As Teacher Appreciation Week draws to a close, I want to congratulate and thank our teachers for all their hard work and dedication this year.

During Teacher Appreciation Week, we give a special thanks to all our amazing educators who go above and beyond for our scholars.

But my scholars didn’t have to leave Harlem to take in Boston’s historic sites. For this field study, they used virtual reality viewers — simple devices made of cardboard that work with a smartphone and let users experience an immersive, three-dimensional environment.

It’s wonderful to hear from former staff. Thank you, Ms. Gaines, for taking the time to write me and share your thoughts — and thank you for the contribution you made at SA and are now making in Tennessee.

I am one of the many parents who are in full support of Success Academy and its teachers.

I would like to see the Times spend a few days at Success Academy Williamsburg, where my daughter attends fourth grade, so a reporter could see the magic that happens there daily.

Our school has not been the same since Chris took his leave of absence in December, but we were thrilled that he returned Feb. 19, even if for only one day.

When I sat down for our first pre-k teacher training session, I was thrilled to learn that, instead, we would be borrowing the best concepts from many different programs to mix together a set of principles, goals, and plans that perfectly matched our vision.

I love sharing the joy I found when I was a cheerleader, so when I came to SA Harlem 4, I asked my principal, Mr. Loskoch, if I could start a cheer squad for third and fourth grade girls — and I was so thrilled when he said yes!

The brainchild of founder Eva Moskowitz, Gamesday is new this year and happens at all Success Academy elementary schools every Wednesdays: Blokus in kindergarten, Monopoly in first and second grade, and Settlers of Catan in third and fourth grades.

Success Academy labsite teachers are our best of the best—teachers who mentor and model best practices for their peers.

At Success Academy, new teachers — known as associate teachers — receive constant coaching and support from experienced teachers and leaders. We asked former associate teachers to reflect on their first year teaching alongside a lead teacher — an experienced educator — and to share what they learned that helped them improve and become strong lead teachers this year.

Of all the schools, programs, and clubs I have played and coached for, Success Academy is the perfect marriage of a vision I can fully stand behind and practices that allow me to maximize the potential of every person I interact with.

In the spring of 2014, I was visiting the New York Hall of Science in Queens when I came across a group of third graders in blue and orange uniforms. They were so excited to be exploring the museum.

When I first started teaching, two words bounced around my head hourly: “achievement” and “gap.”

In the months leading up to the U.S. Chess Federation National Elementary Championship in May, 13 of my chess students at Success Academy Harlem North West kicked their training into high gear.

I have always wanted to run a marathon, even though I am not exactly a long-distance runner. Before I began training, I had never run more than six miles at a time. I am a former college athlete and gravitate toward physical challenges, but the marathon is my Mt. Everest.

When I started teacher training at Success Academy this summer, I did not know what to expect.

In middle school, the state tests were Kayla’s Mt. Everest — seemingly unscalable twin peaks of math and English. Even thinking about the tests made her anxious; for two years straight, she had not passed either state test. Eighth grade — the last year of mandated state testing — was her final opportunity to shine.

To help new teachers adjust to their first year here, we asked eight returning teachers to share one piece of advice they wished someone had given them when they started teaching at Success Academy. Here is what they said:

Three lessons that extend beyond chess and can inform every teacher’s practice.

For three days at the end of May, two dozen seventh-grade scholars from three Success Academy middle schools — Harlem East, Harlem West, and Harlem Central — traveled to Oyster Bay, L.I., to study marine biology, ecosystems, winds, tides, and sailing at the Waterfront Center.

I am especially pleased to recognize the 24 winners of this year’s Success Academy Teacher Excellence Awards for their outstanding work and deep commitment to the highest standards of excellence.

I usually don’t visit Capitol Hill to see great teaching and learning. But I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to go to the Hill recently and observe Success Academy math teacher Dana Adnopoz masterfully deliver a lesson on proportional reasoning to a group of fifth graders.