Celebrate National Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week – Celebrating since 1988!
The 30th National Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week (T/SAW), celebrated February 13 – 17, 2017, by the Prince Edward Island Home and School Federation, and local Home and School Associations encourages all parents, students and the wider community to recognize the important contributions, both personal and professional, of teachers and school staff to the lives of children and their education.
Every school has dedicated teachers and school staff members. T/SAW lets them know that they are appreciated; that we want to work with them and that we are on the same team.
T/SAW Planning Checklist
✔ The first step is to form a committee of enthusiastic people. Be sure to include some students on your committee – some terrific ideas come from some very young children.
✔ Include your principal in the initial planning. They can give excellent suggestions on what may be meaningful to staff as well as on how activities can be handled within the school.
✔ Choose the events that your Home and School Association wants to do and determine on which day each event will take place.
✔ Prepare notices to inform parents of opportunities to become involved in the celebration. If possible, recruit one parent to coordinate things for each class. Be sure to follow up your first notice with a second one and include a time line so that parents will know what is expected of them.
✔ Display T/SAW posters (if available or create your own) in local businesses, the library, recreation centre, post office, etc.
✔ Publicity tips…..Send Public Service Announcement (PSA) to your local radio station. PSA’s are free! Ask churches to publicize your T/SAW event in their bulletins.
✔ Have classroom representatives collect letters of appreciation from parents and children.
✔ Arrange for parents to do playground supervision (if this is allowed in your school) so that all staff members are able to attend special events such as luncheons.
✔ Ask a local business to display a message on their community notice board.
✔ Please include your T/SAW celebrations in your Annual President’s Report to the provincial Federation. You may find your activities on our website next year!
Sample Week Activities
MONDAY – Hang a "We Love Our Teachers/Staff" banner on the front of the school
– Place an apple with a note from the Home and School Association/School Council in each mailbox or on each desk
– Don't forget to include all school staff members (i.e. admin staff, custodians)
– You may also have a daily draw for a donated prize
TUESDAY – Hang a collage made of photos of teachers/staff and students at work and play – decorate the halls with balloons and paper apples in which the students have written stories, poems or drawn pictures
– Serve coffee and treats in the staff room
– Daily draw
WEDNESDAY – Place flowers in staff room
– Serve a buffet lunch
– Be sure to arrange for supervision so all teachers and staff can attend
– Daily draw
THURSDAY – Provide cheese platters and a fruit basket in the staff room
– Give each staff member a bag filled with pens, notepaper, etc.
– Daily draw
FRIDAY – Hold a T/SAW Tea to which all parents and the community have been invited
– Daily draw
Media Tips
- Do not underestimate the value of publicity when planning
Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week events. - Inform radio, television stations and newspapers in your area
well in advance, and invite them to cover your events. Point out
good photo opportunities to newspapers and television. - Take advantage of free advertising through cable television,
posters in public places and public service announcements in all media. - Work with a local radio station to have a "Teacher/Staff of the
Day" recognition. Make a daily draw for a gift certificate from local businesses during the week. - Ask your local newspaper to do a "special feature" showing
appreciation for our teachers and support staff.
SAMPLE Press Release
For the (# years) consecutive year, Home and School Associations and School Councils across Canada are celebrating National Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week which will be held (February day/year). During this period, parents organize community events in recognition of the personal and professional contributions of teachers and school staff.
National Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week was started in 1988 by the Canadian Home and School Federation. It is a way to give parents and others concerned with children and their education the opportunity to join in nation-wide demonstrations of support for Canada's schools and their teachers and other staff members.
Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week has become established as an annual celebration in support of teachers and other members of the school staff such as school secretaries, school nurses, teachers assistants, guidance counselors, custodians and bus drivers.
Home and School Association/School Parent Council members know that, to foster a positive learning environment and excellence in education, it is essential that competent and caring educators have the support and involvement of parents and community.
For further information, contact (name of Home and School representative) at (telephone/e-mail address).
IDEAS from Across Prince Edward Island
TIGNISH
Monday ——– Fruit tray and fudge and a flower arrangement
Tuesday ——- Veggie tray and coffee
Wednesday — Nacho dips
Thursday ——- Lasagna meal with all the staff and a trivia game with the bus drivers.
Friday ———— Meat tray with Kaiser rolls
During Friday's lunch hour, we played games with the teachers in the gym while the students watched. As a token of appreciation to our teachers, in lieu of gifts for each of them, we decided to donate $100 to the local children’s hospital, the IWK, on behalf of our teachers in memory of a young student from Tignish who passed away a few years ago due to cancer. We plan to make this an annual donation. The teachers were extremely pleased with this donation from our Home and School Association.
PARKSIDE
In February, we recognized Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week by holding various activities during the week. All staff were recognized: teachers, teacher assistants, custodians, bus drivers, crossing guards, secretary and Little Red School House staff. Activities included food items each day for coffee breaks and four days of lunches provided by various local restaurants and parents.
