The "Magic Wand" Lady

Betty Linn, receptionist at the ISEA headquarters building and a retired Des Moines elementary Art instructor, is pictured here with me as we celebrated her birthday on Wednesday, a day early.

Although the phone system and visitors keep Betty quite busy, she is often given tasks to do during those "in-between-times". You all know, teachers are good at multi-tasking! Betty is the person I went to when I had the idea of honoring school secretaries with a "magic wand". I gave her the idea and she gathered the materials and went on to make hundreds and hundreds of beautiful "magic wands". I thought it only fitting for her birthday gift to honor her with a 'purchased' magic wand.

The gift bags (at the right) line an area of the floor in my ISEA office with "magic wands" ready for my next road trip.

The "magic wands" have been a wonderful entry into the schools this year, but best of all it has been such a joy to award each school secretary with this small gift. In addition to the "magic wand" I give school secretaries a note card with the message, "On behalf of your 32,000 colleagues that are members of the Iowa State Education Association, we thank you for the magic you do every day for the students of Iowa!"

Thanks, Betty, for the magic you do every day for all Team ISEA!