Teacher Appreciation Week

This past year, I was the room mom for Gus's class (I was room mom for the AM and PM sessions). For the most part, this didn't require me to do much, and it was very easy. I knew from my teaching days, that Teacher Appreciation Week is usually the first week of May, so I sent an email to the class and shared a fun schedule of easy and inexpensive things that we could do for Ms. Amanda (lead teacher) and Ms. Jan (parapro for the class).

I can remember teaching for seven years in Michigan and never getting much of anything from parents for Teacher Appreciation Week. A few gave me things, but for the most part, it wasn't a big deal. When I moved to North Carolina and taught at Oak Grove, I was overwhelmed by how much the parents and the kids did for me as the teacher.

When I had my birthday in October, my students and their parents threw me a birthday party, complete with cupcakes, balloons, and gifts. It was more than I had received for my birthday since being a kid!!

 

A GORGEOUS cupcake cake from my 2008-2009 4th graders

 

My 2009-2010 class was OVER THE TOP... this was the door when I arrived

 

Look at those adorable cupcakes!!

 

The kids signed the big card... and inside were several different gift cards to my favorite restaurants and places to shop

 

 

When it came time for Teacher Appreciation Week, I felt like I had already been so spoiled all year, what more could they possibly do?

One day was always flowers day, then another candy and chocolates, one day was gift cards, one was school supplies, homemade gifts, and heartfelt thanks. 

I know how special those days were and how much it meant to me as a teacher, and I wanted to show Gus's teachers the same gratitude. 

So I emailed Ms. Amanda to ask her about what the school was doing to TAW and to my shock, she said that the school had celebrated it back in March. What the what?!?!?! MARCH?!?! No one had ever mentioned anything to me about this, and I was embarassed to think that Ms. Amanda and Ms. Jan went the whole week in March without anything and probably felt like we had forgotten them.

I deicded that we would celebrate during the real TAW and we did it BIG. Monday was flowers and a letter of gratitude, Tuesday was gift card day, Wednesday was candy and chocolates, Thursday was a homemade gift and Friday was your favorite school supply.

For day 1, I was going to send flowers to school with Gus, but I didn't think they'd make it on the bus and waiting in the cafeteria, so instead, he did gift bags and inside were flowered themed items. Each teacher got a letter of gratitude, two packs of seeds, flower chip clips, flowered leis, and a dancing flower.

On Tuesday, we sent in gift cards to Michael's. I found these awesome gift card holders on Pinterest and just had to print them!!

On Wednesday, I sent in three things because on Wednesdays and Fridays Gus's class has Ms. Susan (speech therapist) come for the whole morning. I sent three mason jar mugs filled with candy, and then a note of thanks to each of them.

Day four was handmade gift. I used Pinterest for ideas and settled on a really easy project and sent that in for both teachers.

The last day of the week was school supplies, and I delivered three (one for Ms. Amanda, one for Ms. Jan, and one for Ms. Susan). I also brought the teachers lunch (subs, chips, and a drink) since no pizza places would be open. They were genuinely surprised and overwhelmed by all the gifts and told me several times how much they appreciated everything.

 
My goal was for them to feel as loved and appreciated as they deserve and Ms. Jan said that the whole week felt like Christmas. They had no idea it was happening, they didn't know what each day was going to bring, and to have the kids and parents send in so many wonderful things really was unexpected.


Mission Accomplished.

End of the Year

The end of the year came upon us quite quickly. Gus had such a wonderful experience at Lake Windward this last year and we really went into it uncertain, but came away feeling so happy that we trusted our guts to do the best for him. We have seen so much growth in his speech, it's remarkable.

When we had his fall IEP (in October because he had met all the goals set in May of 2013), I asked his speech therapist about how far behind he was. She said he was about a year and a half to two years delayed. When we had his May IEP, she said he was about six months behind his peers. Talk about growth!!

We were able to add OT to his IEP. His teacher spent the whole year trying different interventions (as is how things are done now days in the education world) and collected and plotted data and then tried more interventions and more data collection... and finally, after trying so many and not seeing the results that she felt were warranted, we were finally able to add OT for the fall. :-)  This should help him with being so squirmy, strengthening his core muscles, and teaching him strategies for staying focused.

Gus had his first field trip and Steve and Hugh and I were able to attend. We walked over to Webb Bridge Park (just around the corner from his school). It was a great trip!

Gus and Cameron, Nikki, and James walking into the school ready for their 1st ever field trip!

Gus and James

Meera and Hugh

Gus had a blast with his two 5th grade friends (they're helpers in the special needs preschool classes)

Steve pulling Hewy in the wagon :-)

Gus holding Ms. Amanda's hand as they walked back to the school

Gus also got to participate in his first ever Field Day!! I wasn't there to help, but his teacher sent some pictures of Gus during field day:

That's a happy boy right there

For the end of the year, his teacher had a party (the day before the last day) and I was able to go to that. The last day of school was sad for me. Gus wasn't aware of what it all meant, but I was. Throughout the summer, as we've been by his old school, he's asked to go see Ms. Amanda and all his friends. It breaks my heart to know that he'll never go back and will never see them all again as his classmates. 

Gus and Ms. Amanda

Gus on the last day of school

We will miss our friends at Lake Windward Elementary, but are eager to see what being a Medlock Bridge Mustang will like! I'll be going on Tuesday to register Gus as an official mustang... and the beginning of a new chapter will start on August 11th!