It’s hard to believe that August is already here, but here we are once again, with autumn just around the corner and the start of school quickly approaching for many families.
We recently wrapped up one of our latest special sections at the paper focused on “helping hands,” in which all staff writers got to highlight different people eager to help in our community.
Teacher assistants immediately came to mind when I first heard the idea. Before I took on a writing position at the Enterprise, I was a teacher aide myself with Northwest Education Services. While I only served in that capacity for a little over a year, it didn’t take long for me to understand why so many people love and respect the job — working with kids and helping to ensure they get the best educational experience possible is rewarding in a way that is hard to explain. In the classroom, each staff member is appreciated and serves just as important a purpose as the lead teacher or any other paraprofessional.
Every year, there seems to be a never-ending need for more teacher aides as they are essential to ensuring students are heard and tended to. Depending on the classrooms, some need more than one aide present, but you work with what resources you have because you know the kids are depending on you. There are many difficult days, but the good ones make the struggles worth it no matter how low it gets. I definitely miss the bonds and routines I had with students while working in school — getting to know their likes and dislikes, whether it was what their favorite books or snacks were, or even helping them to understand an assignment that needed to be completed. I encourage anyone searching for a daytime job in town to look into the assistant position as the knowledge learned and memories made are priceless and stay with you for most if not the rest of your life.
In this particular special section on one story, I was blessed to be connected with Glen Lake Community Schools’ Paraprofessional Therese Rosinski, who has been working as an aide with the district for the last six years. A beloved and active member of the community, many know her for the positive role she’s played in their lives.
Besides being in line with both of her kids schedules, Rosinski, a 1994 Glen Lake alumnus, relayed to me that she has always genuinely loved working with the youth and seeing their growth and gains over the years. In addition to working with youth, the positive impact that the students and staff have had on her is a big reason why she pursued the job herself.
The strong community that makes up the Glen Lake school faculty supported her and was understanding through some of her most difficult times when she was faced with serious health issues. A few years ago, Rosinski had to have a double mastectomy after discovering she had breast cancer. Doctors also had to remove a lymph node from her neck that was cancerous. Since being faced with these health issues and procedures, she has been undergoing chemotherapy for almost three years.
Now, Rosinski is facing another major health hurdle, as recent tests have shown that she has a tumor growing on her cerebellum. A GoFundMe was created last week in the meantime to help offset the financial burden during her medical journey. Just like she has given so much to so many, it’s important to support and rally around her as she continues pushing through this difficult and tumultuous time in her life. To donate, go to https://gofund.me/fe6867e0.
