I received many wonderful gifts this year, from a new digital camera for Christmas to a beautiful Vera Bradley bag for my birthday. However, my most special gift arrived in the mail just last week. It came in a large yellow envelope with colorful stickers plastered all over it and had traveled all the way from Arizona. As I opened it, thousands of pieces of confetti fell out onto the floor.
Inside were pictures, papers and notes from third grade at Maryland Avenue Elementary. After nine years, Mrs. Kurtz, my teacher that year, had returned to me the most precious artifacts from classroom 13.
Suddenly, I was reciting addition and subtraction facts. I was building a paper log cabin that stretched from floor to ceiling. I was performing the end of the year play on the history of Ohio.
But she did more for me than just teach me grammar. She encouraged me to participate in class. She showed me how, by giving a little bit of my time, I could help so many people. Above all, she was an everyday reminder of how great learning can be and how far it can take you.
I was amazed she had kept all of these pieces of paper and photos that most of us just throw away. Not only that, but she had taken the time to write me a note and congratulate me on my impending graduation. She still remembered and cared.
I was someone special.
Mrs. Kurtz is just one example of the great teachers at Bexley. As a school district, we are incredibly lucky to have teachers who care about more than just what happens in the classroom. Their mission is to mold eager learners and outstanding people.
As my time in Bexley schools nears the end, I realize how much of a role teachers, like Mrs. Kurtz, have played in my life.
They gave me a smile when I was having a bad day. They gave me a high five when I made the honor roll. They gave me a hug when I decided on which college I would attend.
Bexley is unique because the people who stand in front of the classroom are more than teachers.
They become mentors and friends. They continue to be a part of our lives long after the bell has rung on the last day of school.
They don’t have to write us a letter of recommendation or answer our e-mails from college. Yet, they do. They do it because, like Mrs. Kurtz, they care about us as a whole person. When I receive my diploma on June 1, it will be shared with every teacher I’ve ever had.
They motivated me and provided me the tools to reach this point, not only in my education, but in my life. I am the young woman who stands before you because of them.
Mrs. Kurtz’s gift opened my eyes to this fact. I only wish there was a gift that could express to all of my teachers, past and present, how much they have meant to me. But until I find that gift, thank you!
Published April 2008. Digitized 2025.
