The time has come for WLHS students to show thanks to their teachers

Students are giving thanks to their teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week

Eleanor Williams, Staff Reporter|May 8, 2015

Brittany Park

Madame Heather Carney speaks to her French III class, one of two teachers at West Linn High School. Students and parents are giving thanks to their staff during Teacher Appreciation Week. Parents and students provided breakfast for staff on Monday and Thursday, and are gifting cards and flowers to them on Wednesday.

Of all public school teachers, an approximate 99.5% spend out of pocket an average of $485 a year on school supplies. Teachers put in much more than a 9-5 work day for their students. Teacher Appreciation Week will show them the impact they have on students, and how much students are thankful for them and their work.

Teacher Appreciation Week 2015 is May 4-8. WLHS parents and guardians have put together a cleaning of the staff lounge, breakfast food for staff on Monday, and are bringing flowers and cards for all staff on Wednesday as well as snacks on Friday.

The staff lounge was cleaned by parent volunteers, while breakfast was served for staff afterwards on Monday. Parents brought numerous items such as casseroles, quiche, bagels, protein bars, muffins and fruit.

On Wednesday, parent volunteers brought flowers and cards to staff members to thank them for their work.

“I asked leadership to make posters to place all inside and outside of the staff lounge to remind students of Teacher Appreciation Week,” Shamera Daugherty, WLHS parent and Staff Appreciation Week organizer, said. Daugherty also organized snacks to be provided for teachers on Friday.
“This year and last year I emailed my parent volunteers and asked who could help provide breakfast,” Daugherty said. “I gave them the option to drop it off at my house the night before or bring it to the school Monday morning.”

Daugherty hopes that the gifts provided by parents and students of WLHS help teachers to feel more noticed and acknowledged.

Fifth period leadership also organized a Teacher Appreciation Breakfast for Thursday, May 7 from 7:30-8:15 a.m. Leadership students will serve pancakes, eggs, bacon, fruit, juice and coffee for staff.

“The breakfast was a class idea,” Elora Hanawa, sophomore leadership student, said. According to Hanawa, fifth period leadership has been working on securing food and drinks for the breakfast for over a month.

“I really do think that teachers are grateful for what we do for them during Teacher Appreciation Week. They see that we are putting in effort, and that it’s a nice gesture,” Hanawa said.