From May 5 to 9, the school’s Associated Student Body hosted Staff Appreciation Week. ASB organized a variety of themed events throughout the week, including a lunch provided by the school’s Foundation on Monday, a puzzle activity during lunch on Tuesday, a video honoring staff on Wednesday, a note-writing opportunity for students on Thursday and a staff breakfast on Friday.

“Teacher appreciation week makes me feel valued for who I am and what I do as a teacher here at the school,” Samuel Pak, Integrated Math 2 and AP Calculus AB teacher, said. 

For most teachers, Staff Appreciation Week provides an extra opportunity to feel valued by students. 

“Part of being a teacher is getting to interact with students on a daily basis,” Brandon Keller, English 10 Honors, English 10, English 11 teacher and Yearbook adviser, said. “And a lot of the time you can feel that appreciation on an everyday basis … but it’s really nice to know that there’s this designated week to feel the love.”

For Keller, students’ handwritten notes of gratitude hold a special place in his heart. 

“I keep a lot of them, ” Keller said.”It’s really sweet to see, especially for students who don’t talk to you a lot, and you get this really sweet note from them, and it means a lot to me.” 

Pak shares the same gratitude for students’ notes of appreciation.

“This morning, I saw some appreciation notes that I got in my mailbox from some students,” Pak said. “receiving back what I give makes my heart feel fulfilled in the job I do.”

After a long day at school, teachers often stay late to grade papers, or talk with students about difficult topics, cutting into their free periods and lunch breaks. For most clubs, teachers give up their lunch breaks to help facilitate meetings, often providing materials and space.

“A lot of people don’t really know the amount of planning that goes into each and every day,” Keller said. “I think a lot of students assume we just copy and paste something from the internet, but most teachers really put a personal touch on their lessons. We really make our own materials.” 

Students like Gwen Love (10) find teachers’ flexibility with student absences and make-up work helpful.

“I had a medical issue, and I was going to miss a day of school and miss a test,” Love said.”We just decided on a day and it was super efficient and easy.”

For Juny Huh (10), the support from her teachers has encouraged her to continuously grow as a student. 

“I think for the most part, my teachers have been very supportive,” Huh said. “It makes me want to continue to learn at this school.” 

Love has also noticed how her teachers’ encouraging attitudes while teaching have made her experience more positive. 

“If the teacher is interested in what we are learning, I want to keep learning as well,” Love said. 

Teachers play an integral part in the school, directly influencing students’ learning experiences and potential future pathways. 

“The school would be nothing without teachers; if we didn’t have teachers, we wouldn’t have the foundation of our school,” Love said. 

With the year ending, students may forget to show appreciation for their teachers while preoccupied with final exams and AP tests.

“It’s important, especially this late in the year to show appreciation because I know all teachers are exhausted right now, so the timing is really nice,” Keller said. 

For many teachers, their teaching journey does not merely revolve around the class as a whole; it focuses on each individual student as well. 

“I know that all teachers here are like-minded in their goals,” Keller said. “We want to build a complete person, not just a student. I went here 15 years ago, and the culture still exists today. It’s about creating a three-dimensional person, and not just about helping you pass this test or get into college and then forget about it … it’s focusing on the individual.” 

In Pak’s case, teaching is a job that helps shape students’ futures as he continues to help guide them to academic and interpersonal success.

“What motivates me to do my job is when I look at [the students], I see the next generation of people who are going to take their place in the world, and that pushes me to be ready every day as a teacher,” Pak said.