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Teacher Appreciation Week, May 2-8: Take Time to Say ‘Thank You’ to Our Local Educators

By Jessica Isaacs | jessica@highcountrypress.com

Teachers work hard year-round and truly put their hearts into making a difference one student at a time. Teacher Appreciation Week begins on Monday, May 2 and will include Teacher Appreciation Day on Tuesday, so now’s your chance to say “thank you” to the educators in the community!

First established by the National Parent Teacher Association in 1984, Teacher Appreciation Week is designated as “a special time to honor the men and women who lend their passion and skills to educating our children.”

“Teachers are real life superheroes. They educate, innovate, encourage and support,” the NPTA website reads. “Every day they touch the lives of millions of children and their work and impact extends far beyond the boundaries of the classroom.”

Throughout the week, students, parents, school officials and employees in communities across the country will be taking time to thank teachers for all that they do.

Tchrs of Yr 2 16-17
WCS Teachers of the Year for 2016-17. Pictured from left are Sumer Williams, Kim Pryor, Jennifer Brown, Madison Hollar, Brooke Huffman, Courtney McClellan-Brown, Martha Trimble, Jake Orange and George Wilson.

If you’d like to celebrate our local teachers in the High Country, there are plenty of ways to do just that.

“We are definitely encouraging everyone to express their support for teachers in connection with Teacher Appreciation Day,” said Marshall Ashcraft, public information director for Watauga County Schools. “Most of the efforts in our school take place at the school level with a lot of support from the Parent Teacher Organizations and the parents and students of each school. Often the recognitions are spread out over the course of the week, with thank you notes, small gifts and other tokens of appreciation for the important work teachers do.”

Some local business, many that already support our schools in several ways, will be offering special discounts for teachers throughout the week.

WCS Superintendent Dr. Scott Elliot said he has great respect for the work that teachers do and values the exceptional quality of those in his district.

“We are extremely proud of what outstanding teachers we have in this school system. They are remarkable educators and truly inspiring people,” said Elliott. “We know this from the results they achieve with their students, the professional credentials they have earned, and, most of all, by the way that they go far beyond what is expected to serve their students and support their colleagues.”

If you share the sentiment, take a few minutes and say “thank you” to a teacher throughout the week of May 2-8.

Give a hug, write a note, give a gift or simply say “I appreciate you.” Big or small, every gesture counts!

“There are no other people in our society who do so much for so many and for such modest compensation as teachers,” Elliott said. “Especially in this school system, they embody caring, commitment and professionalism on a daily basis. They deserve all the respect, support and appreciation our community and our state can provide.”