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April 24, 2026
GLPS Families,
It is hard to believe, but next Friday is May 1st! I am always amazed at how fast things move after spring break, but this year, in particular, it seems to be moving at light speed. Spring is a busy time of year in a school district, with a lot of events, learning, and celebrations happening. But, it is also a time when it is important for us to pause and reflect on all of the people who do the work to make our district run and create a positive impact on students, families, and our community.
To those ends, I often share this graphic with our staff, reminding them that regardless of their role, they are all educators who impact the achievement of our students.
In our strategic plan, one of our belief statements is, "We believe the GLPS staff are professionals who are vital to the health and future of the Grand Ledge community", and that is on full display every day across our district and Comet Country as a whole.
Last evening, the Grand Ledge Area Chamber of Commerce held its annual awards dinner, where it recognized Delta Center kindergarten teacher Darbi Carter as the Teacher of the Year, and Willow Ridge Dean of Students Lauren Patrick as the Support Staff of the Year. Both are deserving winners among many deserving nominees for teachers and support staff. The event, and those nominations, were yet another reminder of how integral our staff is to the success of our community.
I share this with you today, because in the months of April and May, there are a number of days set aside to celebrate all of the people who make such a difference in our schools and communities. These are all listed below and represent a wide range of our employee groups.
Date - Recognition Day - Focus Group
- April 1-30 - National Occupational Therapy Month - School OTs helping students with motor skills and sensory needs.
- April 1 - Paraprofessional Appreciation Day - Instructional assistants & classroom aides
- April 4 - School Librarian Appreciation Day - Media specialists and library staff
- April 6-10 - National Assistant Principals Week - Assistant Principals who handle the "heavy lifting" of discipline & operations.
- April 19-25 - National Volunteer Week - Parents, community members & boosters.
- April 19-25 - National Library Week - The broader celebration of school & public libraries.
- April 22 - Administrative Professionals Day - The front office staff, secretaries & registrars.
- April 28 - School Bus Driver Appreciation Day - The transportation team.
- May 1-31 - Better Hearing & Speech Month - Celebrating Speech-Language Pathologists & Audiologists
- May 1 - School Principals Day - Building Leaders & instructional heads.
- May 1 - School Lunch Hero Day - Food service staff & cafeteria workers.
- May 4-8 - Teacher Appreciation Week - The entire teaching faculty.
- May 5 - National Teacher Day - The focal point of Appreciation Week.
- May 6 - School Nurse Day: Healthcare staff & clinic assistants.
- May 8 - School Communicators Day - PR, communications & social media staff.
- May 18 - National Speech-Language Pathologist Day - Specific honors for the SLP team.
So, throughout the next few weeks, as we wind down the 2025-2026 school year, please make sure that you take time to thank the school staff who make GLPS such a wonderful place to learn and grow. Whether they have an identified day across these months or not, everyone who interacts with our students and schools on a regular basis shapes the positive educational experiences that we are proud to deliver.
Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve this community, and thank you for giving us the opportunity to work with you and your children every day. Have a wonderful weekend; as always, I am #proudtobeacomet!
Dr. Bill Barnes
Superintendent of Schools
