“Short but sweet”, that is what Mrs. Jacqueline Jones, the Grants Cibola County Schools Human Resource Director, said when asked about their plans for the 2026 Staff Appreciation Day. “We want to send you off early so that you can be with your friends and family,” beamed Superintendent Lane Widner. Inside my head, I mused, “I will have time to cook for my son’s birthday!”
On May 8, 2026, Mrs. Jones and Mr. Widner were at the entrance greeting staff, hugging them, and making them feel welcomed on a day especially meant for them. Being new at the GCCS, I have heard stories from colleagues about the general assembly they used to have for Staff Appreciation Day - songs, dances, and contests. During my first year here, it was held at each site, with principals and vice principals planning their own activities for staff. Last year, we had mini-surprises each day, like our favorite drink, chips, and donuts!
This year brought back the district-wide celebration at the Grants High School Gymnasium. Breakfast was served, and indeed, the program was to the point. Mr. Widner thanked all the staff, from teachers to counselors, education assistants to coaches, nurses to custodians, administrators to secretaries, making sure he did not miss any department.
The awardees, by school and by years of service, were called to receive carefully designed certificates, custom-engraved plaques, and symbolic gifts. The GCCS Administration and Educational Board officials, including awardees’ friends, joined in the joy by taking photos and cheering loudly for everyone.
As an ELA teacher, I could not help but match poems to the years of service. I picked a few lines for every milestone.
5 Years from “Oh, the Places You'll Go!” by Theodor Seuss Geisel
“You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.”
I imagined five years feels exciting, and the staff is raring to go, like the beginning of a chapter when they are still flipping over the fresh pages, adventure after adventure.
10 Years from “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost
“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by.”
I guessed that ten years in education has the vibe of choosing the same sentimental road again and again, even when it is the most challenging one.
15 Years from “If-” by Rudyard Kipling
“If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,” Fifteen years probably taught patience more than anything else. That includes patience with systems, with change, and sometimes even with the copy machine.
20 Years from “O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman
“The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear…”
Twenty years made me visualize staff steering through professional and personal storms year after year while helping students safely reach shore.
25 Years from “Hope is a Thing with Feathers” by Emily Dickinson
“Hope is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul And sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all -” No doubt, twentyfive years of service leaves saguine memories everywhere — in classrooms, friendships, and students who may never forget their kindness.
30 Years from “[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]” by E.E. Cummings
“my heart)i am never without it(anywhere i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done by only me is your doing,my darling)” Just as Cummings broke the rules of grammar to express depth of meaning, 30 years broke the rules of time by leaving a legacy that never dies.
And the retirees from “Invictus” by William Ernest Henley
“I am the master of my fate.
I am the captain of my soul.”
Honestly, the retirees looked far too energetic for rocking chairs. They looked ready for road trips, binge-watching TV series, and maybe even a second career!
As someone from the Philippines and the daughter of a retired kindergarten teacher, I grew up seeing these kinds of celebrations. I was once recognized for ten years of service twice, in two different institutions. Looking back, I realized that even through part-time jobs on the side and changing seasons in life, I stayed in schools where I found quiet friendships, opportunities to write, and ways to serve the community. Watching the awardees and retirees that morning made me excitedly wonder: Will I make it to five or ten years here too? (And win in the $100 raffle next time?) Maybe gestures like the heartfelt effort of the GCCS community remind people why they stay, for years, for a place that feels like home.