As the school year winds down, teachers and principals from the Hanover School Division popped into the radio station for a lighthearted conversation, offering a peek behind the curtain of classroom life—from secret snack stashes to sentimental mugs and meaningful moments with students.
Educators from Blumenort School, Mitchell Elementary and the Steinbach Regional Secondary School (SRSS) shared their thoughts on everything from their favourite ice cream flavours to what students taught them this year.
Snacks, mugs and memorable moments
Blumenort School teacher Michelle Plett sticks to a health-conscious routine with smoothies, yogurt, almonds and fruit. “That's great that I come across as healthy,” she laughed. “I didn't tell you what I eat when I get home.”
Principal Dave Schettler confessed to jumping on the iced coffee train recently. “Somebody asked me, ‘Do you want a coffee?’ I said sure… and that was it.”
When asked about mug collections, both Plett and Schettler agreed it’s still a classic teacher gift—especially around Christmas—though gift cards are just as welcome.
At Mitchell Elementary, kindergarten teacher Jamie Penner keeps a stash of M&M’s for quick sugar boosts while her students are absorbed in their world. “Sometimes the kids don't even notice,” she smiled. Principal Jennifer Thomson prefers savoury snacks—chips or cheese crackers.
On the mug front, Penner has taken a creative approach. “I've been actually keeping them in my windowsill and planting plants in them.” Thomson, meanwhile, brought along her favourite—a mug from 2013 gifted by a student who just graduated. “I think of that cute little kindergarten face that's now a big grown-up going into construction,” she said with a smile.
Lessons from the learners
It sounds like the biggest lessons of the year didn’t come from textbooks.
“My students taught me that hard work actually makes us feel better,” said Plett. “Good problem solving is good for our mental health.”
Schettler said resilience was a major theme for his students, even when a fox repeatedly disrupted outdoor recess at Blumenort. “That resilience… is just one little example,” he said. “And we’ve really been focusing on kindness lately.”
At Mitchell Elementary, Penner said her young learners reminded her to find joy in little things. “They just love life,” she said. “And it teaches me to appreciate everything as well.”
For Thomson, who just completed her first year as principal, it was all about being present. “The kids taught me to take time and have fun,” she said. “The paperwork can happen later.”
First day energy and grad-day pride
Over at SRSS, Principal Sherry Bestvater said her two favourite moments every year are the Grade 9 orientation and then the graduation. “The beginning and the end… it’s incredible to see the growth,” she said.
Teacher Kyle Von Riesen, who splits his days between Grade 9 and Grade 12, said he sees students transform in both age groups. “For those kids that have never really felt like they’ve connected with school… to see them flourish in so many avenues—it’s so cool,” he said. “Then the Grade 12s, just watching them grow and become young adults.”
Hear more of the fun conversations with these educators. Check out the podcast with Carly Koop.
-With files from Carly Koop.