Logan Elm School District is proud to have amazing staff members who care about our students each day. In addition to caring for our students, one Logan Elm Elementary teacher and one recently retired middle school teacher were recognized for the care they have shown our environment throughout their careers, teaching students about conservation both in and out of the classroom.
Empress Bethel and Lorrie Huysman have taken on many tasks throughout their years at Logan Elm. From building our recycling program to creating the OWLS (Outdoor Wild Learning Spaces) club, they have made a lasting mark on our students and our environment by teaching environmental consciousness.
They also started a “Morning Bird” program at Logan Elm, where they would meet with students before school to identify different bird species. They even created bird feeders from old tennis ball sleeves donated by our tennis programs!
“It’s not something we have to do; it’s something we want to do,” said Mrs. Bethel when reflecting on her many years at Logan Elm.
Deservedly so, our teachers’ efforts were noticed by our community, specifically by the Pickaway Soil and Water Conservation District (PSWCD) at its 82nd annual banquet. Both Mrs. Huysman and Mrs. Bethel were awarded certificates of recognition for their years of dedication to conservation in Pickaway County and their partnership with the PSWCD.
They were also surprised by an amazing award presented by Congressman David Taylor, the Outstanding Teacher Involvement Award.
As Mrs. Bethel spoke about her years at Logan Elm, she said the real award has been seeing students become truly involved in environmental efforts. She even recalled students seeing her years later and sharing that they had pursued college degrees in environmental science or other related fields.
Although we know the most important thing to them is our students, Logan Elm is grateful that these two educators could be recognized by our county and state for more than 25 years of teaching our children about conservation and the importance of caring for our environment.