(BIVN) – This year’s Waimea Christmas Twilight Parade honored teachers as “Guiding Stars at Christmas and Always”. Waimea Middle School teacher Mrs. Patricia Rice served as the Grand Marshal for the December 1st parade.

During an interview before the parade began, the long-time educator said it was a “chicken-skin” moment. “Everywhere you look there are teachers. Great teachers. Not just school teachers. But coaches, kahu, kumu, you name it. Parents. We’re all teachers,” Rice said.

According to the Waimea Community Association:

Mrs. Rice’s career at WMS includes serving as a teacher, counselor, curriculum coordinator, vice principal, principal (four times!), and now, as the school’s grant writer/coordinator who manages significant public and private donor funding for the public conversion charter school. Mrs. Rice led the teacher-family-community team that decided in 2003 to become the first public conversion charter school in Hawai’i under a then-new state law to enable teachers and staff to better address student needs. More recently, she has coordinated the continuous improvement process for WMSʻ Accreditation with admin, teachers and staff.

It goes without saying, teaching runs in the Rice family. Mrs. Rice and husband Marc – also a long time Waimea educator who leads the turtle tagging program at HPA and directs the school’s information-technology services – have two daughters who also are dedicated teachers.