Teacher Appreciation Week was May 8-12 this year, providing an annual opportunity to honor our amazing Bellevue School District educators in a weeklong celebration. All year long, teachers create a sense of safety and belonging for students, provide support and resources to families, and transform classrooms into positive learning environments.
Sweet Tokens of Appreciation
During Teacher Appreciation Week, Dr. Art Jarvis, BSD’s Interim Superintendent, and Dr. Kelly Aramaki, BSD’s Incoming Superintendent, delivered cards and Nothing Bundt Cakes gift certificates to the amazing staff across all of our schools.
We hope our educators enjoyed these sweet tokens of appreciation, which were generously donated by our friends at Nothing Bundt Cakes in Bellevue. Thank you, Nothing Bundt Cakes, for supporting our educators!
PSTAs Across the District Give Thanks
BSD’s incredible community of PTSA groups, parents/guardians and students across the district showed educators how much they are loved with gifts of cards, flowers, gifts, breakfast, lunch, and plenty of coffee.
BSD Community Shares “Thank A Teacher” Messages
In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we asked our BSD community to share “Thank A Teacher” messages to celebrate the many ways teachers support and empower our students to learn and thrive.
Thank you to all the BSD staff, families and students for submitting messages and joining us in celebrating our exceptional educators!
Shout out to Kim Smith, Preschool Teacher at Wilburton!
Ms. Smith is just amazing! Her energy and drive is inspirational! She gives all her heart to children and treats each one of them with love and respect. When I drop off my daughter at school, I know that she will not miss any maternal love, because Ms. Smith will be there. Thank you for everything you do, Ms. Smith! —Olga, BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Toni Kelley, Preschool Teacher at Woodridge!
Ms. Kelley’s kindness and love towards children built the trust that was necessary for our daughter to socialize and bloom. Thank you, Ms. Kelley, your hard work and dedication totally won the hearts of our family. We miss afternoon crafts with Ms. Kelley! —Olga, BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Nicole Kwan, Kindergarten Teacher at Clyde Hill!
Mrs. Kwan is gentle, empathetic and teaches our kids with such passion. The kids love her and go to school each day happy and excited to learn through all that Mrs. Kwan teaches them. —BSD Parent/Guardian
Nicole has the biggest heart. She deeply cares about students and families and constantly strives to reach out to our most vulnerable students. Shes brings a smile to my face every day. Nicole is a leader in our building, and I hope she continues to see herself as a positive teacher leader who can bring change to our community. —BSD Staff/Colleague
Shout out to Kyle Reimergartin, Kindergarten Teacher at Spiritridge!
Kyle has been such an amazing teacher to my daughter and her classmates! He is patient, thoughtful and makes learning fun. My daughter has learned so much since September and I feel very grateful to Kyle for all his hard work. —BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Kelly Brooks, Kindergarten Teacher at Sherwood Forest!
My husband and I are grateful to Kelly for all of her hard work and dedication to students and parents alike. Like all kinder parents we were very nervous taking our kids to school for the first time. She is kind, has a warm demeanor and helped us as parents to realize all the potential that our children had entering into the school system for the first time. Of course, she taught our children the core curriculum. but she also taught us to remain calm and to trust the process. She is a distinguished educator and the whole Sherwood Forest community benefits from her professionalism. —Estella, Parent & BSD Colleague
Shout out to Srta. García, Kindergarten Teacher at Puesta del Sol!
My family is forever grateful to Srta. Garcia for all the love and attention she gives her pequeñitos. Our kiddo feels loved and cared for at school. And the amount of Spanish he has already picked up is further proof of her skill. Thank you, Srta. García, for all you do! —BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Rochelle Wright, Kindergarten Teacher at Medina!
Mrs. Wright has really taught my son countless skills this year, even with his stubbornness, and I am extremely grateful for her! She knows him so well, his likes, dislikes, his personality, and she really is like a mom to all the students in class. Thank you for all that you do! I appreciate everything you do! —Eunice Kim, BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Bing Lui, 1st Grade Teacher at Jing Mei!
I am grateful that Bing Lui is my daughter’s teacher. I love her teaching philosophy and her positive attitude towards her students each day in school. Thanks to all teachers in BSD for being awesome teachers. —Breanna Yali Chen, BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Bryson Galanti, 1st Grade Teacher at Sherwood Forest!
Bryson is, without a doubt, one of the most charismatic teachers that we have ever met. Her positive and fun attitude spills into her lessons and that helps her students learn. She never gives up on her students, she meets them where they are and helps them grow. We are very grateful to her, and all that she has done for both of our children. —Estella, Parent & BSD Colleague
Shout out to Katherine Anderson, 1st Grade Teacher at Clyde Hill!
