A group of faculty enjoy a delicious catered meal at the start of faculty and staff appreciation week. Left to right: Music teacher Ken McGloin, PreK/K teacher Andrea Istel, 4-5-6 and upper school STEM teacher Shira Teich, Spanish and After School teacher Christian Enrique Sauer, 1st and 2nd Grade teacher Amanda Thorndike, 3rd Grade teacher Lara Hiller, and Humanities and Drama teacher Stephen Haff.
We would not be PDS without our faculty and staff. The careful attention they give to each and every one of their students, the excellent curricula they develop, the endless amount of time and effort they put into providing amazing experiences for children, and their genuine compassion for everyone else in the community make it possible for us to live our mission every day. Although, when things are moving so fast, sometimes it can be difficult to stop and take time to celebrate all that has been accomplished. Luckily for us, PDS has an incredible community of parents who go above and beyond to make sure that happens.
All the way back in February, the PDSPA set the date(s) of May 6-10 for a faculty and staff appreciation week. This plot of kindness included a plan for a catered lunch at the beginning of the week and emails to teachers assigning them/their class to other faculty members to appreciate during the week. In the end, it was executed better than anyone could have imagined.
On Monday, May 6, the first day of faculty an staff appreciation week, teachers were treated to a delicious lunch in the Meeting Room catered by Adams Fairacre Farms. The table was set beautifully, and the mouth-watering food and drinks were perfectly laid out in a buffet style. Everyone loved the spanakopita, grilled chicken, salad, rice, vegetables, and desserts (especially). We would like to give out a special thank-you to Amy, Bintou, Angela, Larry, and Jay for putting this all together so nicely. It made everyone’s day!
The set table before dining.
The alluring selection of food.
Stephen Haff, Amanda Thorndike, and Shira Teich make their plates.
For the rest of the week, faculty and staff got treated to appreciation gifts and performances from every class. First, the PreK and Kindergarten gave a lovely performance of “2-4-6-8, Who Do We Appreciate?” to 1st and 2nd Grade teacher Amanda Thorndike and High School Advisor/Physical Education teacher Lisa McVey Chapman Room. The singing was accompanied by a dance where the students enthusiastically pointed at their teachers every time the word “you” came up in the song.
“2-4-6-8, who do we appreciate? You!” The PreK and Kindergarten sing to their teachers.
Grades 1 and 2 utilized their refined poetry skills to write heartfelt pieces and additional messages to Head of School Spiro Gouras, PreK and Kindergarten teacher Andrea Istel, 4-5-6 and upper school STEM teacher Shira Teich, and Director of Admissions Tammy Reilly.
A cinquain poem from the 1st and 2nd grade to Tammy.
A limerick poem from the 1st and 2nd grade to Shira.
A message from the 1st and 2nd grade to Spiro requesting more days of school.
Grade 3 displayed their gratitude to Art teacher Michelle Tommasi, Humanities and Drama teacher Stephen Haff, and Spanish and After School teacher Christian Enrique Sauer. Showing appreciation for all the beautiful creations Michelle has helped them make this year, the class baked her some delicious brownies in the cozy kitchen. For Stephen, they performed a skit as a thank you for the theatrical performance and all of the wonderful Drama classes he has taught for them. The class created a special Spanish chant for Christian to show him how thankful they are and how much they have learned in Spanish class.
Greta (Grade 3) mixes ingredients for Michelle’s brownies in the Cozy Kitchen.
Grades 4, 5, and 6 took a full-on creative approach, making a variety of art with sweet notes attached for Director of Operations Barbara Wood, Director of Communications Aydin Schwartz, and 3rd grade teacher Lara Hiller!
A camera from the 4-5-6 made out of cardboard for Aydin. It features a functioning viewfinder, rotatable focal ring, and even a polaroid-esque slot that holds a hand-drawn “photo”
A heartfelt letter from Zadie (Grade 5) to Barbara thanking her for everything she’s done during her historically long tenure at PDS!
A bouquet of flowers the 4-5-6 made by out of paper for Barbara.
Thank you so much to the PDSPA for making this wonderful week possible. The catered lunch was incredible, and all gifts, no matter how small, were genuinely valued by each and every member of our faculty and staff. Students also thoroughly enjoyed making and presenting all types of goodies for their teachers. By the end of the week, all faculty and staff had been showered with love from their parents, colleagues, and students. Everyone, truly, felt appreciated.