“A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.” – Henry Brooks Adams 

“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.” – Malala Yousafzai 

“Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:12 

As many may already know, Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week is coming quickly! Year after year our incredible church partners rally to encourage, empower and edify our schoolteachers, staff and faculty; to honor the amazing work they do all year. We know that this year will be no different, so as your church is potentially thinking of ways to honor teachers and staff, we wanted to offer some suggestions.  
 
Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week is Monday, May 5^th – Friday, May 9^th.  
 
1) If your church does intend on showing love and encouragement in any way to your partner school(s) we do recommend that you first contact your school liaison to confirm some potential ways the school recommends doing so. Many school liaisons have been sending out information the last few weeks, so make sure to double check your inbox for any information they may have already provided.   

2) If you like, you can create a week-long schedule, where every day that week your church does one special thing for your partner school. An example is in the picture below.  

3) You could also send volunteers who have their background checks cleared to the school that week, and have them go into classrooms to help teachers any way possible. Potential suggestions could include administrative tasks, helping with end of year projects , or getting classrooms cleaned.  

4) Lastly, you can get creative, and do a spin on any of the suggestions mentioned at this link from Teachers of Tomorrow, who give 25 different ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week 2025: 25+ Best Teachers Appreciation Week Ideas for 2025 
 
However you choose to do, please send any pictures you can to your United4Hope program manager, so we can keep track of the many ways you continue to serve and love your schools. Please remember that in all things, you are the hands and feet of Jesus when you choose to honor those who so often are not given the gratitude that they deserve.  
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In light of honoring our teachers and staff, we here at Operation Andrew Group wanted to share our deepest condolences and prayers for the family of Niurka Alfonso-Acevedo, for the Chadwell Elementary School community, and for the entire MNPS community. We know that her passing is a devastating tragedy, and we mourn with you all at this time.