This year, as a new board, we began a new tradition. In October, we had a luncheon for our lunch aides that was all donated by parents - sandwiches, soup, salads, desserts, etc. We did this after the student lunchtime. We also got tokens of appreciation for all of them. Our lunch aides supervise the children while they eat and out on the playground for recess.
Our custodians and crossing guards are given free tickets to two of our family events - our Pasta Night Dinner and our Pancake Breakfast. They are also recognized at holiday time (as are the lunch aides).
Our administrative staff is recognized during Administrative Professionals day and at holiday time. As President, I also every other week or so bring coffee or goodies to our secretaries and the school nurse. The nurse is recognized at holiday time and also on Nurses' Day.
We have weeklong events for Teacher Appreciation, culminating in a luncheon on Friday.
We started a kind of yearlong STAFF appreciation tradition this year. At the beginning of the school year, we put all staff members names into a "hat." (Including administrative, custodians, lunch aides, the nurse, the principal, and the teachers, including special education and the child study team). Every week, we draw three names out of the hat. Volunteer parents take turns making dinner for each staff member's family on the Friday of the week following the drawing. The staff members are given a "menu" to choose from (baked chicken or baked ziti) with sides and accoutrements including a vegetable, salad and dessert. Each staff member whose name is chosen fills out their menu and on Friday, they bring home a full home-cooked dinner for their family.
This is very intensive as far as the work is concerned and works for us because we have about a dozen volunteers who love to do it. A smaller scale would be to just do a dessert or whatever. HOWEVER, the staff is absolutely bonkers over it. They absolutely love having a dinner to take home and not have to cook or order takeout on a Friday night. As I said, this is a lot of work, but you can't believe the boost in morale and the kidding that goes on as each member wins their dinner. It's amazing the feedback we've gotten on this.
Anyway, I agree that Teacher Appreciation Week should be just that. Set aside other days for the other staff members. We made up the ones that we had to. Lunch Aide Appreciation Day, etc. I know that many other people contribute to my child's day at school, but nobody else spends 7 hours with him every day. I think that that fact should be recognized in a unique way.
President Lyn
