T-R PHOTO BY ROBERT MAHARRY Marshalltown Community School District (MCSD) Central Office Administrative Assistant Mikki Englund poses for a photo next to a few of the “Best Teacher Ever” notes of appreciation posted at the B.A. Niblock Orpheum Welcome Center on Thursday as part of Teacher Appreciation Week.

National Teacher Appreciation Week runs from May 4 to May 8 this year, and in Marshalltown, educators are feeling the love through a series of “Best Teacher Ever” notes posted on the storefronts of 78 local businesses and nonprofit agencies.

Marshalltown Community School District (MCSD) Executive Director of Education Services Shauna Smith and Central Office Administrative Assistant Mikki Englund led the initiative.

“We started this about three years ago, and it’s just gotten bigger and bigger and bigger,” Englund said. “I think this is our biggest year. We had almost 5,000 cards come in, so that’s a huge accomplishment. And I love it because it’s at the end of the year. I think it pumps the teachers up to finish the year. The messages on the cards are just amazing and so thoughtful.”

Beyond just teachers, principals, secretaries and janitors have all been recognized, and Englund said almost every teacher in the district gets a card. Smith started her educational career as a sixth grade teacher herself.

“I think every educator has a love for teaching, and I think that that’s a part of you that you never really do let go,” she said. “You get to see the impact from a broader view when you’re in more of a leadership role, whether it’s a principal or instructional coach. And you understand the true difference the teachers are making every single day, where, sometimes when you’re in the classroom and you’re actually in that role, you don’t notice it or it’s not as recognizable. These cards and the community partnerships that we have really show the support that our community has for our teachers and the work that they do every single day.”

The personalized messages help to reinforce the importance of what teachers do and push them forward in the profession, she added. Englund has plans to continue expanding the district’s teacher appreciation efforts next year and hopes to recognize the partnering businesses and nonprofits after the fact. Anyone interested in participating next year is encouraged to contact the MCSD Central Office at (641) 754-1000.

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Contact Robert Maharry at 641-753-6611 ext. 255 or

rmaharry@timesrepublican.com.