Teacher Appreciation Day was celebrated on May 9th. This event is a celebration in honor of the teachers  and the work they do. It is a celebrated day throughout LAUSD.

Many teachers are recognized on this day and are appreciated. John Bruno, a math teacher, has been teaching math classes at Venice High School for a total of 17 years.

“My take on Teacher Appreciation Day is just like all the other parent holidays, like Mother’s Day, Fathers Day, Veterans Day, etc, where it is a nice day of recognition to say thank you to the people who do things for us every day,” said Mr. Bruno.

Writing teacher appreciation letters are the most common way to celebrate teachers by students and other individuals showing their feelings on how they view that teacher or what type of impact they had on their lives. Carolyn Willcox teaches an a italian class and she has been teaching at Venice High School for 15 years.

“ I did receive letters and I loved them,” said Ms.Willcox. “It was a fantastic thing to get that kind of feedback from kids and acknowledging all of my hard work and dedication, ultimately it warmed my heart. The letters were so sweet and kind and thoughtful, it made my day.”

A few teachers asked their students to write letters to their favorite teachers for Teacher Appreciation Day. Some offered the writing of the letters as an extra credit assignment as well.

This is Jennie Jackson’s first year teaching at Venice. She teaches marine biology, honors biology, and AP Biology classes as well.  Marine Biology is a new class that was offered this year by ALPS. She freshly transferred from Fairfax. Being in a different school has some changes, but ultimately she thinks of appreciation day the same.   

“I think it is a very important day to celebrate.  I would hope that in the short time that I’ve been in my students’ lives, I have made a positive impact on the lives of my students and helped them to make positive changes, maybe by helping them appreciate the ocean more through science or by helping them build strong skills for life. I ultimately just want to make their life better.  Receiving letters of appreciation, and seeing my teachers friends receive letters, is my favorite part of the year The letters students write are so sincere and filled with so much love and gratitude–they remind teachers why their job is so important,” said Mrs. Jackson.