Last week we celebrated National Principals' Day on May 1st and this week we celebrated Teacher Appreciation Day on May 7th. These are days to honour the hard-working leaders and educators in our schools.
Principals and Vice-Principals lead the development of a collaborative vision, create powerful learning communities, and engage with families in ways that help learners and educators to thrive. The leadership and support they provide on a day-to-day basis is priceless. I am very proud of the District Principals, District Vice-Principals, Principals and Vice-Principals who lead Central Okanagan Public Schools. Thank you for all that you do to make Central Okanagan Public Schools a world class public education provider.
In classrooms, our teachers create inclusive learning environments that welcome all students and meet them where they are to achieve their learning potential. I proudly acknowledge many teachers in my family. My maternal grandmother, my aunt, my sister, my niece, my cousin, and myself are all teachers. They all worked or work in public schools in British Columbia. Their commitment and passion to ensure their students learn and thrive is evident in their current work and the former students and colleagues who reach out in expressions of gratitude for the impact they had on their lives.
Teaching is not just a job, it is a vocation and calling where individuals commit their time, hearts, and considerable energy to facilitate the learning and growth of our young people so that they can flourish. Teachers also go above and beyond in many ways, from connecting with families to provide extra support to volunteering to make extra-curricular activities possible. My sincere thanks to each of the many dedicated teachers in our schools. I hope we can all take a moment to thank a teacher and reflect on the teachers who profoundly affected our lives.