In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, we are sharing stories to celebrate the ways teachers have gone above and beyond to help students feel connected during the school closure. Joel Newman and Scott Storlie, two teachers at MME, have been biking through Minnetonka neighborhoods to greet their 8th graders from their driveways.

"Mr. Storlie and I are both very active, extroverted, social people, and after a few especially long days in front of computer screens, we got to talking about what we could do to lift spirits and connect with our students," said Mr. Newman. "So much of education is based on building and maintaining strong relationships, and the transition to e-learning has really put our ability to stay in touch with one another to the test."

Mr. Newman and Mr. Storlie compiled a list of their students' addresses and mapped out different routes to visit each week. Their goal is to visit all 90 students on their list by the end of the school year.

"Seeing students' faces—surprised, excited, and even confused—has been such a joy for both of us," shared Mr. Storlie. "All of us care so much about our students and miss them deeply, so this experience has given us at least a small glimpse back at normalcy. The love returned to us from students, siblings, and parents makes it well worth the time invested."

Today and every day, we are grateful for the excellence our teachers show both in their instruction and in their care for our students.