The District 54 Promise From our

Very Own Staff

By: Shreya P.

Schools are filled with teachers day in and day out. They do many different things to ensure student achievement, like plan daily lessons to push for higher comprehension. The statement that they have been trying to focus on most though this school year is their D54 Promise that they made to the students, staff, guardians, and the school as a whole. Many teachers put their best foot forward and strive to be a leader, standing out the most with a positive impact as soon as they step through the doors at Keller. The teacher that has stood out tremendously this year has been one of the 7th grade LA teachers, Mrs. Younkin. She has stepped up her game as a teacher for sure. Her promise to the students is to “continue to focus on delivering top-notch lessons, all while keeping my focus on the happiness and social emotional component that goes into working with teens.” When walking into her classroom, she is not only your teacher, but she is your friend, role model, and peer to help work with you throughout the school year. Keller’s motto continues to be “Together As One” and she truly shows that in all the work she puts in with her students.

When asked, Mrs. Younkin states that in order to ensure her students’ success, she “is fully engaged with the stories that we read day-to-day and I really try to capture the essence of what the author intended us to take away from their piece.” Mrs. Younkin is unique in that she is not here for us to simply sit in her class and be bored. She likes to have fun and, the best part is, that she understands teenage drama, sarcasm, and jokes. Mrs. Younkin is a one of a kind educator in that her teaching is outstanding, and without a doubt she pushes her students to always put their best foot forward. She stands beside us when things are hard and ensures us our success. She provides us with tips, tricks, and ways to complete work like staying after school so that we can get extra help when needed.

Overall, Mrs. Younkin is an outstanding teacher and she has truly shown us what a role model looks like. She states that “outside the role of being a teacher, it is the students who make me excited to come to work everyday; to see them grow within their own learning and witness the capacity in which they do...it is priceless!” She follows the promise every day and her peers and students couldn’t be luckier to have her in their lives.

By: Aditi S.

There are a bunch of great teachers at Keller Junior High, like Mrs. Ghani, the seventh grade Social Studies teacher. Mrs. Ghani is a sweet, caring teacher.

What is your District 54 Promise?

Mrs. Ghani: I promise to dedicate myself to the enlightenment of the human spirit.

What my promise means is:

Mrs. Ghani: I promise to challenge students and help them grow academically and social-emotionally. I will ask thought provoking questions that challenge the pro-quo and have students dig deeper to understand life is not black and white or yes and no. There are many choices to be made. Can we judge our past by our standards today? If so, why? Also, should we judge the past by our standards today?

Mrs. Ghani: I promise to help students understand social studies concepts and be able to understand how past experiences have shaped our current world. I promise to help students understand and develop their own character. I promise I will always be there to encourage, support, and challenge you.

Why is this your promise?

Mrs. Ghani: To explain why I choose this as my promise, I would like to break down the words I chose.

I promise to dedicate myself. I am devoted to helping all students learn.

To the enlightenment of the human spirit. Enlightenment of the human spirit means we are learning to feed our soul with knowledge. It is not just learning what is taught at school, but to learn or feed your brain/your interest outside of the classroom. Learning does not stop at 2:15 p.m. It goes on afterwards, and you can choose to find what interests you and keep learning about topics that feed your soul or your brain.

How does it help with the school environment?

Mrs. Ghani: My District 54 Promise supports our school environment by doing the best I can each day. To help students learn, grow, and become productive members of society.