As you may be aware, a number of teachers and staff will be leaving Brown Deer Middle/High school after the 2015-16 school year. Most of them have been with the district for a long time, and are known by the Brown Deer student body to be personable, approachable, passionate, and spirited, as well as great educators and leaders.
Students and other staff alike have taken this news with much difficulty, as many are saying goodbye to influential, life-changing teachers and long-time friends.
The recently-formed Brown Deer Student Alliance would like to take this opportunity to recognize those who are leaving and the impact that they have had on our students and community.
Teachers are some of the most fundamental role models a young person can have. As students, we interact with many teachers each day as they guide us through our lives of learning and discovery. Teachers have the power to shape their students, to mold their futures, and we believe that the best teachers can do this masterfully—bringing out the best in their students and helping them to discover themselves.
What you, as a teacher, have brought to Brown Deer is the power to serve as an educator, model, leader, and friend to your students, especially those in greatest need of your guidance. You have formed great educational and personal bonds with your students. Your students have formed memories in your class that will stay with them for the rest of their lives, moments of pain and joy, of reliance and self-confidence, of mistakes and, above all, success.
However, you have stepped so far beyond your role as an educator of your assigned subject and become much, much more to every single one of your students.
Teachers are not the only people who have had such a profound impact on students at Brown Deer. Your efforts at assisting students navigate the waters of high school and higher education have been incredible. Your devotion to the students is incredible, and your passion shines through every detail of your work. No words can truly capture the way you have inspired the people you see every day.
Whether it is about a schedule change, college question, or personal issue, students know they can talk to you and that above all you will listen when they need it most. Your incredible knowledge and experience contributes to your craft, and you have an incredible air of confidence and reassurance. The students have always been your primary focus; you are clearly devoted to their lives and futures before all else.
Your contributions to our lives have been nothing but motivated, passionate, dedicated, spirited, and truly inspired. For your time we are deeply grateful, and we will remember and deeply miss you as we continue to learn, ask questions, and remain motivated and inspired here at Brown Deer, through our further education, and throughout the rest of our lives.
We wish you only the best as you navigate your own future, whether it involves continued service to education, or a change of paths.
Wow, there are so many things I could say about all the amazing teachers that are leaving us.
Dr. Shafer: Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! You made my high school career the best. Even when I didn't have you as a teacher, you always made sure to greet me in the hallway. I will always remember you slamming my locker shut and letting me hang one of your "don't forget your book for class" signs in my locker. Thank you, again, for being such a genuine and kind person, and making high school way more bearable.
Mr. Walker: Even though your class was really freaking hard, you always knew how to make my day right away as I walked into your class. Even though you were also pretty mean to me (and Joyce lol) you meant well and are one of the nicest teachers. Good luck with your band in the future!! You will be missed!!
Mrs. Hongsermier: Even though I only took your AP class for a semester, you taught me so much and were always so kind. You always tried to help me keep my head up and even when things were rough, you always knew how to help. Thank you so much for a great year, and you will be missed so much!
Mrs. Jakubowski: You seriously are one of the sweetest and caring person I know. You were always willing to talk to me, whether it was personal problems, or I needed my schedule changed, which happened way more than it really needed too. But seriously, thank you for being a great counceler these past four years!! You will be missed so much! Good luck in the future!! :)
And to all the other teachers/staff that are also leaving, good luck in the future! Thank you for all your time with us, and it will forever be appreciated!
—Michaela Marks, Student
Mrs. Moore, You've been an amazing counselor for me and others, and it's sad to hear you leave alongside other great teachers. You've been here for quite a long time and I remember Alyssa talking about you during my freshmen year. It's crazy how fast time flies and I'm still amazed you knew I was Alyssa's brother haha. Thank you for helping me with all the little things such as helping me find scholarships, college information, and other things that will benefit my education. I hope whatever path you take in life will be a path of happiness and sunshine. Everyone could use a bit of happiness and sunshine. Thank you for all that you did for me and all students :)
Mr. Walker,
I had you this year as a teacher and my oh my it was awesome. I always thought you were a random guy waddling around the school, but it turns out you were an English teacher. You're a really cool teacher and you definitely helped show me how my writing could be better and improve. I wish you the best with your band and whatever path you take in life. Thanks for all the stuff you did for us senior students :)
—Peter Hawj, Student
Mrs. Griffie: You will be missed very, very, VERY much! I've had you for both years of English so far in my high school career, and I'm extremely thankful that you were my English teacher. All I can say is that you have taught me so, so much about English, literature, and writing essays! Your passion for English is contagious and it's a shame that you weren't able to proceed onto teaching AP English. You would've been the perfect choice for teaching that class. Out of the 16 years that I have lived and the 10 years that I have attended Brown Deer Schools, I've never had an English teacher as passionate as you were towards literature. When I'm old enough to pursue my own career, I hope that I will be as excited about my job every day like you were. And as much as I don't want you to leave, I want to wish you the best of luck with your future! I hope that you will enjoy your new school and will keep being the fantastic English teacher that you are. :)
—Anonymous, Student
Mr. Nelson and Mrs. Hongsermeier,
Thank you for the memorable Senior year. I feel like I learned an incredible amount in both of your classes. Thank you both so much for the hard work you put in to help all of us students with our education and thank you for passing your knowledge on to us.
