Banquet allows seniors to honor teachers

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

Since its inception nearly 20 years ago, the Van Wert Teacher Appreciation Banquet has provided a chance for Van Wert High School seniors to tell their favorite teachers just how much they mean to them.

The format for the banquet, which was created by retired school psychologist Randy Gardner to honor his favorite teachers, featured the seven students with the top grade point average, as well as four other students selected at random, reading letters they wrote to their favorite teachers.

Students, and their favorite teachers, this year included Alanna Carr, who chose Sue Ellinger; Jermaine DeFore, who chose Jay Royer; Holly Hammond, who chose John Butler; Leah Brubaker, who chose Tom Brown; Amanda Clay, who chose Beth Lininger; Taylor Doidge, who chose her mother, Kim Doidge; Sydney Dull, who chose Bob Spath; Holly Lawson, who chose Kathy Fleming; Lauren Mathew, who chose Patty Keipper; Alexandria Myers, who chose Kelly Van Horn; and Daniel Patterson, who chose Keith Recker.

The letters were, by turns, witty and touching, with students talking about how teachers made them feel like they were special, as well as inspiring them to do well in school. Several students noted that their favorite teachers also influenced their career choices, with Sydney Dull talking about how Project Lead the Way teacher Bob Spath played a part in her decision to become a chemical engineer.

One student had an even more personal relationship with her favorite teacher. That’s because Taylor Doidge chose her mother, Kim, a math teacher at VWHS, as her favorite teacher. Moreover, one of the more humorous moments of Tuesday night’s event was when VWHS Principal Bill Clifton had to take over reading Taylor’s letter when she became too emotional.

Unfortunately, for Clifton, that portion of the letter talked about Taylor’s mother changing her dirty diapers when she was a baby – something that, when read by Clifton, elicited more than a few chuckles from the audience, comprised mostly of local teachers, both active and retired.

The common theme that ran through all of the letters was the special effort teachers made to made their students feel like they were special individuals, not just one person in a larger classroom full of students.

For the teachers, it was a chance to see the impact they have had on at least one student, while also discovering that it’s often the little things they do that students remember.

Gardner singled out one teacher, Tom Brown, noting that Brown’s invariably positive attitude has earned him lots of letters from students over the 19 years the Teacher Appreciation Banquet has been held.

Although many of the teachers were high school teachers, that wasn’t always the case, with several students choosing elementary and middle school teachers as their favorites.

Clifton, who helped emcee the event, along with former high school principal W.W. “Wally” Grimm, again said how much the event means to him, noting that recent foot surgery didn’t stop him from attending this year’s banquet.

Although Gardner created the event, in honor of his grandfather, Ralph Gallapoo, a longtime guidance counselor at VWHS, biology teacher Glen Livingston and math teacher/coach Gilbert Smith.

The VWHS principal assigns senior students with the task of selecting their favorite teacher, and then writing a letter of 150 words or less telling why they are their favorites.

Also recognized by Superintendent Ken Amstutz were seven teachers who are retiring after this year. Each retiring teacher, which included fifth grade teacher Dave Walker, middle school teacher Karla Butler, middle school teacher Jay Prichard and his wife, Amy, a first grade teacher; elementary art teacher Jane Houg; and Jane Jacob, a second grade teacher; received a wooden apple paperweight as a memento of their service to the district. Also retiring, but not attending the banquet, was preschool teacher Diane Kill.