Teachers and school support staff in the province will be shown much appreciation for all their hard work, during Staff Appreciation Week, which runs from Feb. 10-16. For every staff member in a school, there is a different reason as to why they love their job.

"I love seeing the kids light up when they learn something new, there is a great satisfaction to that," said Loretta Kot, Grade 4 teacher at St. Dominic Savio School. "I love the creativity of teaching, and having the opportunity to learn about the different personalities and quirks of my students."

Grade 4 student Alyssa Bennett likes being taught by Mrs. Kot. "She helps us so our work makes sense, and she is really nice about it and never yells. We should appreciate our teachers, because they appreciate us and work hard to help us learn."

"I like working with children, it is one of the most rewarding jobs," said Natalie Regier, Grade 1 teacher at St. Dominic Savio School. "It is wonderful to see the smile on a child when they have mastered a new skill or concept. It makes my day."

"My favorite thing about teaching is working with the children," said Jennifer Woodard, Grade 2 teacher at St. Dominic Savio School. "It is fun to share their excitement when we learn something new."

Grade 2 student Braeya Wotherspoon likes being taught by Mrs. Woodard. "She is so nice and helps us learn math and other subjects."

"I enjoy teaching because I love it when the children gets that light in their eyes when they understand something, learn something new or recognize their own successes," said Donna Davis, Grade 5 teacher at Haig School.

"My favourite teacher is Jacquie Gibbs," said Haig Kindergarten student Abby Akins. "She is friendly to me and we have a lot of fun in the classroom."

"I really like being taught by Lindsey Brown," said Caleb Hoffer, Grade 2 student at Haig School. "Because when we do our school work, sometimes she will play with us."

"One of my favourite teachers is Marnie Johnson," said Megan Tessier, Grade 6 student at Haig School. "She is always excited about teaching and she makes things interesting to learn, because she lets us have fun."

"I think it is important to appreciate our teachers because they are helping us with our future," said Tessier.

"Every day is different, especially when you are teaching special needs children," said Haig Special Education teacher Tanice Abramson. "You never know if it will be a challenging day or a smooth day, but in the end they are all good days."

To help recognize the hard work by the teachers and staff in the schools, several School Community Councils have started planning for staff appreciation events to be held during the week. Parents who want to participate in these events are encouraged to contact a SCC member from their school for more information.