Teacher Appreciation Week is coming up. Instead of simply bombarding you with links to give and help, I want to challenge and inspire our community to cultivate a culture of gratitude. As a CCA Mom and volunteer, I see firsthand that we’re already developing this culture, and I’m challenging us as parents to take us to the next level!

This last year has been wild. 

The teachers have risen to unprecedented challenges. The staff has worked tirelessly and effectively. They’ve loved our kids virtually and bravely in person. They have overcome fear, set aside differences in opinion through all the Covid guidelines, and they’ve created and implemented new procedures brilliantly. They’ve cried tears because they MISSED our kids. When we sped off with our lattes and said “peace out” that first day back after drop-off, they hugged and loved on and poured into our tiny humans. 

As a first-year substitute teacher, I’ve seen it up close- it’s all genuine. They truly LOVE our kids, and they are grateful for the privilege of teaching them. They pray for them and care deeply about their past, present and future.  They partner with us and help grow and develop our kids’ character, spiritual gifts, and strengths. They give them opportunities to hear God and share what He’s saying (thank you, Mrs. Phillips)! They allow six-year-olds to have beautiful, child-led, spontaneous worship sessions (thank you, Mrs. Schreiber)! 

On behalf of the Teacher Appreciation Committee, we ask you to partner with us, not just for Teacher Appreciation Week, but to foster a culture of appreciation! Let this be a habit for us to express our gratitude throughout the year by showing them how valuable they are to us. Let it be “just the way it is at CCA.” A culture of gratitude isn’t just free coffee and tacos. Although you'd better bet we have a sign-up for that! A culture of gratitude is part of who we are. It’s not just the week of March 22nd; it’s every week! That week just feels extra special! A culture of gratitude isn’t just about giving; it’s about recognizing the worth of those who love and help develop our children into healthy and productive adults.

It’s about community! It’s about sharing what’s going on and inviting others to participate with us! We as parents don’t have to “carry the burden” of this responsibility; we get to steward the opportunity to foster the culture! 

If you feel led to help or give, I want to inspire you one bit further with something that wrecked me this week. In Nehemiah (chapter 11), there were people ASSIGNED to give thanks to God. Assigned! Bill Johnson said, “That sounds so formal and so ritualistic that there’s no life in it, and yet there is a secret in that routine. You bypass the limitation of your emotional condition, and you make mature choices, which activates your emotional condition to get into line with what you’re doing.” Wow! I’m going to take these sign-ups more seriously.

Did you know these things are going on already at our school? Our culture of gratitude has some beautiful roots (and these ideas inspire me)!!

• A group of moms stock the JIreh and Nissi teacher break rooms each week- I’m talking about everything from decorating to stocking all the food, cups, drinks, and coffee. They pay for it, shop for it, and break a sweat...a-hem, I mean they  glisten while hauling it all in.
• A parent orders her kids’ teachers’ hot lunch every Friday. Her kids pick it up with their own and take it to the teachers. So simple, and yet genius.
• One mom takes her teacher a Sonic drink every other week.
• Many families sign up to provide meals so that the teacher gets a meal or gift card each month.
• One mom asks God for a prophetic word for her teachers before each year starts and shares it with them.
• Parents provide meals for the entire Pre-Grammar, Grammar, Logic, and Rhetoric schools.
• Parents organized daily treats this year for our Supernurse Leatherwood (this went on for months)!
• Moms-in-Prayer offers possibly the most valuable act of gratitude- prayer!
• One family sends Bundtinis for the staff at teacher in-service events. 

Because this list inspired me (and made me hungry), I sent donuts for our teachers this morning—a small act of gratitude, but an act nonetheless. I hope this inspires you too!!

“Feeling gratitude and not expressing it is like wrapping a present and not giving it.” William Arthur Ward

One of the most exciting ways we want to bless our teachers during appreciation week is financially. We’ve polled the teachers, and this is one of the most impactful things we do for them! My husband and I decided we’re going to talk at dinner and ask our kids and the Lord what amount we’re supposed to give. We’re going to involve the Holy Spirit and our children in the decision. And I’m going to be bold and challenge us as a community- it will be better for every family to give the amount the Lord puts on their hearts (very big or very small) than for a few generous parents to carry us. 

Here’s how to get involved the week of March 22nd for Teacher Appreciation:

• Give as the Lord leads here.
• Sign up to provide an item here.
• Stay in the know and get ideas on the CCA Social Club Facebook page. 
• Ask God what your family can do to impact our gratitude culture (by giving, serving, praying, showing acts of kindness, giving verbal encouragement (writing to them, feeding them, or something else!)
• Involve your kids in a conversation about what to give and how to get involved

Let’s take CCA's culture of appreciation to the next level! The teachers and staff have outdone themselves this year. Let’s outdo ourselves for Teacher Appreciation Week!