I’m grateful for Katherine because she always brings love, calmness, and joy into the classroom. She is always positive and invites student voice into the classroom space. Katherine is one of the most compassionate and loving people in our community. I value her incredibly! —BSD Staff/Colleague
Shout out to Kelye Kneeland, 1st Grade Teacher at Spiritridge!
Kelye Kneeland uses her years of experience to create a dynamic, positive, and unique learning environment. She forms a bond with the class that has students looking forward to learning. We appreciate the effort she has put into curating lesson plans, communicating with and involving families, teaching our children, and being a role model. —Ryan, BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Monica Wilson, 1st Grade Teacher Puesta del Sol!
Sra. Monica is not even my child’s teacher but I loved working with her this year. She brings a joy and thoughtful presence to Puesta del Sol Elementary, and her help this year when we were moving our school all the way to the celebrations at our new building was wonderful. Sharing herself and her time and teaching about the Spanish language and Spanish-speaking cultures has been a joy. Thank you, Sra. Monica! —Carmel, BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Qinqin Xi, 2nd Teacher at Jing Mei!
Ms. Xi is kind and funny, and she makes learning fun. —Owen, BSD Student
I’m grateful for Ms. Xi for being super caring for the students and making the classes fun and engaging. Junshen really learned a lot in Ms. Xi’s class. —Hesen Peng, BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Morwenna Probert-Baker, 2nd Grade Teacher at Clyde Hill Elementary!
Morwenna inspires me because she is passionate about social justice and leading students in the work of knows how they can be change-makers in their community. She inspires me to re-learn and do better. Morwenna’s love for students and doing things in community with one another is always visible. —BSD Staff/Colleague
Shout out to Connie Rigor, 2nd Grade Teacher at Spiritridge!
Ms. Rigor finds the levels and potential of the students and works with them appropriately. She encourages them to do better. My son Neil has loved being in Ms. Rigor’s class so much. He’s excited to go to school every day. All the kindness and all other topics she touches on in class gives opportunities for the kids to be at their best. Thank you so much for all your effort, Ms. Rigor! —Sharmila and Vinothkumar, BSD Parents/Guardians
Shout out to Sophie Huang, 2nd Grade Teacher at Jing Mei!
I appreciate Ms. Huang in so many ways but most importantly for her ability to see each of her students for who they are and what strengths they bring to the classroom. Students in her class are happy, thriving, and excited to go to school each day. Ms. Huang also collaborates closely with her teammates so that the entire 2nd grade feels like a big class rather than three separate classes. This is a great way to build community. Thank you, Ms. Huang! My daughter loves going to school thanks to you.
A general shout-out to all the teachers at Jing Mei who are amazing in countless ways. They work hard, long hours, and collaboratively each and every day because they hold high standards for themselves. From pre-k to 5th grade, the vision is firmly focused on supporting students and families. What an amazing team. —Tina, BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Julie Arnold, 2nd Grade Advanced Learning Teacher at Medina!
I’m so grateful for Ms. Arnold because she propelled my child forward and challenged him intellectually every single day. She taught and encouraged my child to become more independent and responsible in all areas of life. —BSD Parent/Guardian
Dear Ms. Arnold, I wanted to express my gratitude for your dedicated work with the children. I have noticed significant growth in both their academic and emotional development, and I believe that is a testament to your hard work and commitment. As we celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, I wanted to take this opportunity to give you a well-deserved shoutout for the amazing job you do.
Thank you again for all that you do. — Tiffany, BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Josie Gettys, 3rd Grade Teacher at Sherwood Forest!
My husband and I are very grateful to Josie. She is a phenomenal teacher that reaches children on so many levels. She has taught both of our kids over the years and has helped our children see the magic in learning. She helps run the student teacher program at Sherwood Forest in conjunction with the University of Washington. She is a phenomenal mentor to all student teachers and helps set them up for future success. —Estella, Parent & BSD Colleague
Shout out to Micah Rabinowitz, 3rd Grade Teacher at Spiritridge!
I am grateful for Mr. Rabinowitz because he makes sure everybody in the class can learn and he lets me have a little independence that I very much appreciate! —BSD Student
Shout out to Jennifer Seery, 3rd Grade Teacher at Medina!
I am so grateful for Mrs. Seery! Mrs. Seery has some sort of magical power that allowed my son to fall in love with reading. She is having him read more often, and also thinking critically as he reads. I really appreciate all that she has done. Thank you! —Eunice Kim, BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Mireya Frederick, 3rd-5th Grade Co-Teacher at Ardmore!
