Dreams, open houses part of American Education Week

At Central Junior High, students will pause in the hallways to read their classmates' ultimate dreams, carefully written out on paper clouds and taped to the walls.

At Jefferson Elementary, parents and grandparents will seat themselves next to students in classrooms for a day of learning.

In Jackson High School, a large group of retired teachers will gather for a luncheon recognizing the decades they gave to education.

Thousands of local students and educators will celebrate their purpose this week with a variety of activities in honor of American Education Week.

The seven-day observance, which ends Saturday, is a national event now in its 82nd year.

The week is intended to focus not just on teachers and students but also on support staff and substitute teachers. Most local schools have planned some sort of recognition during the week for custodians, cafeteria workers and others who typically stay behind the scenes.

At Franklin Elementary in Cape Girardeau, community members have been invited to the school Thursday to work with fourth-graders on computer projects.

Central Junior High and Jefferson are both holding open houses today. The junior high has also planned a door decorating contest for classroom doors and special thank-yous for support staff Thursday.