—Luke Richmond, Student
Mr. Nelson,
I'm glad to have you has my teacher for my first English class of high school. You made my freshmen year fun. I had fun in your class. Mostly when you would press the replay button when Juliet bumps her head in the movie and when we would act out the scenes while reading Romeo and Juliet. When you greet me when I enter the room and exit the room, it made me feel in your classroom. You were always positive and patient even though the class was loud. Because of you and my other teachers, I was able to finish this school year with a smile. I will miss you and I'm proud to call you my teacher.
—Ciara Navarro, Student
Mr. shafer
You were definitely my favorite teacher. Thanks so much for making me feel like I can do anything. Thanks for being there when I haven't been okay. And thanks for letting me open up to you. I'm going to miss you.
—Anonymous, Student
Mr. Nelson,
The passion you have for teaching inspires me everyday to become a better student.
—Martina Ramos, Student
To all the teachers that are leaving, there's a line between your job and your feelings as Mrs. Baush told me, and I've seen a lot of your feelings more than your job, and I'm glad I've gotten to know you guys more then just a teacher doing his or her job. And I'm so happy that I've met you guys, and you all teaching me so much this year, you've all impacted my life in such an amazing way, and for that I'm forever greatful, I'll never ever forget you guys, and I thank you for helping me up when I fell. Dont forget the students of Brown Deer, because we will never forget you.
—Maliah King, Student
I am amazed and proud of the students who did this. I understand the impact each and everyone of you have had on our students but this tribute makes me happy and sad at the same time. Leaving this school was the hardest decision I ever made and reminded me how much the adults at BD care about the kiddos. I learned much from each and every one of you and am proud to call you my friends.
Bravo!
—Duckyone
I will miss the teachers that are leaving, but change isn't always bad. I will never forget the role models we had. I hope they can show other students life lessons that they did to us.
—Jetrin Lee, Student
To all the teachers leaving... Thank you for the huge impact you have had on all these students. Clearly you guys are loved and treasured by them all. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors and once again, thank you for all the hard work and commitment you have made towards helping these students have a better life and high school experience. You will truly be missed.
—Anonymous, Community Member
im getting teary eyed remembering my first day here in Brown Deer, and all the wonderful people I've met at this school. You all were part of the reason I was proud to say that I went to school in Brown Deer, and were also the reason that I was excited to wake up (almost every morning:) and go. It's sad that your time here with us is coming to an end, but it makes me happy to think about the huge impact you'll continue to have on other people's lives. I hope you all know how much you're valued, thank you for everything you've done.
—Savannah B, Student
Dear Teachers and Counselors,
I hope that you do well in your future. I am thankful for having you teach and guide me through my high school career. Though I may not have even known some of you, I've heard many good things about you. Thanks for everything! You'll all be truly missed.
—Anonymous, Student
My heart hurts. I know all of those leaving will be as superb elsewhere as they were here. I am sad that not all the future Brown Deer students will get to experience the excellent and diverse teaching methods our departing teachers displayed. I am sure the new teachers will be great, but honestly, they have some pretty big shoes to fill (metaphorically not literally). And Diane and Kelly, honestly, I have never seen counselors so busy and caring and determined to serve their students. Thank you all. I learned so much from each one of you. I miss you already.
—S Snyder, Teacher
I can't tell you enough how much this has touched my heart. You are all amazing people and I am honored to have worked with you and your families. I will be gone but you will never be forgotten.
—Mrs. Jakubowski
I couldn't have gotten through high school without any of your teaching. It was a privilege learning from you guys. Thanks and wish you the best.
