Their voices stay with you for life. As a measure of how much she values the partnership with Dean Cooperative, Ms. Heleniak nominated the bank for the 1997 Chamber of Commerce Award, which it won. She also makes a point of mentioning how much she appreciates the support of parent volunteers who help with the school savings program, and she is quick to credit the principal and staff of Davis Thayer School with creating a climate that enables students to reach their full potential. That's not just idle praise. The parents of Davis Thayer's students take a keen interest in the education of their children, and Principal Mary Jane Wiles is one of those enlightened and supportive administrators who foster excellence in a school.
Expectations are high and standards are high, but the students rise to the occasion.
One way to accomplish that goal, according to Ms. Wiles, is to seize every opportunity to make a connection between school subject matter and real life applications. To make the point, she tells the story of how school secretary Sheryl Brown once conducted a check writing mini-lesson on the school's playground. Ms. Brown was waiting for one of the teachers to write a check for the school Christmas party, and as the teacher wrote, students gathered round to watch. When they started asking questions, Ms. Brown took the opportunity to explain the basics of check writing. Making the connection between schoolwork and real life applications is also one of Rena Heleniak's strengths.