American Education Week
The National Education Association (NEA) knows how important teachers are all year to our students, but for one week in November the NEA takes a week to honor those who touch and change lives through education. American Education Week (AEW) focuses on great public schools as a basic right and our responsibility. They encourage the school to get involved with the community to show the importance of education in all of our lives.
The West Delaware Education Association (WDEA) also celebrates the responsibility of our teachers during AEW with treats for all staff members in the lounge and treats to each WDEA and WDESA staff member in mailboxes. Short public service announcements have also been placed on KMCH and in building announcements to promote the week to all students, staff, and community members.
The responsibility of the WDEA members is shown all year through the dedication to our students and we are honored to have a week to help celebrate all that responsibility with the members in our association and staff at our schools.
Read Across America
Since 2002, each March the WDEA has organized an all-district reading celebration for Read Across America Day. Read Across America is a National Education Association sponsored project to celebrate the birthday of the late Dr. Seuss and the joy of reading. Each year during the week of March 2, the NEA encourages schools and communities to help get kids excited about reading, realizing that kids who read, and who are read to, do better in school.
At West Delaware each year for Read Across America Day the high school Engish classes along with the middle school students buddy up with an elementary student for a half hour of reading. Special snacks are provided. Middle school students participate in a book mark contest. The winning bookmark designs are printed and given to each buddy reader.
As part of our celebration, the elementary lunch room serves a reading related menu dedicated to Dr. Seuss. The elementary students are challenged to read a certain number of days in order to get the principal to do a special theme-related activity. Reading assemblies have been held for the elementary students with relays and contests, as well as the WD speech and drama department providing student story tellers or reader's theater performances.
At the middle school, the librarian organizes a reading contest that kicks off on Buddy Reading day and ends with a prize or celebration to help celebrate April Reading Month.
The high school librarian hosts a coffee house in March. Some activities at the coffee house include storytellers/poetry reading, music...usually a student playing guitar, and board and card games. Coffee, juice, cookies, and fruit are served.
The community is informed about our Read Across America celebrations through newsletter articles, newspaper editorials, signs on local business marquees, and radio spots. We encourage everyone to celebrate the birthday of Dr. Seuss by reading to a child.
WDEA Dave Schultz Memorial Scholarship
Deadline - April 1
Recent Recipients
2016 - Morgan Heims and Michelle McDonald
2015 - Marissa Wright
2014 - Bradley O'Connell and Patrick Woods
2013 - Casey Topping and Travis Meisgeier
2012-Hannah Temeyer and Ryan King
2011-Jessica McDonald
2010 - Zach Pasker
2009 - Derek Klein and Joslyn Sailer
2008 - Ashley Fitzpatrick and Michelle Thole
2007 - Austin Cole
2006 - Jessica Francois
2005 - Ashley Nachtman
2004 - Katie Larson
Scholarship Application