On "pot luck day" parents, not only supplied the meal, but also, monitored the classrooms so as to enable all staff to eat together. This was greatly appreciated by everyone.
Daily draws were held for prizes generously donated by local businesses.
Staff members were treated to apples personally delivered to their classroom by students and treats were left in their mailboxes. A good week was enjoyed by all!
ELM STREET
We are in the process of planning one of our most exciting Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week, yet. Lots of activities are planned including a Teacher/Staff potluck luncheon, theme luncheons from Greco and Subway, as well as, a Tim Hortons coffee break.
Best of all, we are decorating the staff room. We have volunteers to paint, and community donations for the decorating aspect. We are replacing the rug, table cloths, plants, plant containers and adding a dry erase and bulletin board, etc.
With all of our volunteers working together, we are hoping to show the staff how
much we appreciate them, and at the sametime, have lots of fun!
ENGLEWOOD
Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week is always a busy week at Englewood.
All are recognized: Teachers, Bus Drivers, Custodians, Project L.O.V.E. volunteers, Library volunteers, Tutors, Teacher Assistants, Secretary, etc. Activities include a food item each day (Breakfast muffins, hot lunch for Teachers, Hot Lunch for all), yard supervision, truffles on each desk, “treat bags”, certificates of recognition, draws/prizes, etc.
It is always fun and always appreciated.
SPRING PARK
We celebrated our Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week in February
with key activities as follows:
Monday……….Muffins and coffee
Tuesday ……..Gift was given to each staff member
Wednesday….Homemade lunch with an international flair and supervisory duties looked after by parents.
Throughout the week, names were drawn for gifts donated by local businesses.
As well, morning announcements included submissions from students as to "why my teacher is the best."
MONTAGUE CONSOLIDATED
We have always made this a special week for our teachers placing muffins, apples, and other snacks in the lounge during the week and providing a hot pot-luck meal on Friday.
In the past, we celebrated the whole month of February on Fridays. One Friday, a card and chocolate was placed in staff mailboxes. On other Fridays, muffins and/or fresh fruit with scones were served. A hot meal was prepared during parent/ teacher interviews, and fresh flowers were placed in the staff room.
Bus drivers and custodians also received a thank you card with Tim Hortons coupons enclosed.
IDEAS FROM ACROSS CANADA
* Our Shining Stars
Place banners of appreciation in the main entryway along with the name of each staff member displayed on hearts and stars suspended with ribbons from the ceiling for all visitors to see that we do appreciate our wonderful staff!
* Jog Those Memories
Invite staff to participate in games that run the whole week, such as a scavenger hunt for the teachers, trivia game, and a bus driver quiz. Award prizes to the winners.
* Musical Notes
Provide live dinner music to accompany a sit-down meal complete with fine china and linen served by parents and students in formal attire.
* Spring Cleaning
Clean out the cupboards in the staff lunch room and restock with dishes and utensils.
* Guess Who
Have the teachers bring in a baby picture and hold a contest for the students to guess the names. Prepare a small gift to hand out to each teacher as a token of the students’ appreciation. Have the students create hand-made cards to accompany each gift.
* Teacher of the Day
Have the students submit names of teachers for this award with the reasons why they appreciate this teacher. Draw one name each day of the week to be highlighted. Have a small gift set aside for this teacher to honor them.
MORE IDEAS…..
Smallwood Academy School Council, Gambo NL
– held a "Have you been MUGGED today" contest.
Twice daily during each day of TSAW the name of one of the staff was drawn and that person was presented with a mug filled with goodies.
Rivier Academy, Prince Albert, SK
– sponsored a "Free Throw Contest" where students could win their homeroom teacher, or other support staffperson a "Dinner and a Movie."
Each homeroom chose 3 shooters and during one noon hour each shooter was tgiven 10 shots on basket in the gym, allowing each staff person the chance to have their name in the draw for the prize 30 times!
This proved to be an exciting noon hour with many spectators – teachers/staff and students alike.
Nackawic Middle School Home and School Association, NB
– picked one day a month to show their appreciation to teachers/staff.
October – plant
November – chili and homemade rolls
December – homemade chocolates
January – basket of apples
February – lunch for teachers/staff and goodie bags for bus drivers
April – fruit pizza
May – glass flower with vase
Prince Philip's Home and School, ON
– held a scavenger hunt for teachers and staff every day. It was announced each morning which items were to be collected for the day e.g. One red paper clip, 1992 penny, 12 inch ruler. Teachers and staff were supplied with large freezer bags to collect items; bags were returned to the office at the end of the day.
The staff members who collected all or most of the items by the end of the week won a restaurant gift certificate. During the week teachers and staff were treated to goodies in the lunchroom with a luncheon served on Wednesday. Yard duty was provided by parents so that all staff members could enjoy lunch together.