Today Down Home wants to get in on all the love and appreciation flowing around our school right now for Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week. We asked parents and students what they would like to thank a Team SLOCA member for, and we received (almost) endless responses!
So below, listed anonymously, are many of the ways that our teachers and staff members have made a difference in the lives of students and families. What a testament to the care and engagement of this dedicated crew!
If you are one of our beloved teachers or staff, read the following knowing that we DO notice and appreciate your acts of kindness, diligence, and attention. We are deeply thankful for all you do to help our children become young men and women of character and wisdom. Though no names are mentioned, you know who you are!
If you’re a SLOCA family, you will probably relate to many of the following comments! Read this outpouring of gratitude and be reminded of the very special community we have here. Our teachers and staff go above and beyond the call of duty, as evidenced below. (And thank you, parents and students, for sending these in…)
Thank you, teacher, for sending us a thank you card for the gift my daughter gave you at Christmas. She read that note more times than I can count and she was so excited to have received mail of her own!
I just wanted to thank you for taking a few minutes from your day to watch my son's athletic video and send me a message. This small gesture made me feel that you really are invested in my child. Thank you!
Thank you for taking a moment to share how impressed you were with my son when he was being teased, that he was able to stand up for himself in a respectful way.
Thank you for taking time out on a Saturday to watch the 3rd/4th grade girls basketball game.
Thanks to all SLOCA teachers who put 110% into their job daily.
Thanks, teacher, for igniting that special spark in every child.
Thank you lovely SLOCA teacher, for really seeing my student. For knowing him. For giving a hand (to both of us) when he stumbles, and for praising him when he succeeds.
I like that my Jr. k teacher brings out fun toys everyday.
I love my second grade teacher because she really knows who I am and gives great advice.
I know my daughter thinks the world of her teacher, as a teacher, friend, and mentor.
Our daughter's teacher is easy to communicate with, clearly loves her job, and respects all of her students.
This is my first year at SLOCA and I have had many moments where I completely lack faith in my own abilities to cope with all that is entailed in being a SLOCA parent! My son's teacher (I always refer to her as my teacher, haha) shared many of her own homeschooling routines, reminding me that everyone's homeschool days are going to look different and that that's okay! She was able to remind me of the reasons that I chose SLOCA and encourage me to trust myself! I'm pretty sure that I will always remember that conversation as a turning point for me! Thank you!!!!
Thank you for coming to cheer for the SLOCA Grizzlies at games, even though you aren't getting paid for it and your own kids aren't on the team!
Thank you for letting my student do the assignment just a little bit out of the box. Thanks for knowing his strengths and giving him a chance to shine.
Thank you, safety team member, for noticing my child, and taking the time to get to know him. Thank you for letting me know when he did something kind. Sometimes, hearing those little tidbits is what gets me through a difficult parenting season.
Thank you for holding my student accountable to a high standard, insisting that he focus on the task at hand, encouraging him to do his best work, and helping him become a diligent worker. It isn't always fun, but it's important. Thanks for not taking the easy way out.
Creative and caring, fun and firm, our teacher is a gem. What a wonderful introduction to school for my preschooler.
Thank you for showing how much you care by specifically asking my child to participate.
Thank you for sticking to the rules when grading my son’s work. He learned more that way!
Thank you for being so much fun while being firm.
Thank you for treating our children like they matter so much to you. They feel it.
Thank you, teacher, for always showing my child patience and gracious behavior. Your gentleness and kindness is such a beautiful example.
Thank you for recommending a great place to grab a delicious lunch! Hopefully next time you can join us for lunch.
Thank you for bringing in real musical instruments and letting us play them and explore how they work.
Thank you for teaching me that I can be an artist. Thank you for teaching me that my art can be whatever I want it to be; My butterfly can look however I want it to look, and that's ok.
Thank you for be kind and patient, even when some of the kids have bad manners and are disrespectful.
Thank you for letting me build with the blocks and making my designs and for always singing me my good-bye song.
To all of our teachers – thank you for providing an environment in which my kids feel safe, cared for and free to explore.
Thank you for infusing fun into everything you do with our kids! For example, the variety of hilarious ways that students can praise another after his recitation is brilliant and very meaningful! My son always goes above and beyond to please you, which shows how much he loves and respects you! You are so appreciated!
Thank you for your kind and soft-spoken (yet completely effective) class management skills, even with some of our squirrelly ones! You have high standards that are clear and reasonable and I've never known you to raise your voice to get student's attention or compliance. It is clear our kids love and respect you, and we parents do also. You are so appreciated!
I love how warm and friendly our Primary teacher is. Our kids feel connected to her and we feel very fortunate to have her in our kids lives!
