Positivepromotions.com Announces 2010 Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week Contest Winners

Positive Promotions would like to thank all those who entered our “Teacher & Staff appreciation Week Contest”; everybody went above and beyond with their activities! Keep up the good work!

Grand Prize goes to Farley Elementary School in Huntsville, Alabama, where they came up with a creative way to tell the teachers and staff, “You Make a World of Difference.” The school used puppets to represent children from various nationalities, international flags, and lapel pins from Positive Promotions to help represent the theme. Students and staff were encouraged to dress in regional costumes from different areas of the United States as well as from around the world! The theme continued outside the elementary school where Huntsville restaurants got involved by providing various ethnic dishes for an appreciation luncheon. The printed program for the luncheon resembled a passport and each guest received a “boarding pass”, which he/she would write their names on as an entry into a drawing for prizes. The school gave out more than $4,000 in gift certificates that were donated by local businesses. Although “You Make a World of Difference” was only held on Wednesday, the students made sure to show their appreciation throughout the week. On Monday students brought in apples and continued to bring in one small gift of appreciation throughout the week. Great job Huntsville, Alabama in paying tribute to your local heroes!

Ahoy Matey!!! Is what you might have heard at Riverside Junior/Senior High School in Boardman, Oregon where they told its staff “You’re a Treasure”. Coming in second place with “Pirate and Island” themed activities, Riverside High shares their creativity in showing their staff appreciation. The school held two meals with specially named food and the invitations were printed on what resembled aged paper. To get these invitations to appear aged they had to dip them in tea, then dye it and roll it into scrolls. A team of teachers decorated the staff lounge with palm trees, tropical flowers, and images of lizards. Each staffer’s photo was placed on a paper cutout of a pirate and assigned a pirate name. Students contributed by writing notes of appreciation that were delivered in envelopes reading “Well, ‘isle’ be thankful you’re part of our staff!” The staff received chocolate coins, luau rubber ducks, palm tree trophies, leis, neon sunglasses and Positive Promotions starfish tumblers. Congratulations Riverside High, keep up the great work!

At Jefferson Elementary School in Gary, Indiana, our third place winner, the Jefferson Social Club hosted festivities to show that teachers and staff were the “Apple of their Eyes!” Paper apples were displayed on a bulletin board, each with someone’s name on it. Apple themed items appeared throughout the week: apple fritters, apple lapel pins, apple picture frames, apple-scented hand soap and lotion, apple certificates, and apple-shaped jumbo paper clips. Teachers also received Positive Promotions academic monthly desk planners. Every day a poem of appreciation was read by a student during morning announcements, but the highlight of the week was a “Jacademy Awards Luncheon”, where awards went out in comical categories, such as “Most like Dr. Phil.” Congratulations Jefferson Elementary School!

Positive Promotions would like to once again thank everyone who entered our contest and shared all their wonderful stories, we are excited to hear what you have come up with this year! Click here to learn more and enter our 2011 Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week Contest, maybe your School could be the next big WINNER! For more than two decades and half decades, schools throughout the United States have used Teacher & Staff Appreciation Week activities as a way of expressing support and encouragement. Events like these can boost employee morale and improve retention. Remember an excellent staff is essential to excellent education, and proper recognition will help your staff continue to excel!