Celebrating the annual Gretna Public Schools Welcome Back meeting, GPS staff members gathered at Gretna East on Aug. 8 for speeches from board members, a pancake breakfast and recognition of staff who have devoted their careers to GPS.
Stacey Deterding, a principal at Aspen Creek Middle School, Todd Mueller, the principal at Gretna High and Diane Marshall, a resource teacher at Cedar Hallow were honored for 30 years of service to GPS.
For 25 years of service, Gretna East assistant principal, Jami Ewer, Gretna Middle science teacher, Scott Boehler, Aspen Creek principal, Wendi Kistler and Aspen Creek Middle speech pathologist, Nicole Jacobson, received that award.
Additionally, GPS Superintendent Travis Lightle thanked the staff as a whole and gave a speech explaining that educators shouldn’t be vultures, birds that look for bad things, but rather hummingbirds, birds that look for something sweet and good.
“As an educator, amidst the negativity and challenges in the lives of students, maybe your colleagues, and possibly your own life, it is essential to remember that you are here because you were born to be a hummingbird,” Lightle said in his speech. “I truly believe that every one of you here was meant to be an educator, and you were destined to help support others.”
Lightle announced that GPS is welcoming 67 new staff members this year, a majority of those at Gretna East and he also spoke about the Accountability policy.
“Holding students accountable is hard,” he said. “Going the extra mile is hard, but that’s what we do. Because we know it matters to our kids. We know it will make the biggest difference in a child’s life.”
Now, the staff is gearing up for the first day of school on Wednesday, Aug. 14.
