teacher appreciation week

We just finished up Teacher Appreciation Week here.  Our PTA is very good about taking care of our teachers.  They had an event planned for each day this week.  I also had some of my favorite things to do planned for the teachers in our lives all week.  If you add up the classroom teachers, the "specials" teachers, the therapists and the principal & her assistant... this year, we had a group of 13 to appreciate.  And, yes, I did tell them that we actually appreciate them every week.

Monday:  we only participated in the PTA activity.  Each child was asked to bring in a single flower for their teacher.  Since I am room mother, I picked up 3 vases for the classroom teachers and aides.  I am smart enough to know to buy these at the Goodwill in March in anticipation of T.A.W. in May.  If you wait too close, they sell out.

Tuesday:  the PTA activity was a Breakfast Buffet.  I took this opportunity to try a French Toast casserole I had been wanting to make.  Someone emailed me and asked for the recipe for their Mother's Day Brunch, so I think it was a hit.  That, and the fact that only 1/4 of one pan was left when I picked up my 2 casserole dishes.   They asked parents of kindergarten through 2nd grade to contribute to this meal.

Also on Tuesday, I sent in boxes of GS cookies for each teacher.  Down here, we use ABC Bakers, so we have some different cookies than those of you with Little Brownie Bakers.  We have a cookie called "thanks-a-lot" s that are shortbread cookies with "Thank You" written on them in different languages.  They are coated with chocolate on the back side.  I'd say they were yummy, but c'mon, People, they are Girl Scout cookies..... are any of them not yummy??  This was a win win for us because it also boosted Gretchen's cookie sales.  You know, she sold 192 boxes this year!

Wednesday:  PTA planned a Dessert day with goodies in the lounge for the teachers to grab in their free time.  They asked the parents of 3rd graders to supply this day's treat.

My Wednesday gifts were photo magnets.  The Friday before, I went in for the early morning and the twins and I took pictures with almost every teacher.  The music teacher saw us coming, shouted "No!  Not now!" and popped back into her office, not to return until we left.  We also missed the OT.  She is only in the building on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  So, I still owe those 2 women magnets... but I did get everyone else.

Thursday:  PTA.  A local sub shop was providing subs for lunch and 4th grade parents supplied side dishes.

Our gift this day was homemade strawberry freezer jam.  "For a berry special teacher".  Made with berries the twins picked last weekend.

Friday:  PTA hosted a Luau outside with snacks for the teachers.  Gretchen said she saw teachers in grass skirts and wearing leis, too.  The 5th grade parents contributed to this day's event.

For our final day, we gave out cards that contained an interview I did with the twins about all the teachers.  The funniest thing is asking them "What does the principal (and assistant) do at school?"  The kids drew self portraits on the cards and I included a little note from Lew & I about how much we love this school.  I also had a class photo for the classroom teacher and aides.  On Tuesday, I was at school delivering the breakfast casseroles and every kid in the twins' class happened to be there!  So, we got a group photo.  Then, on Wednesday I brought in matting to have all the kids sign it.  One little boy was absent all week after Tuesday's photo.  He did get in the group picture, but I never go this signature on the matting.  I also interviewed the entire class at lunch about the things that makes their teacher and the aides special and about what their favorite things about first grade are.  They got copies of that interview, too.

I love this kind of stuff.