Deanne Helquist – Mapleton Junior High School

Mrs. Helquist is the orchestra teacher at our school. She has taught me for 4 years, and I’m really sad that I have to go to high school next year, because I’ve loved having her as my teacher. She has helped me immensely in improving how I play. When I’m having trouble with a piece of music, she is understanding and kindly works with me one-on-one until I can play it perfectly. And, what really amazes me is that she does that with every student. She genuinely cares about us, and that’s something you can rarely say about a teacher.

Mrs. Helquist constantly strives to make our orchestra sound great, and it shows. A lot of times, when we go to Orchestra Festivals, the judges there will give us the highest score possible, and it’s all thanks to Mrs. Helquist. But, the judges aren’t the only ones impressed. The orchestra teachers from other schools there have e-mailed Mrs. Helquist saying how well we played and how stunned their students were with our performance. Mrs. Helquist has done an exceptional job with the students at our school, and I’m so grateful to her for that.

Mrs. Helquist is loved by all her students. Some of her past students that are currently in high school skipped a day of school on her birthday, just to spend the day trying to spread the joy she has spread into their lives. Mrs. Helquist works us hard, but we hardly notice because she does it with a smile. If there was any teacher worthy of the “Teacher Feature” award, it would be Mrs. Helquist, for her expertise and loving care.

–Sarah Averett