Congratulations to Mrs. Wendy Post, a library media specialist who serves at both Monte Sano and Highlands Elementary, who has been selected as an HCS Changemaker!
Mrs. Post started out as a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy and served as a B-52 aircraft maintenance officer. She married a fellow member of the Air Force and after she finished her commitment in the armed forces, she decided to focus on spending time with their children. While volunteering at her son’s school library, she became deeply convinced about how integral it is for children to become active readers. She says her oldest struggled transitioning to chapter books in 3rd grade and so she read with him every night to help him along, and it occurred to her that many children don’t have that opportunity. When she decided to go to the University of Maryland and begin the journey back into the workforce, earning her Master of Library Science was a natural fit.
“Mrs. Post is an exceptional educator and librarian,” says Monte Sano Principal Clifford Porter, “she truly has the heart and mind of what’s best for students.” In her classes, Mrs. Post ties most of her lessons back to English Language Arts (ELA) standards, STEM activities, digital learning, and citizenship, but she says it almost always starts with reading a book. She also works to make sure the library is a low-stress environment where kids want to be.
When she isn’t working with students or engaging in the plethora of other administrative duties librarians are tasked with, Mrs. Post stays very busy supporting her daughter who competes in equestrian hurdle jumping. They live on a farm and own three competition horses, so there is a lot of time spent in animal care as well as grounds maintenance. She is very passionate about the Washington Capitals hockey team. As one might expect, she’s also an avid reader and says she’s very fond of historical fiction.
Mrs. Post hopes that students can look back on their time with her and remember an instance they read a book that sparked their imagination or made them appreciate the fulfilling joys of reading. She says, “If they can look back and say they love the library because it was a safe place and helped make them the reader they are today, that would just put me over the moon.” With all the positive impacts she’s having on students, it’s pretty certain she’ll be needing some astronaut gear pretty soon.