In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, a local group celebrated dozens of Naperville-area educators over the weekend.
Guru Vandana event celebrates teachers
The Naperville branch of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA, a nonprofit, held its annual Guru Vandana event on Sunday, May 3, at Lincoln Junior High School, honoring 71 educators and administrators from Naperville, Aurora, Oswego, and Plainfield.
Two teachers stand with their students after being presented gifts during the Guru Vandana celebration at Lincoln Junior High School in Naperville.
The name of the event means revering or paying homage to one’s teacher.
“It was a wide variety of educators that we appreciated…This is the way to start Teacher Appreciation Week, which is very important for the education system,” said Siddhesh Shevade, national executive director of HSSUS.
Over 15 schools were represented during the event, which had more than 250 people in attendance, according to Shevade, including Indian Prairie School District 204 board president Laurie Donahue, board member Natasha Grover, and Naperville City Council member Supna Jain.
Attendees gather during the Guru Vandana celebration honoring teachers at Lincoln Junior High School in Naperville.
Attendees learn more about Hindu culture
During the celebration, attendees experienced several aspects of Hindu culture, starting with the lighting of a lamp, which symbolizes expelling darkness and ignorance, Shevade explained.
High school students then presented posters they prepared with research on the Hindu civilization, while middle schoolers did the same with information about Indian architecture.
Afterward, teachers were called up one by one and presented with gifts from their students. The event culminated in a cultural musical dance performance involving everyone in attendance.
“All the teachers were happy and very much touched that somebody invited them and appreciated them without having any expectations, because they are continuously doing so much work,” said Shevade.
The Guru Vandana event has been taking place nationwide for more than 20 years, and began in Naperville in 2010.
Photo Courtesy: Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you.
