Monday, August 13, 2012

Welcome Back Teacher Appreciation Breakfast

 It is the supreme art of the teacher to awaken
joy in creative expression and knowledge. 
- Albert Einstein
Teachers pass on knowledge and values to children, prepare them for further education and are main contributors to a good education. Most of the time this important profession does not get the recognition it deserves.

The Dalraida PPA wants our teachers to know that all they do for our children is greatly appreciated. This morning, before their in-service meetings, we treated the teachers to a Chick-fil-A breakfast as a little way to say "thanks for all you do".

We stuck around to listen to the guests speakers. The first speaker was Patsy Hughes, a Dalraida parent and motivational speaker. Her main focus was thinking positive, focusing on what she calls APP: attitude, perspective, purpose. Music played, maracas were passed out which led to the hokey pokey, teachers were engaged in little activities and she spoke about ways to think and act positive such as smiling for 4 minutes and giving yourself/others an encouraging pep-talk. As she closed her talk she reminded teachers about the power of being positive in all that they do whether it's in their choice of words, their body language, or in their actions.

The second guest speaker was Margaret Allen, who is no stranger to school administration as she's been a principal as well as held other administrative positions at the elementary school level. She is also the parent of one of Mrs. Keith's former students. Mrs. Allen read aloud from a book called The Boy Who Changed the World, a wonderful book that illustrates that everything you do matters. She went on to speak about the butterfly effect which basically is a theory that states that
small changes to a seemingly unrelated thing can affect large, complex systems and make a difference. The book is a true story about Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug who could not have become who he was without the help of Vice President Henry Wallace, who was influenced by inventor George Washington Carver, who in turn was rescued by farmer Moses Carver. Without the help and influence of others Borlaug could not have "saved the world" by feeding the hungry. Mrs. Allen went on to stress that no matter how small, everything you do matters.

Later in the afternoon the Dalraida PPA wanted to again show our appreciation for our teachers by gifting them with $50 for supplies. Teaching requires supplies whether it be the paper and ink used to print out worksheets, pencils, art supplies, books, etc. Due to lack of funding, teachers use their own money for these supplies. Dalraida PPA is devoted to keeping teachers and students supplied with the necessary items to learn.

By joining the PPA, parents can be assured that every dollar of their membership dues is put right back into the school.

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