Thank you for all the work you do with the kids! Dominic always says wonderful things about you. He loves how helpful and kind you are and says you’re really chill. Thank you for caring, for putting effort in to help him succeed and grow. What you do is so important and has a lasting impact on who he is and who he will become. Thank you! —BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Patrick West. 4th Grade Teacher at Ardmore!
We really appreciate you, Mr. West! Even though we haven’t had much 1:1 time, our son Dom, has only had positive things to say about you. He loves that you’re nice and he thinks you’re cool and easy going. Thank you for fighting for Ardmore to stay and thank you for all the love and support you show our child and all the kids. What you do matters and is important. —BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Mo Siddons, 4th Grade Teacher at Sherwood Forest!
Powerhouse is one of the words that describes Mrs. Siddons. She knows her kids both academically and socially. She meets kids where they are and helps to guide them to growth. She is flexible and loving, my son has grown very fond of her and we hope our younger daughter has the privilege of having Mrs. Siddons as her teacher. —Estella, Parent & BSD Colleague
Shout out to Hui Chen Hsiung, 5th Grade Teacher at Jing Mei!
Ms. Hsiung is a very thoughtful teacher; she gives attention and spends time with students and understands what they need help with. My child has learned in so many wonderful ways under her instruction. I am truly grateful. —Yale & Cissie, BSD Parent/Gurdian
Shout out to Claudia Mattson, 5th Grade Teacher at Puesta del Sol!
I like how Sra. Mattson has us do a lot of fun projects in science! —Noah, BSD Student
Shout out to Tiffany Jan, 5th Grade Teacher at Jing Mei!
We are grateful for her kindness and dedication to her students. She is so conscientious and thoughtful about how to help her students succeed in life. —Alicia, BSD Parent/Guardian
Shout out to Pedro Hernandez, 5th Grade Teacher at Puesta del Sol!
Thank you for helping me learn a lot and always being helpful to me in my studies. I’m glad you had us learn so much about history with our social studies books and helping me with my math. —Noah, BSD Student
Shout out to Sophia Bensen, 5th Grade Teacher at Clyde Hill!
I’m grateful for Sophia’s energy, positivity, and willingness to collaborate. Sophia makes every student feel loved, capable, and seen. She is intentional with planning to ensure all her students are successful. Sophia is amazing. I’m so grateful to have had the opportunity to work alongside her and that our paths crossed. I have learned so much from her! —BSD Staff/Colleague
Shout out to Ana Hernandez, 5th Grade Teacher at Puesta del Sol!
I like how Sra. Hernandez helps me in a way to understand easily, teaching me both in my Spanish and in English. My mom says she likes how she is fun and joyful with her students. —Noah, BSD Student
Shout out to Barbara Sneckner, P.E./Health Teacher at Tillicum Middle School!
Ms. Sneckner is amazing. She always finds ways to make lessons fun with and engaging with skits and activities. She is so patient and caring and the students love her classes. And she’s an awesome girls tennis coach at Newport High School! Thank you, Ms. Sneckner, for all you do! —BSD Staff/Colleague
Shout out to Jeff Hunsberger, CTE Teacher at Tillicum Middle School!
Mr. Hunsberger truly finds the joy in teaching. He is innovative and creative with his lessons and always makes class fun and engaging for his students. He is super encouraging and supportive of both students and staff. Thank you, Mr. Hunsberger, for being a wonderful member of the Tillicum team! —BSD Colleague
Shout out to Melissa Baker, Science Teacher at Newport High School!
We are grateful for Ms. Baker, and she will always have a place in our family’s heart. Ms. Baker cares deeply about the wellbeing of her current and past students and that shows in every interaction in and outside of the classroom. Thank you, Ms. Baker! —Kawaguchi Family
Shout out to Rhonda Eastman, French Teacher at Newport High School!
J’apprécie l’effort constante de Madame Eastman pour faire apprendre comme amusant comme possible quand elle enseigne en un façon très propice à apprendre. I appreciate Madame Eastman’s constant effort to make learning as entertaining as possible while teaching in a way that is very conducive to learning. —Aaron Rosenthal-Edwards, BSD Student
Shout out to Kent Webb, AP World History Teacher at Newport High School!
I am grateful for Mr. Webb’s constant efforts to connect with students on a personal level and his well thought out explanations of historical concepts.
—Aaron Rosenthal-Edwards, BSD Student
Shout out to all the Bellevue Digital Discovery Teachers!
Digital Discovery teachers work hard every day using new and innovative ways to teach, engage and connect with our students online. They are trailblazers! We appreciate all their hard work and dedication. —BSD Staff/Colleague