Season of Gratitude

I have always believed that any school is only as good as the people who work there. All the beautiful grounds or sun-filled classrooms and abundance of art supplies mean nothing if you do not have people who care deeply about their roles in making the school the best place to be. We are fortunate at LANK to have so many individuals that are truly dedicated to their role in helping make our school thrive. I want to dedicate this blog to them.

Our Staff

Did you know that, collectively, our staff have over 107 years of experience at LANK? This doesn’t even include years of experience teaching in other places. The Bureau of Labor reports that the average employee stays with a typical employer no longer than 4.6 years. Seeing that we have staff who have been at LANK for 5+ years, it must be a pretty special place! Our teachers are always looking for creative ways to excite and connect with students. They haul in items from home for special projects and take home many projects to prepare. Our teachers understand developmentally appropriate practice and exercise patience and curiosity with students to empower them to create, investigate and explore. They build relationships that last for many years beyond their time at LANK.

Mr. Jerry our Custodian

The very first person I met at LANK was Mr. Jerry. I was changing my shoes in the parking lot before my first interview when I was greeted by this super friendly gentleman who helped guide me through the gate to locate the front door. Mr. Jerry has been caring for the inside and outside of our school for over 45 years. He has seen a lot in those years and doesn’t even flinch by the seemingly random preschool requests we may ask of him. After unclogging one of our toilets one day that had an abundance of toilet paper stuck inside, he simply laughed and said, “we were all kids at one time”. At the start of the pandemic, Mr. Jerry offered to extend his services to include an additional round of cleaning mid-day to provide additional sanitation during this time. He clears tree limbs from our playground when storms roll through and even gathers toys around the playground when they are forgotten.

Danny our Carpenter

Mr. Danny has been doing carpentry work for LANK for over 10 years. Because our building is so uniquely designed to allow for as much sunlight as possible, it can be a challenge to have ample storage space. Over the years, Danny has built custom cubbies and bookcases, hung bulletin boards and so much more. He understands our need to maintain an environment that is both beautiful and safe for young learners. Mr. Danny never hesitates to come to LANK when we need his help for a project.

Steve our Mailman

We have enjoyed receiving the mail from our mailman Steve for many years. He always waves and speaks with our students if they are on the playground when he is delivering the mail. Our students love to see him bring the mail and are very interested in his special mail vehicle and postal uniform. On school vacations, he is careful to make sure our mail is safely put in the slot and not left to be damaged by the elements, etc. He sometimes gets caught in carpool traffic and always approaches it with ease and understanding.

Mike our Bug Guy

For several years, we have had the same gentleman in charge of LANK bugs and other creatures we would rather not be in and around our building. Mr. Mike comes monthly to check on our building and see if we are having any issues. Whenever needed, he comes quickly to make sure bees, ants or other insects are not able to establish a home here at LANK.

During the month of November, teachers will discuss the idea of gratitude and saying “thank-you” to those that help us. Students may be making cards or drawing pictures for some of these helpers in our community.

Lastly, we want to be sure to thank our past and present LANK Board of Trustees and PTO. These parents have chosen to volunteer countless hours to serve our school community. With too many preschools closing their doors over the past couple years, we are so grateful for our board and families for supporting LANK so that we may continue to thrive for years to come!