This is a story out of Hollywood, as a matter of fact, it's 20 times better than any movie you have ever seen

Her name is Erica Quale, Bismarck and Wachter Middle School is lucky to have her. I had a conversation with her for about 15 minutes this afternoon, and I could feel her true love for what she does. She has been a teacher for about 14 years, back in 2019 she and Kristi Meyers were part of an amazing statistic, I'm still blown away after reading about it. They both worked so hard with their 8th-grade students to aid them in preparation for the state civics exam.

So what do you think would be a success? 60 or 75 % of the kids passing the tough test?

The two teachers wouldn't settle for anything less, get this, 99.9 percent of Wachter Middle School’s eighth-graders passed.  which beat the state average by nearly 15 points. That's simply amazing. The test is still done today, but only at the High School level.

An e-mail reached Erica about a month ago

She received an e-mail from her principal Lee Ziegler about a month ago, it was an invitation - a calendar invite. The subject matter was a Hornbacher Baesler Presentation - "they will be here to meet our eighth-graders, should last about a half-hour" - Well today ( March 24th ) was the day.

Imagine what it's like when all your hard work and labor of love is recognized in front of your students and peers

As 300 eighth-graders 12 teachers and an assortment of others, plus cameras everywhere came to a hush, Erica Quale had no idea the honor that was headed her way - According to kxnet.com " Wachter Middle School teacher, Erica Quale was surprised at a school assembly today when she received a $25,000 Milken Educator Award. Quale is one of over 60 teachers nationwide to receive the cash award for the 2021-22 school year and is the only recipient in North Dakota"

"So humbling, I was shaking, crying, and could barely make it onto the stage"

This is what a truly devoted teacher is all about. I asked Erica what was her favorite part of her job "Seeing my students grow, all the relationships made, great co-workers, and awesome to always have people that are there for you - they are my heart" She has 5 kids, 5-year old Auggie, 2-year old Asher, Alexis is a freshman at BHS, 5th grader Lyla who goes to Prairie Rose, and lastly there is Jilian. She is an 8th-grader, and yes you guessed it, she is in her mom's classroom, and what a capper for a glorious day, for she was in the audience today when her mom was given the award. Congratulations and let's all be proud of a rock-star teacher in Bismarck!


LOOK: 50 famous memes and what they mean

With the infinite number of memes scattered across the internet, it's hard to keep track. Just when you've grasped the meaning of one hilarious meme, it has already become old news and replaced by something equally as enigmatic. Online forums like Tumblr, Twitter, 4chan, and Reddit are responsible for a majority of meme infections, and with the constant posting and sharing, finding the source of an original meme is easier said than done. Stacker hunted through internet resources, pop culture publications, and databases like Know Your Meme to find 50 different memes and what they mean. While the almost self-replicating nature of these vague symbols can get exhausting, memes in their essence can also bring people closer together—as long as they have internet access.

 

 

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