—Isaac Ngui, Student
Mrs. Jakubowski,
Once I heard you were leaving Brown Deer, I instantly was saddened because I remember how influential you were for me to become who I am today. And at some of the hardest times in my life, you were there for me to make sure I didn't let what happened affect my future and what I thought about myself. I don't know where you are going because I am a graduated alumna, but I know wherever you go, you will have the same impact in other people's lives that you had in mine. Thank you for your many years at BDHS and good luck in your future endeavors!
—Imani, Community Member
Ms Griffie,
I have enjoyed getting to know you over the year, and learning from you. I hope that you can see how much my class will miss you!!! At the moment, I can't think to say anything but how much I know my class has appreciated you as a teacher. Thank you for being here for us when you didn't need to be too. You made us laugh at the most intense times, and reminded us to take a breather when there was chaos, and for that, you have become one of my favorite teachers of all time.
With heartfelt thanks and admiration,
—Ehlona, Student
Shafer: when I heard you were leaving Brown Deer, I was instantly reminded of how much I value your presence
—Anonymous, Community Member
It's really sad to see the entire Englsih department leaving all at once, because not only are they some of the best teachers, but they're also someone the best people to befriend. I've never had Mrs. Griffie, so I can't say anything, but I have heard that she's one of the few kindest teachers in Brown Deer. I sometimes pass her in the hallways, and I'm already greeted with a vibrant smile and a positive attitude.
As for Mr. Shafer and Mr. Nelson, it's still surprising to see that they're leavin after such a long time, but everyone has their ends, right?
To Mr. Shafer- I think the reason why I enjoyed this year so much was because of your class. I don't think I've ever loved English class as much as I loved it this year- maybe it's because I'm not pressured to remember that I can't place commas after every three words. You're an amazing teacher, and an amazing person. The day I walked into class on the first day of school, you didn't hesitate to drop the ball, and open up. I think that's what surprised me the most; how open you were with your life, and how much you care about the students. You don't see that a lot in schools; teachers connecting with students I mean. Having you as an English teacher has opened up my eyes to various perspectives of writing. You didn't help me become better as a writer, but you also helped me and many other become better as a person. You helped so many people grow to be successful because of your encouraging words, and I hope this carries on with you and the rest of your journey.
As for Mr. Nelson, I can't express how grateful I am to have had him as a teacher. I had him for Intro to English, and he is honestly the kindest person I have ever met in my entire life. He is always bustling with prositivity and kindness, and his positive mood always used to lift mine up when I was having a bad day. Although I used to unintentionally fall asleep in that class, he really made my freshman year enjoyable with his kindness, and his way of teaching things. He's an amazing teacher; he knows what he's talking about, and he's always got several ways up his sleeve on how to explain a subject to a student who can't understand it one way.
You guys have not only impacted my idea but many others. You two are teachers that care about the students. You ask how they're doing, you conversate to them, and you try to understand the students, and I think that's why you two have made my two first high school years so enjoyable. I'm really gonna miss you two along with many other students. I hope you guys have fun after this school year, and don't forget to keep in touch.
Again, thank you for everything you have done, Mr. Shafer, Mr. Nelson, and Mrs. Griffie.
—Anonymous, Student
I'm so heartbroken over all of this...
Dr. Shafer,
You were the best English teacher I could ever have. You allowed me to explore my creativity onto a whole new level in different languages. Not having you this year was so different and not having you next year is going to be such a tragedy for me... :(
You cared about everyone and all of your students' well being. You were like the cool father to all of us. No one can replace your presence here at Brown Deer.
Mr. Nelson,
Unfortunately, I never got the chance to have you as my English teacher, but my older brother and a few of my peers have. I've only and always heard about how great you were. When I signed up for AP English for next year, I was so excited to finally have you as my teacher...well, until I found out you were leaving, sadly. You've impacted so many students here at Brown Deer. I'm pretty sure that no one can ever benefit as much as you did to our school.
Mrs. Jakubowski,
You were the best counselor anyone could ever have! You are so kind hearted, giving, and understanding to everyone. You've helped my family so much through so many situations and I can't thank you enough for everything you have done. I don't know how my senior year of highschool will be like without you...
You've done so much for our school and, again, I can't thank you enough. Thank you for all of your support, knowledge, and ears. Thank you for all of your hard work, care, and provision.
Thank you for never failing on us, giving your time and effort, and everything that you've done for the students, teachers, school, and community.
—Megan Y., Student
Wow, I'm not even sure what to write. There are so many amazing teachers leaving...
