By ANNALYN JAMES
Moapa Valley Progress
It was National Teacher Appreciation Week last week, and students from Moapa Valley schools celebrated it with special events to recognize their teachers.
Ute Perkins Elementary School in Moapa celebrated the week through student participation. Students were asked to do something special each day to show their teacher appreciation.
On Monday students gave teachers a flower. Some students drew pictures of flowers. Others gave real flowers. Another group made flower crafts.
Tuesday was write a thank you letter day. The Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) gathered these letters and bound them into a book for each teacher.
On Wednesday it was gratitude day. Students recognized their teachers through verbal words of thanks.
On Thursday students dressed as their favorite teacher.
Then Friday was Spirit Day where students dressed in school colors to show school pride. The PTO gathered donated items from students to make gift baskets for each teacher.
At Grant Bowler Elementary in Logandale, the students also recognized their teachers throughout the week. Both the administration and PTO organized the week’s fun activities. Students and parents participated.
Room moms decorated teachers’ classroom doors with fun and creative messages filled with gratitude for each teacher. Students participated with notes, flowers, gifts, crafts; along with words and notes of appreciation.
The theme of Bowler’s Teacher Appreciation week was “Git ‘er Dun” which was full of ‘redneck’ possibilities.
On Monday the PTO decorated the teacher’s lounge with all sorts of redneck items including a mounted buck head trophy which played tunes when one walked by.
On Tuesday the PTO provided a breakfast with a redneck flavor of watermelon, juice and breakfast sandwiches.
On Wednesday the teachers were given several useful redneck items. For example, one of these gifts was a measuring tape with fun and grateful messages on the tape.
On Thursday during lunch the PTO made fruit and yogurt smoothies. PTO President Theresa Holzer, who is also an attorney with an office in Overton, provided Living Wills to all teachers who desired to have one.
Finally, on Friday the PTO made the teachers a redneck lunch of sloppy joes, baked beans, mini hot dogs in barbeque sauce, and jello salad.
Throughout the week teachers could participate in fun events like fill-in the quote from a popular television redneck performer; or guess how many deer droppings (Whoppers candy) are in a container. Winners of the contests were given gift certificates donated by local businesses.
The purpose of the week’s festivities was for students and parents to show appreciation for the many wonderful Bowler teachers. The PTO specifically organized events to show the teachers how much their efforts in our children’s behalf are appreciated.
