Gifts, gift cards, food and handwritten notes are all items teachers look forward to during their week of appreciation from students and administrators, but is that what the school actually provided? From May 4 to 8, the school celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week with activities for teachers, recognizing their hard work and dedication.
Throughout the week, teachers enjoyed a little extra appreciation with daily treats from the PTSA (Parent-Teacher Student Association). On Monday, there was a breakfast snack bar; Tuesday featured a chips day; Wednesday was gum day; Thursday was “Thankful Thursday;” and the week concluded with a lunch from Jersey Mike’s on Friday.
On Thursday, the main focus for teachers was personalized cards. Students had the opportunity to write cards for their teachers at a table set up in the Commons during lunch on Wednesday, run by AP US History teacher Anne-Marie Steppling, allowing students to share personal messages of appreciation and gratitude for the staff who support them every day. “When I passed Commons, I saw Ms. Steppling sitting at a table with a bunch of cards and pencils. I knew it had something to do with teacher appreciation week, so I went over there and wrote Ms. Felternan a card because she has been super supportive throughout the whole year helping me excel in AP Seminar,” sophomore Amelia Crespen said.
Also, Patriot Ambassadors had the opportunity to receive credits by making three handwritten cards for teachers, as well as creating a colorful, themed poster for an academic department on Wednesday during lunch. This enhanced student participation and ensured that teachers would receive at least one note of appreciation from a student.
In addition, students could donate snacks or drinks for teachers on Monday, adding another option for those who wanted to contribute. Both the snacks and drinks, along with the posters, were organized and then distributed on Monday after school to each department, helping ensure that the appreciation was spread across the whole staff rather than concentrated in just a few classrooms.
According to math teacher Suzanne Hosking, the school paused a tradition for as long as she’s been here. “I felt appreciated that they did something. I always feel good when they do stuff. My favorite thing they do that they surprisingly didn’t do is students writing letters in homeroom during Teacher Appreciation Week. I have been here for decades and this is the first year that they haven’t done it. I don’t need gifts to feel appreciated, but I am sad we didn’t do the letters this year,” Hosking said.
Health teacher Victoria McCarthy agrees. “I was pleased with the Jersey Mike’s they provided on Friday. They acknowledged us, and I felt seen by the school. I wish the students did a little more and I hope the school will bring back handwritten notes from students to teachers because that’s what I looked forward to,” McCarthy said.
