Coffees, lunches and treats, oh my! What a great week to be a teacher! This past week, from April 24 to 28, the Maclay community celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week. The teachers were surprised with different treats throughout the week. On Monday, the Perky Perk Coffee Truck was parked at the oak tree for teachers to stop by and grab a nice cup of coffee. On Tuesday, the teachers were treated with subs from Jersey Mikes. On Wednesday, coffee and cinnamon rolls were served to teachers on the lawn and on Thursday, teachers were treated to another boxed lunch from Slim Chickens. To top off the week there was a continental breakfast in all the teacher lounges across campus.
“This event is important to let teachers know they[teachers] are loved,” Head of Upper School Charles Beamer said. “And to thank them for the amazing job they do despite the many challenges they face in education.”
Teacher Appreciation Week is not a new occurrence. In fact, according to the National News Calendar, Congress declared in 1980, that March 7 was National Teacher Day. The National Education Association continued to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Day on the first Tuesday in March until 1985 when the National PTA declared that Teacher Appreciation Week would take place the first full week of May.
This week teachers were able to have a little more food and hopefully a little less stress on their plate.
“I appreciate all the effort to make us feel special this week,” math teacher Katie Walker said. “It was nice to have coffee and lunch to make our days a little easier!”
Along with having lunches and treats provided to them throughout the week, students were also encouraged to bring in notes to give to their teachers.
“I hadn’t had a chance to go to Slim Chickens yet, so when the parents brought that for the teachers, that was pretty cool,” English Department Chair Lee Norment said. “The best part, though, were the thank you notes some of my students wrote to me.”
Parents of the Maclay community were greatly involved with making Teacher Appreciation Week a success.
“My students (usually) make me feel pretty appreciated, because of their hard work and dedication to my classes” Norment said. “But when the parents show their appreciation, I feel particularly validated.”
Teacher Appreciation Week was an event that helped honor teachers and help the Maclay community achieve that one school environment.
