Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week from May 6-10 and, thus, a very special week of celebrating our extremely talented faculty here at MICDS! Teachers, along with staff, were honored in a number of ways. The MICDS Parents Association was in full gratitude mode as they orchestrated delicious treats, gifts, and acts of kindness as tokens of their appreciation toward faculty across campus. After such a fun week, our teachers and staff definitely felt the Ram love from Lower and Middle to Upper School!
A very big THANK YOU to the MICDS Parent Chairs of Faculty Appreciation: Linda Hunter P’23, ’25, ’27 and Jennifer Koster P’25 coordinated for Upper School, Katie Westre P’29, ’29 and Joanna Tschudy ’89, P’22, ’24, ’29 oversaw Middle School, and Kelly Martin ’06, P’35, ’37 organized the Lower School faculty appreciation efforts. They did an outstanding job all year long of making our faculty feel appreciated. Each division catered specifically to what was desired by the faculty, so there were different, creative approaches for each level of the school. “They all did a superb job, and the faculty felt appreciated and loved,” expressed Lindsey Glass P’25, Vice President of School Community Relations. “We received huge amounts of positive comments!” Check out what our fabulous parents and guardians planned for teachers last week!
LOWER SCHOOL
In the Beasley Lower School, faculty appreciation was expressed under the theme of “nacho average faculty and staff.” Among t-shirts, nachos, sunglasses, and donuts, our Junior Kindergarten through fourth-grade employees felt very appreciated. On Friday, faculty and staff were given keychains with QR codes that opened up a custom thank you video full of Beasley students thanking their teachers. The faculty lounge and bathroom also had a mini “glow-up” with new tables and a coffee station added into the lounge and handy items added to the bathroom (spray deodorant, mini hand lotions, hair ties, toothbrushes, as well as greenery). Below is the list of last week’s daily gratitude gestures and check out this video short of the Beasley Faculty Appreciation fun put together by Kelly Martin!
- Monday – “Nacho Average Faculty and Staff” T-shirts
- Tuesday – Nacho Bar
- Wednesday – Donuts and Café
- Thursday – Sunglasses
- Friday – Custom thank you video (below) and bathroom/lounge update
“Our teachers are truly the driving force behind the amazing growth our students make each year,” shared Amy Scheer, Head of Lower School. “They do incredible work day in and day out, and I am grateful for the expertise and joy that they bring to the student experience.”
MIDDLE SCHOOL
In the Middle School, the parent chairs of faculty appreciation began the year with a survey asking the faculty, “What would make you feel appreciated?” From there, they created a monthly Amazon Wish List sponsored by individual classes. Amazon boxes arrived by the truckload from our generous community! “Katie and I stocked the faculty lounge with snacks and treats weekly,” explained Joanna Tschudy. “Daily treats were sponsored and provided by the individual classes as well as Jen Schuckman for Faculty Appreciation Week!”
Here’s a glimpse of what goodies were in the Faculty Lounge throughout Teacher Appreciation Week:
- Monday – Cold Drinks & Candy Bar
- Tuesday – Kolaches
- Wednesday – Soft Pretzels
- Thursday – Bagels & Pastries
- Friday – Frozen Treats
“As we celebrate teachers this week, it is impossible to imagine a more kind, more genuine, more spirited, more talented faculty to work alongside,” reflected Jen Schuckman, Head of Middle School. “You are truly exceptional and I am grateful that we get to spend our days together. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
UPPER SCHOOL
The Upper School Faculty Appreciation Committee chose a “You Mean the World To Us” theme for the week. Mexican Monday consisted of mini cactus plants and Tostitos/salsa, charcuterie cones were provided for Italian Tuesday, American Wednesday looked like a convenient food mart, Panda Express was catered for lunch on Asian Thursday, and a European breakfast with pastries from St. Louis Bread Co. was provided on Friday. “The Upper School Faculty and Staff are incredibly appreciated for the energy and support they provide to our community!” shared Jennifer Koster.
Echoing this sentiment, Head of Upper School Scott Small expressed, “Our Upper School faculty works tirelessly to support and appropriately care for our students. Their charge as educators is daunting but rewarding, and I am extraordinarily grateful for their work ethic, for their deep commitment to their students, and for their professionalism.”
