Monroe-Woodbury High School celebrated Teacher Appreciation Week from May 4 to May 8 with schoolwide events honoring teachers for their work inside and outside the classroom. Activities included a “gratitude café,” daily themed events organized by the HSPTSA, and administrators delivering drinks to teachers in classrooms and prep rooms. An electronic sign outside the building also displayed a message thanking teachers for their efforts. The events brought together students, staff, and administrators to recognize the role teachers play in supporting student success.
Teacher Appreciation Week is held each year in May across the United States. At Monroe-Woodbury, school leaders said the goal is to recognize teachers not only for teaching, but also for the support and care they give students every day.
Assistant Principal Gina Matise said the week is an important tradition for the school. “Teacher Appreciation Week is an important week at Monroe-Woodbury because it is an opportunity for the school community to celebrate the hard work and dedication of our teachers,” said Ms. Matise. “It is a week dedicated to celebrating our teachers for everything they do for our students. They deserve to be celebrated for all they do.”
She explained how the school celebrates the week.
“This year, the high school administration served coffee, hot chocolate, and tea to all our teachers,” said Ms. Matise. “We walked around with a ‘gratitude café’ coffee cart to all our teachers in their classrooms and prep rooms.”
Ms. Matise also shared what she hopes students understand about appreciation. “Our teachers deserve to be celebrated every day for the work they do,” she said. “Our teachers care about the well-being and success of all students.”
Math teacher Mrs. Gonsalves said Teacher Appreciation Week is meaningful because it shows that students notice the effort teachers put into their work. “It is nice to hear that students especially see that you care about their success,” she said.
She also shared what she enjoys most about teaching at Monroe-Woodbury High School.
“My math department colleagues are awesome,” said Mrs. Gonsalves. “We work together to make sure that the students are successful.”
She also added that she appreciates how students can get help from multiple teachers, saying, “I like that students can get their concerns answered from any teacher.”
When asked what students should understand about teachers’ work, she explained that teaching involves a lot of preparation. “There is a lot of preparation to be ready for the next lesson,” said Mrs. Gonsalves.
Ryan Vogel, a student at Monroe-Woodbury, also shared his perspective on teachers and Teacher Appreciation Week.
“Just say thanks to them,” said Vogel. He also added, “A good teacher is someone who actually teaches and explains the material clearly.”
The school’s electronic message board also helped celebrate the week by displaying a public thank-you to teachers outside the building.
Assistant Principal Gina Matise said the tradition has lasted for many years in the district.
“I have been working in the school district since 2001 and Teacher Appreciation Week has been celebrated as far back as then,” said Ms. Matise.
