"This year, our PTG has decided to do something every day of the week [for teacher appreciation]. We also put out a flyer to let parents know that it was coming up and give them some ideas. In the flyer, parents were encouraged to write a letter of appreciation to their child’s teacher(s), and encourage their child to do the same.

I emailed the teachers and asked them if they had time to answer this question: 'Why do you continue to teach with extreme buget cuts, lack of respect for the profession, larger and larger class sizes, and lack of respect from the children?' With the answers I included them on the front page of the flyer with the teacher’s name and grade and subject taught. These answers were amazing. Then I included on the back the ways we planned on letting them know they are appreciated:

All week: We are collecting canned goods and nonperishables for the local food pantry in honor of our SOUP-er teachers.

Monday: Wear your teacher’s favorite color, and breakfast and coffee in the teachers’ rooms.

Tuesday: SOUP-er salad buffet lunch in the teachers’ rooms.

Wednesday: Highlighters in mailboxes with label 'It would be impossible to highlight all you do.'

Thursday: Beautiful desk planners with next school year’s calendar of events (customized at the Amsterdam Co.)

Friday: Treats and baked goodies in the teachers’ rooms.

All of these things were not only for the teachers but for the whole staff. We didn’t want anyone to feel left out, they are appreciated too!

We had a handful of parent helpers who made a soup, or a baked good, and I saw lots of kids wearing their teachers’ favorite color on Monday. I also heard from parents who weren’t able to help out but they were planning on writing their teachers a letter! Great week this week, the teachers are all talking about it."