On Friday, we held our Teacher and Staff Appreciation Luncheon at our intermediate school! We had a delicious catered lunch with wonderful desserts. Our PTA vice-president, Nancy Crum, arranged the caterer and found colorful decorations with a western theme. We gathered a few students to help us decorate the gym and later to help serve the teachers! Homeroom parents and volunteers covered the teachers’ classes while they ate and enjoyed chatting with colleagues. I have been blessed to serve as the PTA president and we host & finance the event twice a year.
I covered the office while the school secretary joined in. Filling in these jobs really gives you a closer look at what these teachers and staff members go through. Our district nurse was needed at another school, so while filling in the front office, many students came in with scrapes that I would have to stop what I’m doing, sanitize the scrape, and apply band-aids. I hadn’t thought of our secretary in that role before. I also first handedly saw some of the emotional support children need from the nurse where the scrape might have been small, but the fright was bigger.
When I covered classes before for other teacher appreciation lunches, I would realize how busy and timed everything is. The children are really moved through a fast paced schedule. Positive feedback from children really makes the experience more joyful! One child made a picture and thank you note for one of our volunteers. She smiled endlessly as she told me about it while the volunteers were later lunching together and she was obviously proud to show it off. I didn’t get to feel even a wee bit jealous that I didn’t get one this time, because the glow in her smile shared that precious gift with me.
It’s also so sweet when children smile, learn something from you, or seem to appreciate what you do! But, what about the teachers who have to endure “not so” pleasant feedback regularly? What happens if volunteers can’t show up? My appreciation for our teachers, staff and volunteers has increased so much just from volunteering at the schools and seeing even a small view of what they endure! I take my hat off to them all! At the end of our luncheon, we gave them each a small geranium filled pot, decorated in our western themed red bandana box. Seeing their smiles was such a rewarding experience! “Truly, we THANK YOU for What You DO!!!”
After being at school most of the day, I still had to run to the bank to get money that PTA provides to teachers to help them to do treats for those students completing their Accelerated Reading (AR) Goals! I then had to run to the store to get ice cream and toppings to treat our chorus after school for performing at our last general PTA meeting. Yes, it was busy – but it was fun! We are also looking forward to the Inflatable parties we are hosting next week for the outstanding sellers in our fundraiser and another one for the last day of school. Showing appreciation, is not just a one day event. It’s what our PTA units strive to do throughout the year!
Related articles
- Sign Me Up – How I came to love the PTA. (babble.com)
- It’s Teacher Appreciation Week (kswpgoodfriends.wordpress.com)
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Safer Schools with ED and PTA (debateandswitch.wordpress.com)
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