Thank you teacher for taking the time to listen and be patient with me. Thank you for acknowledging that some things are hard, but giving me the tools and helping me gain the courage to get through them.
Thank you, teacher, for simply liking kids. You went out of your way to connect with my middle schooler by talking to him about something non-school related… and it didn’t go unnoticed.
SLOCA teachers consider my kids so special and dear to their heart as if they were related!
SLOCA teachers go out of their way at weird and random moments in their day off to think about my kid's well being.
SLOCA teachers help me be a great parent and home school mom beyond the call of duty.
SLOCA teachers share their hopes and dreams with my kids and inspire them to grow!
Thank you Teacher for thinking creatively to come up with a solution for in-class fidgeting, rather than fixating on the problem! We appreciate you!!
Thank you, teacher – I have seen my daughter blossom and grow into this amazing confident and beautiful young lady!
I really appreciate the teachers over the years who listened to the concerns I had for my child and then would help put a plan in place to address the issues causing my concerns. The teacher and I worked together to help my child succeed.
Thank you, teacher, for being so patient and kind to my child and her classmates. The little ones are new to the concept of school and you have come alongside them, and us, so gracefully. A wonderful start to our journey with SLOCA!
Thank you teacher for going to my dance recital and basketball games. You are really nice. It made me feel special.
Thank you teacher for using your lunch breaks to help me when I have questions.
Thank you teacher for seeing my daughter as she will be and not just for who she is now. On that note, thank you for also appreciating who she is now. 🙂
Thank you teacher for inspiring my student to want to do “better” and not just “good enough.”
Thank you teacher for teaching us all of the cool art techniques using all different mediums! At my last school it was only free draw and watercolor.
Thank you teacher – I feel like I have a firm grasp of model drawing!
Thank you teacher for teaching us all of the music concepts like syncopation – that is my favorite.
Thank you teacher for all of the really fun hands-on science experiments and hands-on projects. You are really funny, compassionate and kind.
Thank you teacher for the fun ways we learn like performing mini skits and plays.
Thank you for appreciating the uniqueness of my child's personality and talent. Sharing those positives with me has surprised and encouraged me to celebrate them anew.
It is virtually impossible to thank only my daughters' own teachers as they are all so inspiring.
Thank You for your enthusiasm and passion, and for your amazing ability to instill confidence in my daughter with regards to her abilities in the classroom.
Thank You for your steady guidance, contagious enthusiasm, and patient perseverance which is such an important contribution to the character of my daughter as she makes her way through UMS. You guys are amazing – I don't think I could be a successful parent without you!
I would like to thank you for teaching my son how to think thoughtfully and provocatively, to channel his energy and dominance into leadership and productivity. You have had an indelible influence on his maturity.
Thank you for your thorough and and easy-to-follow home videos for math. There are some days when I really appreciate the extra preparation for some of those word problems!
Thank you for three great years! We are going to miss you. Thank you for encouraging friendship and kindness amongst your students.
I love that the teacher makes every student in the class feel special and comments on their particular skills to the parents at pick up time.
Definitely the most caring and attentive teachers I've ever had.
Thank you, teacher, for not just supporting us during the RUNassaince, but actually running with us!! Thanks for motivating us to keep going!!
Thank you for taking my child’s behavior at school seriously, and working with me to instill those important character lessons so early in life.
Thank you for the weekly words of encouragement that accompany our grids.
Thank you for transforming my child’s perception of art, and fostering a new love and interest in it.
Thank you for the untold and unseen hours you put into your preparation for teaching.
Thanks for taking the time to listen.
Thank you for the surprise email detailing a magical moment in the classroom.
Thank you to our wonderful teacher for ensuring that our daughter is fully prepped and ready to make the leap from Intermediate to LMS, and being so encouraging. We appreciate that she even went above and beyond to call us personally, so we could talk about goal setting as the end of the school year approaches!
Thank you, teacher, for taking the time to call me me during your son's baseball game, to help us when we were struggling with a writing assignment.
Thank you for making class really fun while we learn.
Thank you for letting us do things we don’t get to do at home, like watching gunpowder!
Teacher, I’m so thankful that you see my son’s active spirit and tendency to be chatty as hidden strengths that can be channeled into positive skills, rather than simply distractions in class. You are a gem!
Thank you for seeing the best in my work!
Thank you for your patience!
Thank you for always answering my many questions!
Thank you for always creating a positive learning environment!
Thank you for all you do to make SLOCA a wonderful place to learn and grow!
Thank you, teacher, for nurturing and encouraging my son in a way that helps him see his true potential every day. I am so grateful.
