This week, May 3rd-7th, is teacher appreciation week, a week dedicated to recognize and appreciate the work and effort of teachers across the country. Throughout the last year of the pandemic, the world has undergone a drastic change, and schools are no exception. Despite the challenges of navigating the restrictions of covid, teachers have managed to remain afloat amidst the new realms of Zoom and hybridized learning while accommodating students with their utmost patience and understanding. While teachers have managed to brave this journey with a seemingly ceaseless vigor, the job was certainly not as effortless as they made it seem. And in respect to the tireless efforts and kindnesses of our teachers, we decided to assemble a few appreciation messages for this year’s teacher appreciation week. 

“There are not enough words to thank Mr. Angus for what he’s done for our class. He has spent countless hours before, during, and after school to make sure that every event in our class goes as smoothly and perfectly as possible. Events like Olympics(which we have won 2/3 times), princess and pirates breakfast events for the elementary schoolers, snow ball, tux and finally prom are just some of the successful events that Mr. Angus has helped coordinate. Mr. Angus, thank you!” – Frank Kim (’21)

“Mr. Toale teaches us for US History 2 Honors this year. He always makes an effort to engage and connect with his students. He never fails to spice up the beginning of class with a question of the day, and his lessons are always interactive and fun. And he has a sick beard. 10/10 would recommend.” – Jake Friedman (’21) and John Aljian (’21)

“Mr. Moreng is an engaging and enthusiastic teacher on all fronts. I held the pleasure of having him during my sophomore Algebra 2 with Trigonometry class and he changed the way I thought about math. Mr. Moreng always goes the extra length to make sure a student knows and understands all the material. He makes the classroom an entertaining and nurturing environment for all students to learn and grow. Mr. Moreng is the most influential teacher that I have ever had and I hope to have him next year.” – Lucy Harper (‘22)

“Señora P.M is the kind of teacher that makes me miss going to school in person just a little extra. She takes the time to get to know each student individually and you can tell she really cares. When I informed her that I might be absent from class, she did not hesitate to assure me that everything was totally fine and offer to send me all the work I was going to miss, without me even asking for it. She always brings a smile to my face with her funny anecdotes and dad jokes. I’m so lucky to have a teacher like her.” – Dina Shlufman (’23)

“I’ve had Mr. Jacobetz as a teacher for all four years of high school, and he made my experience in band a truly memorable one. It was really special being a first-year student at the same time as Mr. J’s first year teaching, and I’ve been consistently awed by his commitment to our individual and collective success as a marching and concert band. It’s clear that he cares about his students, and I’m happy and grateful to have grown alongside Mr. J. I’d also like to thank all of the wonderful, talented teachers at THS, especially those I’ve had the pleasure of learning from.” – Tomer Witelson (‘21)

“My old English teacher was the one who had me fall in love with reading and writing. She knew I was going through a tough time, and would always check in with me after class. We would sometimes just talk about arbitrary things about life after school in her classroom, and she encouraged me to explore writing to express my unspoken emotions. When I came to visit her a few years later, my heart was touched when she remembered my name and even all the writing pieces I had done. She remembered even the smallest writing assignments and subjects I had written about, I was shocked. I’m happy to have similar English teachers in the high school, like Mrs. Oppedisano, who encourages us to explore deeper into texts like we never had before. We use psychology and more complex means when diving into the literature, something that I had always enjoyed before but now challenges me. I’m still grateful that many teachers have the passion to teach even during this pandemic and have been understanding of many rough circumstances at home, and many teachers like Ms. Bossong have been trying to keep an uplifting spirit even during these tumultuous times.” – Karis Cho (’23)

“Mr. Whitehead has been an amazing English teacher for me not only because talking about books like The Grapes of Wrath or The Scarlet Letter in his classes was fun, but also because he’s aided me in improving my writing outside of the class too. Whether it be the poems or short stories that I write as a hobby or the literary essays I write for the class, or even the articles I write for The Echo, I think Mr. Whitehead has shaped me as a writer the most over the last couple years, and I really appreciate that.” – Seren Park (‘21)

“Ms. Woleslagle taught me last year for Chemistry Honors, and she gave me a learning experience that I will never forget. Around October of last year, I came down with a harsh illness and had to miss school for a month. Although it seemed like I would never be able to learn all of the Chemistry curriculum I missed during my illness, Ms. Woleslagle made it work, as she devoted lots of her time after school in order to make me caught up with the rest of the class. Ms. Woleslagle is a great teacher and I recommend taking Chemistry too.” – Ethan Corriel (’22)

“There are many moments with my teachers that I greatly appreciate. One is in AP Chemistry with Ms. Firnberg when she would draw tiny cat faces next to cat-ions. Although I am admittedly not that great at chemistry, Ms. Firnberg was always open to extra help sessions and answering my questions no matter how stupid they were. Another moment was with Mrs. Schwartz when she simply asked if I was okay after I was gone for a while after a family situation. Although these are small moments, they are the ones that remind me that my teachers will always be there for me.” – Anonymous (’21)

“Mr. Hutchinson loves to talk about music during his classes…and a couple of times I’ve had very wholesome moments with him over our love for similar artists like Elvis. He even told me that my music article was good, which really made my day because I know he didn’t have to and he did it out of his own kindness. The small talk I’ve had with him is super entertaining and I really appreciate the little things he and other teachers do to make school a little more bearable.” – Ryan Kim (’23)

“Mademoiselle Williams is one of the most hard-working people I know. She wants each and every one of her students to succeed, always putting in the time for her classes and going the extra mile to help. She believes in her students and pushes them to their full potentials. Not only did I grow as a French student in her class, but I grew as a person too. Mademoiselle encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone, giving me the experience to grow my confidence. In class, Mademoiselle Williams ensures that the lessons she plans are topical, interesting, and immersive. For example, I still follow my pen pal from her class on Instagram and listen to popular French music she introduced to us. So, Mademoiselle, thank you for making the French student I am today —- I really appreciate it.” – Rebecca Parish (’21)

“I had Mr. Rendell as my Biology teacher last year, and one day, I was in the front of the classroom when Mr. Rendell climbed onto the table in the corner of the room and began to lecture us about cells. I asked him why he was on the table and he said, ‘It makes me feel tall… you try.’ So I stood up on my desk as he proceeded to teach us about PMAT, which was a very fun experience.” – Beatrice Bustillo (’23)

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week to all of the hard-working teachers of Tenafly!