National PTA Honors the Important Work of Educators Nationwide During Teacher Appreciation Week

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Apr 30, 2020, 16:54 ET

ALEXANDRIA, Va., April 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Teachers play a pivotal role in our children's well-being and long-term success—in and outside of the classroom. And with the abrupt shift to distance learning, teachers are now working even harder to help our children reach their full potential. To honor the work of our teachers, National PTA encourages everyone to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week, May 4-8.

"Teachers do so much more than teach. And in these challenging times, we've all gotten a pretty clear glimpse at the immense work they do and the immeasurable impact they have on our children's lives," said Leslie Boggs, president of National PTA. "Now more than ever, we can all appreciate just how much teachers do, and it's even more important that we take the time to say thank you."

This Teacher Appreciation Week, National PTA encourages everyone to get emoji-tional and show how much they love, like, celebrate and care for teachers by:

Sharing photos and stories of teachers on social media using #ThankATeacher
Sending heartfelt letters, cards and messages of appreciation
Creating artwork, poems and video messages
Recognizing teachers with awards and certificates
Using special virtual meeting backgrounds and social media profile picture frames and post templates

To further honor the "T" in PTA during Teacher Appreciation Week, National PTA is releasing a special episode of its Notes from the Backpack podcast, featuring 2019 National Teacher of the Year Rodney Robinson. The episode was recorded live at National PTA's 2020 Legislative Conference.

This special week for teachers is sponsored by PTA Proud National Sponsor Office Depot. Office Depot supports educators year-round by providing products and services to help teachers engage and inspire their students whether they are in the classroom or learning from home. In celebration of Teacher Appreciation Week and in light of these challenging times, Office Depot is donating $100,000 across the following five schools to support their teachers:

Albemarle Road Elementary School (Charlotte, N.C.)
Village Academy (Delray Beach, Fla.)
Tumbleweed Elementary School (Phoenix, Az.)
Bancroft Middle School (San Leandro, Calif.)
Partee Elementary School (Snellville, Ga.)

"Teacher Appreciation Week is an important opportunity to pause and thank, elevate, celebrate and support our nation's teachers. And this is especially important this year," added Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. "We are grateful to Office Depot for its generous support of teachers and schools. We hope everyone will join us during Teacher Appreciation Week in showering teachers with support and gratitude."

National PTA has designated the first week of May as Teacher Appreciation Week since 1984. For more information about Teacher Appreciation Week and for digital certificates, virtual thank-you cards and other ideas and resources to celebrate and honor teachers, visit PTA.org/ThankATeacher.

About National PTA
National PTA® comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c) (3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health and welfare of children and youth. For more information, visit PTA.org.

SOURCE National PTA