of their students; they sit at their kitchen tables correcting, planning and communicating. They may leave the school building at the end of the school day, but their ownership in the children of our community is with them constantly.

Teachers in the 21st century think about and plan for things that we never could have imagined 30 years ago. They drill for our children’s physical safety, respond to pressures applied by social media and have to answer emails at all hours of the day. They learn about and support the emotional needs of our students and guide children through traumatic life experiences. All of this on top of the normal expectations: learning, citizenship and skill development.

We have so much to be grateful for and we need to make certain our teachers know how much we appreciate them.

We want to thank the teachers for their commitment to: kids, excellence, Port Washington and Saukville, the future, each other, their own development and to the families of our communities.

Ted and Megan Neitzke live in Port Washington. They are members of the Port Washington High School classes of 1989 and 1991.