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Benton (kneeling, center) helps her students build garden boxes, a class project that nurtured skills like problem solving, critical thinking and teamwork. Photos courtesy Heather Benton
In case you missed it, Tuesday was National Teacher Appreciation Day, which the National Education Association describes as “a day for honoring teachers and recognizing the lasting contributions they make to our lives.”
And now more than ever, they deserve our gratitude.
It’s been a rough year for teachers, who have been confronted with every conceivable obstacle. In spite of it all, they’ve met the challenge with grace, enthusiasm and an unwavering commitment to their students.
Jan 16, 2021
Awards coordinator Melinda Gohn (right) presents a commemorative portrait of John Lennon to Roots School 5th grader Isla Harris for her winning peace poem, âBetter Together.â â International Peace Poem Project photo
Fifth grader Isla Harris recently received the Maui County grand prize in the 21st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Poetry Awards.
Harris attends Roots School in Haiku. Her poem, “Better Together,” was selected from a field of 525 entries.
The annual competition is sponsored by the Maui-based International Peace Poem Project and is held in honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
“We are delighted to receive work of this caliber from this young Maui poet,” said awards coordinator Melinda Gohn.