Mr. Nelson: You are the kindest, sweetest person I have ever met. Everyone I've talked to loves you. You are definitely the best English teacher I have ever had, and you were my favorite teacher this year. I'm so sad that you're leaving, but I'm extremely grateful that I had you as a teacher. American Lit was made wonderful by your sense of humor and enthusiasm about the books we read. Thank you for being a great role model. You're the type of person that I aspire to be.
Dr. Shafer: I cannot think of anything nice to say about you... Just kidding! You told me in my yearbook to stop dropping all of your classes, but I won't even have a chance to do that anymore. I know that there was some crazy stuff with my schedule, but I am so glad I at least got to take Creative Writing with you. That was my favorite class this year. You really encourage people, and you relate to the students. You've never treated me differently because of my age. Thank you for being an amazing person and teacher.
Mrs. Griffie: Last year was very hectic in English, but it was also fun. You're a very nice, understanding person, and you were a great teacher. I wish I would have the chance to have you as a teacher again, but I'm happy that we got to know each other. You really helped me out when I wanted to take American Lit this year, and that's something that was an amazing experience. It was made possible because of you, so thank you.
Mrs. Hongsermeier: I feel like all the teachers that are leaving are the ones I only had for one year or less! It's very disappointing. You were a wonderful teacher, and our class had so much fun. Because of your welcoming attitude I was able to ask a lot of questions, and I didn't feel bad about needing help on anything. Thank you for everything.
Mrs. Jakubowski: You've probably been really sick of me, to be honest! I was a very demanding student, always wanting to take advanced classes. But you stuck with me through it all, and always helped out. You helped me get my crazy schedule in order, and you made it possible for me to take American Lit this year. Not every counselor would go above and beyond for a student. Thank you for everything you did to further my education.
To any teacher who has read this far: Good luck with everything you do from this point on. I hope you'll be able to affect other people as much as you've positively affected me. You will be missed.
—Molly Olk, Student
Dear Mr. Shafer,
My first impression of you freshman year was intimidation. You would always stand at the end of the hall and greet people and stare people down if you didn't know their names. Fortunately, I had the greatest opportunity joining you mid freshman year and then back again Senior year. Honestly, you were my favorite English teacher since Freshman year. I loved that, instead of having us focus on extremely specific guidelines, you allowed writing to be what writing's supposed to be: free-formed and just flowing. I would always be excited to have your class because you were one of the few teachers who honestly cared about us. You sympathized with students about many things, you took time to talk to students who seemed down and, overall, you restored faith in students that some teachers actually do care about the kids they teach. I'm extremely saddened to find that you will be leaving the Brown Deer community with many other great English teachers. Even though i've graduated already, I can still feel the heavy hearts of the other high school students who wished you could stay. The students you have in the future are extremely lucky to have a teacher like you who still cares. Thank you for making a mark in my life, Mr. Shafer. You were very much appreciated by the entire student body.
—Tha Y., Student
Mr. Shafer
Although I only had the opportunity to be in your class for 3 weeks, I still wanted to express my thanks for everything you've done. You will be missed.
—Anonymous, Student
Going to start crying reading all these messages :( I'm going to miss all the people leaving but the hardest is going to be seeing Mrs Moore and Mrs Jakubowski. They both helped me so so much. To two great counsellors and amazing people over all, I will miss you immensley. You've been there when I was at the lowest point in my life and never turned me away. Ive done my best to let you both know just how great you are and helpful and I'm just going to miss you both so much. Ms J, this last year you've been such a wonderful person to talk to. I'm glad I got to spend you're last year here with you. Good luck wherever you find yourselves.
—Anonymous, Student
Dear Mrs. Jakubowski,
I have never appreciated a guidance counselor more than you. According to my brother and sister, who you also had previously in high school, you were the coolest guidance counselor. You helped them to pass and drop classes that would've put a dent in their high school life. I only realized in sophomore year that you weren't just a regular counselor who did her job because she had to. You went above and beyond. You took the time to learn my name and the life going on around me, making the students under you feel so extremely special. You, especially, were 1 of probably 4 teachers who came to my dad's funeral. On top of that, you showed so much support for me during the toughest time of my life and continued to do so throughout my high school years. I will never ever forget that kind gesture for the rest of my life. It's sad to see you leave Brown Deer because I can truly vouch that you were one of the staple people who made high school worthwhile. I can honestly say the students who have you as a counselor in the future are extremely lucky people. I hope the very best for you, Mrs. J, and thank you so much for all you've ever done.
