Community Corner
Folger McKinsey PTO Honors Teachers and Staff
It was star treatment by the PTO for Folger Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week.
The PTO of celebrated Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week May 9-13.
Forming an acronym, events were conducted each day of the week to show the teachers and support staff how much they are appreciated by students and their parents:
Scrumptious Breakfast
Thanks - Spicing Things Up with Spice Gifts
Appreciation - Notes, Flowers and Yoga
Raffle – Prize Patrol!
Scrumptious Lunch
Find out what's happening in Severna Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Nicole Griffith, Folger mom to a second grader and kindergartener, headed up the PTO committee that planned and executed the festivities. Griffith has been involved in Teacher and Staff Appreciation for the past three years. “My favorite day is Wednesday, because you can just see the kids’ faces as they present their flowers,” she said.
Two time-honored traditions are Wednesday’s Flower Day, when students shower their teachers with notes and flowers as they come to school in the morning and Thursday's prize patrol. During the patrol, teachers and staff members are approached randomly throughout the day to pick out surprise gifts from a basket filled with donations of gift cards and other presents donated by Folger parents.
Find out what's happening in Severna Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Teachers and staff were buzzing with enthusiasm. At Diane Henriques’ table, they all agreed, “We have the best PTO!” While the Folger staff enjoyed being treated to gifts, prepared meals and a stress relieving yoga class, the most prized possession of the week were the handmade notes written by the students.
“I have mine hung up,” said Henriques. Special Education Teacher Louise Mathis said, “I love the insights about what each child is thinking. You might think it's math or language arts, but it ends up being something else that surprises you.”
Fourth grade teacher Pat Shoults mentioned her favorite note, where a student wrote ‘I’m never board with language arts.’ Shoults also shared that she has a file of these notes for every year she has taught.
“I’ve saved them in a drawer,” chimed in Gerri Anderson, fourth grade teacher.
The week proved that Folger McKinsey Elementary consists of teachers, staff, parents and students that share a special relationship.