- Monday – Tortilla Chips, Salsa, Cheese Dip, and Potted Cacti
- Tuesday – Charcuterie Cups
- Wednesday – Convenience Mart Snacks
- Thursday – Panda Express Lunch
- Friday – St. Louis Bread Co. Breakfast
ALUMNI & DEVELOPMENT
During Teacher Appreciation Week, families and alumni had the opportunity to express their gratitude through donations to the MICDS Fund – Faculty Excellence in honor of our wonderful MICDS faculty. Here are just a few of the notes on why many parents and alumni made tribute gifts to MICDS on behalf of our brilliant teachers:
“My son adores Ms. Bridget Wallace, Junior Kindergarten Homeroom Teacher, and we truly appreciate the wonderful classroom experience she has created this year.” ~ MICDS Parent & Alum
“My daughter, facing graduation soon, has been here since Senior Kindergarten. I am so thankful to the school for helping her grow as a person academically, socially, and athletically. We will all treasure this experience and the opportunities it provided for her!” ~ MICDS Parent, honoring teachers Fourth Grade Homeroom Teacher Donna Waters, First Grade Homeroom Teacher Jenn Gillis, and JK-12 History & Social Sciences Department Chair & Upper School History Teacher Carla Federman.
“Mr. Patrick Huber, Upper School Fine & Performing Arts Teacher, has been a fantastic mentor to my daughter and an important part of her time at MICDS. We owe him much gratitude.” ~ MICDS Parent
“Ms. Sue Orlando, Lower School PE Teacher, was my first PE instructor and now my boys’; she’s the best!” ~ MICDS Parent & Alum
“We are appreciative of the education, opportunities, social environment, and support this school provided for our son.” ~ MICDS Parent
“Mr. Tex Tourais, Upper School English Teacher, has challenged and encouraged my daughter to advance her analytic and writing skills, and we are very grateful that she had the opportunity to learn from him both last year and this year. He is such an engaging and inspiring teacher and mentor, and he has been a highlight of her MICDS career. Thank you, Mr. Tourais!” ~ MICDS Parent
Honoring Upper School Latin Teacher Mr. David Armstrong “with thanks for an engaging, entertaining and enlightening year of AP Latin.” ~ MICDS Parent
“Thank you Ms. Katie Voss, Upper School Librarian, for a fun-filled four years in advisory!” ~ MICDS Parent
“Mr. Al Begrowicz, Upper School Math Teacher, is a phenomenal teacher, and I am so grateful that my daughter had the opportunity to learn from such a caring, kind, and enthusiastic person. He has had a deep impact on her and has fueled her love of mathematics. He has been a highlight of her MICDS academic experience, and she was so lucky to have him…for two years! Thank you, Mr. B!” ~ MICDS Parent
“Thank you, Upper School History Teacher Ms. Kristin Roberts, for your exceptional teaching in AP Government. Your dedication has inspired, engaged, broadened, and encouraged my son’s understanding of the subject.” ~ MICDS Parent
“Thank you, Upper School English Teacher Dr. Julia Hansen, for such an insightful and engaging English class for my son in his junior year. He still talks about how much he learned from you!” ~ MICDS Parent
“Ms. Callie Bambenek, Middle School Science Teacher, has been an extraordinary advisor and mentor for our son. We are deeply thankful for the commitment, dedication, and love she brings to her work at the Middle School each day.” ~ MICDS Parent
“Ms. Diane Broberg, JK-12 Math Department Chair, has gone above and beyond to make sure my son has seen success in math this year.” ~ MICDS Parent
“Upper School Math Teacher Mr. Oggy Smiljanic, because of you, my son says math is his favorite subject! Thank you for being an incredible teacher, for your ability to make math fun, for your great stories (so I’m told!), and, of course, for your patience with your math learners! :)” ~ MICDS Parent
“Mr. Ryan Bueckendorf, Upper School English Teacher, is the most effective writing teacher my daughter has had. He challenged her to be purposeful in word choice, analyze literature more deeply, and express complicated ideas with more clear and sophisticated structure and language. Thank you!” ~ MICDS Parent
“Ms. Stephanie Matteson, US Science Teacher, has provided great instruction and become a great inspiration for my daughter. Her instruction is interesting and challenging and sparks curiosity. She authentically cares about her students and their needs and makes herself available for support when needed. She is already supporting my daughter in developing a year-long research project for next year. Further, she has become an inspiration for my daughter to pursue the sciences and the medical field in the future. Thank you, Ms. Matteson!” ~ MICDS Parent
“Thank you, Middle School History Teacher Ms. Berta Simic, for being an inspiring, kind, and encouraging advisor to my daughter.” ~ MICDS Parent
To all who gave thanks to our teachers last week (and throughout the year) through donations, gifts, and compliments, our faculty and staff truly appreciate you too! Our entire faculty and staff is very thankful for your kind, creative, and sincere expressions of thanks. What a wonderful 2024 Teacher Appreciation Week at MICDS, which overflowed with gratitude!