Services

• Look for opportunities to make teachers' day a little brighter. Stock the staff room with gourmet coffee and pastries in the morning, or personally deliver a cup of your teacher's favorite coffee each morning for a week. Bring dinner to teachers during parent-teacher conference hours, when it's difficult for them to get away. You could also volunteer to assist in the classroom. Grade papers, substitute for the teacher, or help out on special class days, such as during class presentations or parties. Or, help with end-of-year cleanup.
  
  

Gifts

• Organize the students into teams to create a work of art for the teacher. Tell each team to choose something about their teacher that they admire, then create a painting or collage to honor that characteristic. Or, borrow a teacher's personal item, such as his chair, and decorate it with student handprints. You could also choose a theme, such as gardening or movies (find out what the teacher's hobbies are), then instruct each student to bring one small related gift. Arrange the items in a gift basket.
  
  

Projects

• Organize other parents to provide themed lunch buffets every day for a week. Day one could be Asian foods; day two, Mexican; day three, Middle Eastern cuisine; day four, gourmet deli meats, cheeses and breads; and day five, classic American food such as cheeseburgers and pizza. Or, organize a redecoration for the teacher's classroom. Make curtains, repaint, and get new posters for the walls. You could also designate one parent for each day of the month to bring in fresh flowers for the teacher's desk.
  
  

Special Events

• Organize a fundraiser to purchase an item that many of the school's teachers want, such as a new copy machine or vending machine. Ask local businesses to donate merchandise and hold a silent auction. Or, plan an end-of-year gala for the teachers. Invite all the parents and staff and have students perform a short play with a teacher appreciation theme. You could also treat the teachers to an awards dinner at a local restaurant. Give out an award for each teacher based on students' feedback; for example: Best Dressed or Funniest Teacher.