From May 2 to 6, the PTSO celebrated teachers for Teacher Appreciation Week by providing food like Robeks smoothies and Moby Dick catering for lunch, as well as organizing a table filled with commonly used teaching supplies including sticky notes, pens, and highlighters. 

Several students also showed their appreciation by giving gifts and notes to their teachers. Freshman Hannah Tyson has particularly enjoyed her biology teachers’ class, Joshua Persson, because of his passion for the job. “I’d like to highlight Mr. Persson,” Tyson said. “He understands his students a lot. He’s a good teacher because you can tell he loves what he does.”

Math teachers Dermot McGee and Travis Herrity enjoyed getting notes for teacher appreciation week, especially the notes activity done in an advisory lesson. On May 4, students were directed to write a note to their teacher and on the back was a code teachers could input into a Virginia lottery. The lottery had money and teacher supplies. 

McGee did not know it was TAW until he got to school Monday. He found out because one of the other teachers mentioned that they were getting breakfast, and he saw the decorations set up in the library. “I feel like the week is solid and that I enjoyed the cards and gifts,” McGee said.

Senior Grayson Scheefers also loved the week, since it gave him a chance to celebrate chorus teacher Jordan Markwood. “[Markwood] is fantastic because he’s kind, way kinder than he needs to be, more than he should. He’s always there to help, he’s always got great words of advice, he’s got a great sense of humor, and I would do anything for that man,” Scheefers said. 

Sophomore Raegan Carper said that theater teacher Rebekha Hess has been a great teacher since joining the “Matilda” production. Hess was the dance choreographer for half of the numbers that the cast did. “I remember she really let me shine and show my talent in one of the numbers,” Carper said.  During one of the rehearsals, Hess gave her props for how she was very good with showing emotion towards the crowd and just having fun the entire dance. Carper now thinks about actually wanting to do theater as a class and when she leaves high school, she sees it as something she can do for a living.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Rachel Adams

Students and staff helped to decorate the front of the school with red letters that spelled “Teachers, We love our staff.” Students also adorned the sidewalks with nice messages using chalk.