Teacher Appreciation Columns

If I were asked, in a hypothetical interview, about my high school experience, an obvious mention would be my beloved English teacher, Mrs. Staak. I’ve always categorized myself into the English/History persona rather than the Math/Science persona, and Mrs. Staak has not only proven my thinking yet again, but she passes the criteria with flying colors.  I first met Mrs. Staak in the 7th grade duri...

I’ve always enjoyed English class, but having US Lit Honors with Dr. Ayers has taken the subject to a whole new level. Dr. Ayers has a unique teaching style I don’t think I’ve ever experienced before. From the first day, Dr. Ayers’ class has always felt like more of a university class to me rather than one of high school. There is a unique style to Dr. Ayers’ teaching that makes class simultaneo...

Nancy Sherman, our precalculus honors teacher, is one of the most helpful, understanding, and dedicated teachers we have ever had. Ms. Sherman is a tireless worker inside and outside the classroom, always being incredibly committed to helping students and answering questions. She hasn’t missed class once (apart from her knee surgery, which she smartly scheduled during winter break to miss the least ...

Dear Ms.Bruhn, You have an incredible gift of making every single student feel welcomed. As soon as you walk in the door, you feel welcomed and truly valued; a feeling that's rare in high school. When I was in your class, I was able to have a teacher and a friend. Your kind, goofy personality is infectious. I was genuinely excited about coming to class. As someone who has never preferred STEM s...

I’ve always had less interest in science than any other subject, but when I met Mr. Schlicher in 8th grade I had a feeling that he would change my mind. Mr. Schilcher always brought a calm presence to the classroom and made coming to science the highlight of my day by making the class fun and finding ways to enjoy learning. Every day he would make science class different and interesting. One day we mig...

When I switched to City High from Regina, the first few weeks were terrible. I didn’t know anyone, all of my teachers were brand new to me, and I felt lost in a sea of students. I wasn’t used to going to school with this amount of people. It took months for some teachers to learn my name, but that wasn’t the case for Mrs. Fettweis. She made it a goal to know everyone’s name by the end of the first we...

If you, like me, often return to a little old Pixar film known as Inside Out, you are greatly aware of the concept of core memories. One of the core memories that spins out of a little tube somewhere in the depths of my brain is from sophomore year, sitting in the dead center of a classroom as Mr. Schumann shuts the door to begin the hour of AP World History. The class, once filled with chatter, begins t...

Jay W. Welp is a great teacher and coach because he truly cares about the success of each of his students and athletes.  “Welp wants you to do your best and creates opportunities to help us with what we need to do our best,” Annika Veit ‘22 shares.  He takes time to learn what the runners are capable of and pushes us to achieve our goals. He makes sure practice is full of hard work bu...

All teachers work day and night in order to meet our needs as students. From the seemingly endless amount of work that needs to be graded to the copious amounts of planning that goes into the average school day, teachers deserve our utmost gratitude, especially during Teacher Appreciation Week! One specific teacher that has brought tremendous amounts of positivity and encouragement into the classroom ...

Ms. Meyer is one of the most supportive teachers we have ever had. She never fails to congratulate a student on their accomplishments, whether it is academic, arts, or sports-related. It is also obvious that she is genuinely interested in all things happening at City High. Ms. Meyer also makes an effort to come to school events to support her students.   Katy Harmsen ‘24: I really appreciate how Ms. Meyer woul...

For teacher appreciation week, I wanted to write about one of my favorite teachers, Matthew Walker. One of my favorite memories with Mr.Walker is when he would bring us all doughnuts to celebrate after our performances, even if we messed up or didn't do that great he was always so proud of us. Mr.Walker's attitude throughout the year has made me want to do better, it's always so nice to come into a r...

English has always been one of my favorite subjects, but that didn’t stop my nerves on the first day of school. Ms. Sotillo immediately made me feel welcome, and I looked forward to every class from then on. She always finds ways to make regular lessons more enjoyable and is never short on activities. I have tons of fun acting out Shakespeare plays and doing Peardecks, and with it, enthusiasm spreads...

Sra. Angulo is a Spanish 2 and Spanish 3 teacher here at City High, this was her first year teaching Spanish 3 after having only taught Spanish 1 and 2. This was my first in-person Spanish class and I could not have been luckier to have Sra. Angulo as my teacher.  Sra. Angulo more than anything showed me why we need to learn Spanish and how useful it is. I first started taking Spanish in high s...

This year, Ms. Corbin has been my English 9 teacher and her class is always one of my favorites to go to when 4th hour rolls around. She takes the curriculum she is required to teach and expands it in such a way that makes it so much more enjoyable, whether that’s readers' theater or foam swords for Tybalt and Benvolio when we act out Romeo and Juliet. Throughout the year Ms. Corbin has been noth...

By Naomi Hemley When I first met Ms Barnard I thought she was one of those teachers who pretended they were cool, laid back, and friendly but only cared about the popular kids and didn’t teach. As the year continued and I got to interact with her more, I realized that I was very wrong. Ms Barnard genuinely cares about every one of her students and makes it known. She understands how they feel and...

I first met Mr. Lockhart in 7th grade when he was my practicum teacher at South East. Coming to English class in Middle School quickly became my favorite class knowing Mr. Lockhart and his goofy smile would be waiting to talk to the entire class individually about our days. He was the only practicum/student teacher that didn't just sit in the corner taking notes and observing us like a hawk. Even ...

Mr. Martinez is a 3rd-grade teacher at Garner Elementary School, baseball coach at Cornell College, and everything else in between. I remember liking him the first day of we met because this kid was being annoying ( I didn’t like the kid much )  and Mr. Martinez back'd me up real quick. He wasn’t afraid to tell us we were wrong and he had great sarcasm. Which is ( in my opinion ) what every 3r...

Every day when the bell signaling the end of third period goes off, I feel relieved in some ways knowing that my next class will be with Mr. Scott. Mr. Scott is one of the few teachers I’ve had that I feel completely comfortable around. I can joke with him, but I also have fun doing his assignments. I feel like he really listens to students' feedback and shapes his teaching and assignments to be ...

This Teacher Appreciation Week, I’d like to acknowledge one of my favorite teachers here at City: Señora Eivins. Sra. Eivins makes Spanish class fun and engaging. I really enjoy the games and activities that we do in her class. Also, she takes time to help every student individually and answer their questions.   A lot of times, taking a class in an area of interest (such as languages for me...

Bryan Parker is an administrator at City High, however, he not only makes sure students feel heard but his athletes as well. My first experience in Track and Field was freshman year, I walked into practice not knowing what to expect. I saw a friendly smile as he greeted me at the door. He taught me the basic forms of running and influenced my love for the sport. Feeling welcome in a new sport is one o...

Mr. Tyler Hagy is the director of choral activities at City. He is someone who has played a big role in influencing my first three years at City. I remember being very nervous walking into my first ever show choir rehearsal, but immediately, Mr. Hagy made me feel welcomed and accepted as who I was into the choral community. I remember one time, freshman year, at a show choir competition when an up...

Student teachers come and go throughout the year. They stay with us for a few weeks before they take flight and move on to the chapter in their lives. It takes a special student teacher to learn so much about teaching in the little time they have, and it takes a special person to connect with students within a deadline.  Every time students enter the Science Classroom, Ms. Los welcomes them with ...