—Tha Y., Student
Dear English Department,
Mr. Shafer - Thank you for always caring about your students. You always ask people how they are genuinely. I have seen you work with students who many teachers have given up on. But, I see you make these students think and work hard. Thank you for the really hard fist bumps and just cheering up the hallway. :)
Mr. Walker - You're so mean to me, but I know you don't mean it (I hope so). Your class is always enjoyable, and chill. My writing has gotten a lot better since the beginning of the year. And I can't believe I'm saying this but, thank you for being so picky. YOU WILL BE MISSED MR WALKER!
Mr. Nelson - I've never had you for a teacher, and I was looking forward to having you for AP English. I was so sad when I found out you were retiring. :( Thanks for always greeting me in the hallways! :) I wish you the very best.
Mrs. Griffie - Like Mr. Nelson, I never had you, but I heard so many great things about you, especially from my sister. I love how you are such a dedicated teacher. You dedicate yourself to your students 100% with making sure their essays are in tip top condition. I wish you could've have taught AP English. You will be missed by more than one. I also wish you the best, Mrs. Griffie. :)
Dear Mrs. Hongsermeier,
I never had you as a teacher, but you were the NHS adviser. Your work and dedication to the group is greatly appreciated by not only me, but all the other members. I know some things didn't work out this year, but we all saw the effort you put in. It was greatly appreciated. Good luck at your new school! We will miss you!
Dear Mrs. Sekhar,
I know that many people don't know about you at our school, but I do. You may not know me, but I just wanted to thank you for being at Brown Deer and being a part of the staff. Every teacher counts. I wish you the best!
—Joyce, Student
Dear Dr. Shafer,
The best thing about you is that you said hi to everyone in the hallway even if you didn't know them. This was nice because when I was having a bad morning I knew I would say hi to you soon enough and I couldn't help but feel better. You were the funniest teacher I have ever had but you were also very real about life with us and I appreciate that. You also seemed to bring out the best in people. Thank you for always being awesome. Stay cool.
Dear Mrs. Hongsermeier,
You are an amazing teacher who cares not only about the students grades but also the student. Thank you for always giving great life advice and being an awesome HIP teacher.
—Anonymous, Student
Dear Mrs. Moore,
By the time you finish reading this, you'll probably know who I am. I want to thank you so much for helping me with schedules and my endless college questions. You always stop in the hallway to talk to me, even if it was just a quick hi or how was your day. I'm so disappointed that you won't be here next year to walk me through the college process. It'll be hard for me, but I'll keep everything you told me from the years before in mind. And when I saw you and Mrs. Jakubowski in the morning, I really wanted to say more, but I knew I was going to cry—and I didn't want to do that. I wish you all the best with wherever you end up working. Any school would be lucky to have someone like you helping their students. Thanks for all that you do!
Dear Mrs. Jakubowski,
You weren't my counselor, but you were always so nice to me and basically everyone else. Thank you and Mrs. Moore for starting the little first generation college student group. Thank you for answering all my questions, even if they were a little dumb. I also wish you the best. You've been at Brown Deer for so long, and I can't imagine how hard it must be to start fresh at a new school. But again, any school would be lucky to have you as well. :)
—Joyce, Student
Dr. Shafer was always a humorous and caring guy, he was like the Dad of the '16 hallway. He always knew everyone's name and was always joking around and being super friendly. He's a great laid back teacher and the next year's freshmen is really gonna miss out.
Another English teacher I'm really gonna miss is Mr. Walker. My favorite running gag is how he always disappears but when he is here, he's also really funny! I felt all the English teachers communicated on a personal level and always made extra effort to care for the students. (Not that the other teachers don't) I just know that there were countless times where Shafer or Walker asked a student if they were okay or pulled them outside because they just knew when something was wrong. They genuinely cared about their classes and always taught class in a fun and interactive way. Don't ever stop teaching, the day you stop will truly be a tragedy.
—Anonymous, Student
Dear Mrs. Moore, thank you so much. I never got to talk to you much, all I knew was that you were a genuine and kind person. I barely needed schedule changes and I didn't get into trouble that often, nor did I usually have personal problems that I felt I had to talk about with a counselor. But there's a first time for everything, and one day I found myself breaking down in class. I came to you with a friend and you listened to me and talked to me. It was my first time talking to you besides a few polite greetings or one simple question, but it I was astonished.
You were able to do your job and still care so deeply for the students here. I felt comfortable, I felt reassured and I didn't feel awkward. I didn't feel bad and talking to you really comforted me. Thank you so much. I know that your kindness will not go to waste, I hope the world treats you well once you leave our community. You will be so greatly missed.
—Anonymous, Student