A true spirit of service is often marked by a quiet dedication — the kind that seeks fulfillment not in praise, but in the satisfaction of making a difference. Yet, even the most selfless acts of hard work and compassion deserve to be recognized. Gratitude and acknowledgment not only honor individual effort but also strengthen the sense of community and shared purpose within our schools.
The Holyoke School District has long celebrated this balance between humble service and well-earned recognition. Through events such as Classified Staff Week, National Principals Month, Teacher Appreciation Week, and many others, the district expresses its deep appreciation for the people who make our schools thrive. We also honor staff for every five years of service to the school district.
Building on this proud tradition, the administration and Board of Education have established the Staff Member of the Month Program. This program provides an opportunity for colleagues to recognize one another for embodying the district’s core values of Respect, Integrity, Safety, Excellence, Ownership, and Achievement (RISE and or SOAR)—whether through their daily dedication or through exceptional efforts beyond their normal responsibilities. Each month, two honorees are selected and invited to a School Board Meeting to be publicly recognized for their outstanding contributions.
Through these efforts, Holyoke School District continues to affirm its belief that great work—whether seen or unseen—deserves to be celebrated, and that those who serve with heart and excellence inspire all of us to rise together.
This month we recognize:
Megan Sprague
Megan Sprague truly has the biggest heart and will go the extra mile for her students. She is amazing at accommodating assignment, projects, and tests that meet each individual students needs. She shows such compassion for her students. She is not afraid to try new ideas and works with her coworkers in a positive and encouraging way. She makes history and social studies fun. I wish I would have had such an amazing teacher like her when I was growing up. She always goes above and beyond to do what is best for students. She is proactive and works well with other teachers and staff to find creative solutions to help her students learn. Her dedication to her job is very evident in everything she does.
Theresa Tharp
Mrs. Tharp does so many things to help make our elementary building a terrific place for students and staff alike. Her classroom is a warm and welcoming place for students. Tharp makes great connections with students. Her sense of humor draws students to her and helps keep learning in her classroom fun. She also enjoys getting to know her students, and they know that she cares about them. These connections she makes do not go away when students leave our building. If a former student is back in the building, they will often be found taking a little detour and hustling down the hallway to Mrs. Tharp's room for a chat and a hug.
Mrs. Tharp is dedicated to helping students learn and succeed. With the addition of WIN time throughout the elementary building this year, Tharp has been an integral part in helping this program take off in the 5th and 6th grades as she has stepped forward with the willingness to handle WIN time for all four classes. This has involved a lot of flexibility and risk taking on her part, but she is committed to doing whatever needs to be done to meet the needs of each individual student. WIN time has also required additional record keeping and the need to monitor that students are working on what they really need. Tharp has taken all this on with great dedication to making it a beneficial time for each student.
Mrs. Tharp also has great rapport with her fellow staff members. She works so well with her 5th and 6th grade team members. The addition of WIN time has necessitated the need to coordinate with fellow teachers what each student needs and should be working on during that time. Tharp is great about reaching out to the remainder of the team to check in and to keep them updated on student progress.
Mrs. Tharp's genuine concern for all the members of our staff is also evident throughout the building. She can often be found checking in on someone to see how things are going or stopping by someone's classroom to share a quick story or offer a word of encouragement or congratulations. She is also able to add that little joke or funny story that brings a much-needed chuckle to a day. Mrs. Tharp is an amazing person to work with and certainly helps make our elementary building a great place to be!