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Teachers Appreciated This Week
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In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week, which runs May 7-11, various schools in the area have recognized teachers for their passion and skills in educating children. At Valley Home School, the Parent Teacher Club organized a week of special activities.

Valley Home PTC parent Erin Wells reported that there are different themes each day this week for the students to participate in if they choose. For example, one day was to bring anything “apple,” another day’s theme was to bring something in the teacher’s favorite color. The PTC is also surprising the teachers with a special luncheon on Friday, May 11.

“We just wanted to thank them for their hard work and dedication all year round that they give to the students,” Wells said.

At Oakdale High School, the leadership students are calling it Staff Appreciation Week and are encouraging OHS Mustangs to thank to those staff members who have made a difference in their lives.

The California Retired Teachers Association Stanislaus Division #38 is also taking this week to encourage teachers in Stanislaus County to submit wish lists for classroom needs.

The local CalRTA division, through their Active Teacher Awards committee, distributed supplies this past year to many teachers in the area representing 13 schools in Modesto, Waterford, Denair, Ceres, and Turlock, as well as a BTSA (Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment) trainer and a school psychologist. Local CalRTA member Lynne Wagner reported that the supplies they donated included white boards, erasers, markers, pencils and sharpeners, paper, scissors, book sets, glue sticks, puppets, storage boxes and bins, and art and science items.

Teacher wish lists can be submitted through the CalRTA website or e-mailed to ihelpschools@sbcglobal.net.

According to the National Education Association (NEA) website, in 1953 Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day. Later, Congress declared March 7, 1980 as National Teacher Day for that year only. The NEA and its affiliates continued to observe National Teacher Day in March until 1985. Then, the NEA Representative Assembly voted to change the event to Tuesday of the first full week of May, and in many places teachers are now honored for the first full week of May.