Every year our PTA hosts an appreciation luncheon for our teachers. Three years ago our teachers started a new tradition by hosting a Parent Appreciation Night. Each year has been a little different. They provide refreshments, acknowledge our accomplishments, provide us with some witty stories and entertainment. One of our teachers is a musician in a "Big Band". One year they brought the whole orchestra in to play for us. They've reveiwed our year with a powerpoint computer program using our children as their "actors" - there wasn't a dry eye in the place. Our PTA looks forward to this night every year now, and we feel very much appreciated.
During Open House in April, we hold a community BBQ for dinner, while everyone is eating, the teachers call each of the parents that volunteer from their class up to the front and they are given an appreciation pin and thanked publically. It doesn't seen like much, but in the following weeks, these appreciation pins can be seen all over the campus. The parents seem very proud to wear them.
We are trying to decide what to do to show our Middle School parent volunteers how much we appreciate them. We have some very hard working folks and would like to show our appreciation. Does anyone have any ideas that have worked in the past. We often find that appreciation breakfasts, etc, don't often work.