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Get ready to honor the unsung heroes of education on National Educational Support Professionals Day on November 20! Do you know who these unsung heroes are? They are the dedicated individuals who keep schools running smoothly: the administrative staff, the bus drivers, the cafeteria workers, the maintenance and custodial staff, and many more! Recognized first by the National Education Association in 1987, this day is dedicated to pay tribute to these professionals who play pivotal roles in creating a healthy, positive and productive learning environment. So, let's roll out the red carpet for the silent pillars of our educational institutions on this incredible day!
<div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1987</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Holiday's Inception</div><div class='timeline-text'>The National Education Association (NEA) first recognized National Educational Support Professionals Day.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>1998</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>American Education Week Incorporation</div><div class='timeline-text'>The holiday was incorporated into the annual American Education Week, which highlights the importance of public education and honoring individuals who are making a difference in ensuring every child receives a quality education.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2002</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Designation of Specific Date</div><div class='timeline-text'>The holiday was formally set to be celebrated on November 20 each year, to fall within American Education Week.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2010</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>ESP of the Year Award</div><div class='timeline-text'>The NEA started the tradition of selecting an "Education Support Professional of the Year" to recognize exceptional achievement among educational support professionals.</div></div></div><div class='timeline-item'><div class='timeline-left'><div class='timeline-date-text'>2020</div></div><div class='timeline-center'></div><div class='timeline-right'><div class='timeline-text timeline-text-title'>Virtual Celebrations</div><div class='timeline-text'>Due to the COVD-19 pandemic, celebrations took a virtual turn, with educational institutes hosting online events to celebrate the day and recognize their support staff.</div></div></div>
<div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>1</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Write appreciative notes</h3><p class='facts-text'>A simple note stating “You're doing a great job!” or “I appreciate your help!” can boost anyone's mood. Encourage students and staff to write these notes and distribute them to the educational support professionals in your school.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>2</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Create a recognition video</h3><p class='facts-text'>Ask students, teachers and parents to record short video clips expressing their gratitude. Compile these into one wholehearted 'thank you' video that can be shown school-wide.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>3</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Host a special event in their honor</h3><p class='facts-text'>Whether it's a lunch, surprise party, award ceremony, or a coffee morning, taking the time to host an event in their honor shows recognition and appreciation more than words could express.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>4</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Build a Wall of Fame</h3><p class='facts-text'>Set up a temporary 'Wall of Fame' in a common area for all to see. Include photos and brief descriptions of each person’s contribution to the school. Encourage students and staff to leave messages of appreciation.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-header'><h3 class='facts-number'>5</h3></div><div class='facts-text-wrapper'><h3 class='facts-title'>Give small thank you gifts</h3><p class='facts-text'>Little tokens of appreciation can go a long way. A simple gift like a personalized mug, pin, charm or school merchandise, accompanied by a thank you note can make their day.</p></div></div>
<div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>A</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Highlighting Unsung Heroes</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>National Educational Support Professionals Day is a wonderful opportunity to shine a light on the valuable and often underappreciated individuals who work tirelessly behind the scenes to make our educational institutions run smoothly. Recognizing these individuals and their hard work reminds us of the important contributions they make to our schools and consequently, to the quality of education pupils receive.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>B</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Fostering Appreciation</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>Celebrating this day encourages us, students, parents and the entire school community, to be more appreciative and express gratitude for the hard work done by educational support professionals. The act of preparing small tokens of appreciation or thank you notes fosters a culture of gratitude and respect among the younger generation.</p></div></div><div id='' class='whywelove-item'><div id='' class='whywelove-letter-cont'><div class='whywelove-letter'>C</div></div><div id='why-we-love-main-cont'><h3 id='' class='whywelove-title'>Promoting Unity and Collaboration</h3><p id='' class='whywelove-text'>This special day embodies the essence of unity and collaboration, by promoting appreciation for all roles in an education setting — not just teachers. It recognizes and highlights that everyone in a school collectively contributes to the development and well-being of the students. This shows students how cooperation and respect for every job role contributes to the smooth functioning of a society.</p></div></div>
<div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>1</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Educational Support Professionals Contribute to Student Success</h3><p class='facts-content'>Studies have shown that educational support professionals significantly contribute to student success, as their roles often directly engage with students, providing them with essential support and individual attention.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>2</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>There are Approximately 3 million Educational Support Professionals in the US</h3><p class='facts-content'>According to the NEA, about half of the public school workforce consists of educational support professionals, equating to roughly 3 million full-time employees all helping in maintaining the smooth functioning of educational institutes.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>3</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>School Bus Drivers Traverse a Lot of Ground</h3><p class='facts-content'>School bus drivers, a crucial segment of educational support professionals, travel more than 4 billion miles each year to ensure students arrive at schools safely across the United States.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>4</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Lunchroom Staff Serve Billions of Meals Annually</h3><p class='facts-content'>The lunchroom staff, another critical segment of educational support professionals, serve approximately 5 billion lunches annually to students in the United States, contributing to the health and nutrition of the nation's forth coming generation.</p></div></div><div class='facts-item'><div class='facts-number-wrapper'><p class='facts-number'>5</p></div><div class='facts-core-content'><h3 class='facts-title'>Support Professionals Work in a Multitude of Roles</h3><p class='facts-content'>Educational support professionals work in a variety of roles, including assisting in classrooms, serving students in cafeterias, driving school buses, providing health and student services, maintaining buildings and grounds, and offering clerical and administrative services.</p></div></div>
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