Second grade teacher PattiJo Boehm believes her role has been: “Making every child feel like they’re special and welcomed and smart and talented. That’s what’s important.”

For 19 years, Boehm has been teaching at Willow School in Homewood. She’ll be retiring at the end of the school year, packing up a classroom that’s chock full of books and memorabilia and a “Smile File” stuffed with thank you cards and special notes to the…


