In Your Opinion: Resident Thanks Township Teachers

By Bill Connell, Somerset.

Last week was Teacher appreciation week. I have a few thoughts on that.  I am a little jealous they don’t have an Estimator appreciation week but the thanks I get at the end of the SGS play in February, give me enough “thank yous.” I store them like emergency rations and think of them whenever I am down during the year

About 17 years ago or so I was walking down the frozen food isle with my baby in the cart.  Coming at me was a childhood friend’s father who knew me when I was not the sophisticated gentleman I am today.  As he passes, he nods his head, smiles and says; “now you are one of us,” laughs and just keeps walking.

Fast-forward 17 years and the baby is driving the family car one mile under the speed limit, be-bopping to the Paramour song “Ain’t it fun” on the way back from a college visit. In that song is the quote from that father 17 years ago.  “Now you are one us”.  One of the many thoughts I had in a flash is that the baby is as ready for college as she will ever be.

I want to thank the teachers of Franklin Township for all their hard work helping us get to this point. Teaching is an art and a skill.  A teacher and a student on the same frequency can be powerful and sometimes magical.  I want to thank my wife, a teacher, who can even turn putting a garbage bag in a can into teaching moment. She is that committed to the true spirit of education.

I want to thank all teachers who persevere.  Teachers who just keep going and flow around administrative mood swings and Christie cynicism like they were a rock in a river.

Raising a child is a lot of small steps. It’s like building a set for a play, one stick and one screw at a time.   I want to thank the teachers of Franklin for helping get my kids built like we hoped.

Congratulations Class of 2014. Now you are one of us. Be smart and be careful.

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