Woodmore cage players take time to honor teachers

It is always a good idea for students to show appreciation for teachers and school staff who have made a positive impact on their lives.
This is exactly what the Woodmore boys and girls varsity basketball teams did at their games on Staff Ap­preciation Nights, which occurred for the first time this year.
Each Woodmore varsity player was asked to choose a Woodmore staff member and write a small paragraph explaining why he or she chose their staff member. Every staff member chosen was escorted down the court by the player that chose him or her before the varsity game be­gan. The player’s reasons were read aloud to the crowd, so every player could show his or her appreciation towards the staff member they chose.
Principal Nolan Wickard was inspired by another school and decided he wanted to imple­ment this at Woodmore.
“I thought it was a great idea for both students and teachers. I wanted teachers to understand the impact they can have on a student’s life,” said Wickard. “People some­times hear of negativity in schools and not all of the positivity.”
Junior player Aaron Sandrock chose Donna Katafias, his middle school history and en­richment teacher. Katafias had a positive impact on Sandrock’s life.
“She always brought a great attitude to class and made it fun,” he said.
Senior player Sydni Buhrow chose Chad Miller, the shop teacher.
“I chose him because he has taught me how to be a hardworking and respectful per­son. He always has a positive attitude, which is contagious, and he makes class enjoyable,” she said.
Glenn Black, the junior varsity boys’ basketball coach, was also an appreciated teacher.
“I loved seeing all the smiling faces of the players and faculty,” said Black. “It was an honor to be chosen.”
The basketball players say they enjoyed being able to show appreciation to a staff member that influ­enced their life positively. Wickard wants to con­tinue this in the future, but alternate between boys and girls every year.
After an 81-45 victory over Fremont St. Joseph, the girls team is 14-5 overall and 7-5 in the Northern Buckeye Conference. The boys team is 4-13 overall and winless in 10 NBC games.
(Reprinted from the January issue of Window To Woodmore, the school’s student journalism publication, with permission)