WARSAW — Warsaw Community Schools has announced it is celebrating its teaching staff during National Teacher Appreciation week through Friday, May 10.

“Each of us has a favorite educator, whose influence most likely impacted the trajectory of our life paths. This week provides a great opportunity for us to reflect and recognize all of our educators and the impact they have made and continue to make on our students and community,” said WCS Board of School Trustees President Heather Reichenbach.

“Our schools are outstanding because of the people inside of them. Our students, families and community benefit directly from the extraordinary learning environment our educators create daily. Our people are invaluable and their impact is limitless. Our ‘Thank you’ is essential.”

“Teachers are the biggest role models in my life,” said WCS Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert. “Their influence is life-changing and we can all remember the confidence and knowledge they provided in shaping our lives. Education is the bedrock foundation of our community. In Warsaw Community Schools, we are blessed by 500 amazing local educators who everyday teach, nurture and care for our 7,000 students. These educators and other employees of WCS are shaping the future of our community, state, nation and world.”

According to the National Education Association website, the origins of National Teacher Day are “murky.” It is believed that in 1944, Arkansas teacher Mattye Whyte Woodridge began corresponding with political and education leaders about the need for a national day to honor teachers. Woodridge wrote to Eleanor Roosevelt, who in 1953 persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day.

NEA, along with its Kansas and Indiana state affiliates and the Dodge City (Kan.) Local, lobbied Congress to create a national day to celebrate teachers. Congress declared March 7, 1980 as National Teacher Day for that year only. NEA and its affiliates continued to observe National Teacher Day in March until 1985, when the NEA Representative Assembly voted to change the event to Tuesday of the first full week of May.

Warsaw Schools would like to encourage you to thank a teacher this week for the positive impact they have had in your life.

“As a community, we cannot say ‘thank you’ enough to our educators,” said Hoffert. “I encourage everyone to please take the time to say a simple ‘thank you’ to an educator that impacted your life or is currently impacting the life of a son/daughter/grandchild in our community.”