Dear
WREA friends,
I
wanted to share some of the highlights from the Fall District meeting in Rice
Lake with those of you who attended and also with those of you who missed the
meeting. It was great to see so many first time attendees. You
brought a different perspective and much energy to our group
of veteran retirees, who've been to many meetings over the years.
Thanks to all of you who participated in the meeting.
The
Superintendents panel was interesting with Janna Stevens, from Superior,
and Barry Rose, from Cumberland, sharing what has been happening in
their school districts. They certainly gave us much to think about.
I was reminded how important it is that we need to support our schools and
express our thanks to school employees - all of them, especially in this time
of unprecedented changes and challenges. Keep up your volunteering
and interest in education.
I
hope you enjoyed meeting Sarah Simac and Nanci Foster, the Kindergarten
teachers from Eagle River Elementary
School, who won the WREA Foundation Challenge
award. Their enthusiasm for teaching was wonderful. Their
innovative project was to instill in their kindergartners a life long awareness
for freedom, patriotism and heroism. Classroom activities during and after
school helped the students to focus in on what makes someone who is an ordinary
person into a hero and to learn who are our heroes.
Mary
Mennes, Member Benefits Liaison,
reminded us to share with our unit members how many benefits we are entitled
to use through our membership in WREA. We all want to save money and this is
one way to do so.
Our
honored guests were Jim Perala, Green Valley, Arizona, Satellite Director,
and Vic Bekkum, WREA President Elect. Jim and Vic are also the
past District I Co-Directors. Together they bring many years of
experience to District I meetings.
We had a
chance to share ideas, and brainstorm as we worked together in Dave
Bennett's strategic planning session on Retaining and Acquiring Membership.
Vivian Markley
WREA District I Director
