Today my son will graduate from Ashland High School. To say that we are proud of him is a bit of an understatement. And while we know that we did all that we could to help him get to this point, there were many others who motivated and guided him along the way. Among this wonderful support group are friends, neighbors, teachers and community members. Mr. Huard is one of the teachers that made a real difference and I’d like to share his story with you.
We first met Mr. Huard when our son enrolled in Advanced Placement U.S. History. We sat in the classroom as Mr. Huard described the course and what was going to be expected of each student. He held up the large textbook for the class and told the students that by the end of the school year they were to read it – and that meant many hundreds of pages of reading in all. He told them that there would be writing assignments every night. When Mr. Huard was done I wondered if my son would think about dropping the class. Instead, he seemed excited. It was as if he was eager for the challenge that was presented.
Over the course of the year, my son did read the entire textbook and wrote several pages of homework each night. We talked about the lessons he was learning and I was amazed at his grasp of the material. He was not memorizing dates and places as I had done many years before; he was gaining an understanding of the world. What a wonderful gift.
Apple Almond Pie
Today I brought an Apple Almond Pie to Mr. Huard to thank him for demanding so much of my son (and his fellow students). It helped him grow quite a bit. I know that my son was very pleased to score well on his exam because it was a grade he worked hard to earn and that made the victory sweeter.
I would also like to thank all the parents, teachers and administrators that have worked so hard to give our students such a wonderful education. Sometimes it is easy to take this for granted but I know that we are truly blessed.
Pie a Day Give Away 
Leave a Reply