SWEETWATER COUNTY — In celebration of the 93rd American Education Week, Sweetwater County School District #1 and Sweetwater Education Association partnered in recognizing the week across the school district.

At the November 10th school board meeting, Superintendent Kelly McGovern, SEA President, Cristy Magagna and Vice Chairman of the board, Brady Baldwin all signed a proclamation, proclaiming the week of Nov. 17th-21st as American Education week.

The outline of the week:

Monday 17th: Kick Off Day,

Tuesday 18th: Parent Day,

Wednesday 19th: Support Professionals Day,

Thursday 20th:Teacher Day,

Friday 21st: Substitutes Day, additionally the entire staff will dress in Red, White and Blue.

This is a chance to say thank you to all in Education.

In celebration district wide emails and announcements supporting each have gone out. With a common phrase accompanying most of the announcements, “Together we make a difference”, which truly reflects what this week is celebrating. Whether an involved parent, teacher, bus aide, custodian or paraprofessional; to educate a child, requires all capacities to achieve success.

A little back ground about American Education week. NEA was one of the creators and original sponsors of American Education Week. Distressed that 25 percent of the country’s World War I draftees were illiterate and 9 percent were physically unfit, representatives of the NEA and the American Legion met in 1919 to seek ways to generate public support for education.

The first observance of American Education Week occurred December 4-10, 1921, with the NEA and American Legion as the cosponsors. A year later, the then U.S. Office of Education joined the effort as a cosponsor, and the PTA followed in 1938.

American Education Week is always celebrated the week prior to the week of Thanksgiving.

–From a SWCSD#1 Press Release

American Education Week Proclamation

WHEREAS, public schools are the backbone of our democracy, providing young people with the tools they need to maintain our nation’s precious values of freedom, civility and equality; and

WHEREAS, by equipping young Americans with both practical skills and broader intellectual abilities, schools give them hope for, and access to, a productive future; and

WHEREAS, education employees, be they substitute educators, custodians, paraprofessionals, nutrition service providers, secretaries, maintenance, teachers, bus drivers, or other special providers, work tirelessly to serve our children and communities with care and professionalism; and

WHEREAS, schools are community linchpins, bringing together adults and children, educators and volunteers, business leaders, and elected officials in a common enterprise.

NOW, THEREFORE, We do hereby proclaim the week of November

1ih – 21st,2014 as American Education Week.

Signed this 10th day of November 2014.