Thanks for all you do!

Teachers play a critical role in educating and shaping our children’s lives.
Many of these children will become the future leaders in our communities and will be the teachers for future generations.
Our teachers’ impact is immeasurable and worthy of celebration every day.
Last week marked the National Education Association’s National Teacher Appreciation Week.
Since 1984, the NEA has designated the first week in May to honor the men and women who lend their passion and skills to the education of our children.
In honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week, Luverne Public Schools honored their elementary and middle/high school staff last Wednesday morning. We share the celebratory pictures on Page 8.
We at the Star Herald think our Rock County teachers and their support staff should be recognized every day for the jobs they do with our young people.
Residents just have to attend one of the numerous special events involving our students. Numerous concerts, plays and programs take place on a weekly basis in our schools.
It’s the teachers who organize these events, and the performances represent many hours of instruction in the classroom to prepare for that one performance.
The smiles on the students’ faces for a job well done are indicators that they are learning and enjoying these many public performances.
It is not only in the classroom that our teachers dedicate their time.
Some of them dedicate themselves to educating our students outside of the classroom. Numerous activities take place after school, and many a weekend is spent at competitions with our young people.
This year our students experienced many successes in Minnesota High School League-sponsored events that showed our students can compete at the top levels in arts activities as well as in athletics.
For our students to do so well outside our community takes those with a guiding hand and a helpful manner to encourage them to push forward. That push has come from our community teachers.
Enclosed with this week’s edition of the Star Herald is the Graduation Special Edition.
Inside are Luverne, Ellsworth, Adrian and Hills-Beaver Creek high school seniors who will be receiving their diplomas later this month.
Our teachers, school staff and parents should feel great pride in seeing these students’ pictures and reading what they want to do after high school.
We all should be commended for preparing these students for the future.
Students can be demanding and we expect those working with our children to be kind, patient and hard-working, qualities we want our children and future society members to emulate.
Our teachers educate.
They innovate.
They encourage.
They support our young people.
Your impact extends far beyond the boundaries of the classroom and spills right into our communities.
You celebrate these students’ milestones with us.
Thank you, teachers, for a job well done.