Wrapping Up the School Year: Communicating Appreciation to Staff for Implementation Progress

It is hard to believe that it is time to consider wrapping up the school year. As your school focuses on testing, field trips, culminating projects, and end-of-the-year celebrations, activities are revving up rather than slowing down.

With all the excitement, and let’s face it, sometimes stress, the end of the school year brings, don’t let the opportunity pass to share all the amazing growth students have made this year because of the heroic efforts of your staff. In fact, sharing appreciation of your employees is an efficient and effective way to increase staff morale and build relationships.

Here are some ways to acknowledge staff for their dedicated efforts and to celebrate their contributions over the year.

  • Write a personalized note to each staff member thanking them for their contributions over the year. Make sure to point out a specific action done by each individual that positively impacted the school.

 

  • Take photos throughout the year of each staff member doing something awesome with students. Create a photo wall in the teachers’ lounge documenting the positive impacts staff has had on the life of the school.

 

  • Make it a point at each team meeting to showcase the student growth that has occurred over the year, in terms of academics and behavior, and acknowledge the specific efforts by that team that made that growth a reality.

 

  • Host an all-staff appreciation lunch. Publicly thank the staff for all their hard work and point out growth the school has made over the year due to their contributions.

It is important to note that all the above strategies are not burdensome to staff. We know everyone is busy at the end of the year, so the last thing we want to do is add more to their plate when we are trying to share our appreciation for them. Additionally, these strategies acknowledge the efforts of all staff as opposed to a few.

We wish you a joyful and appreciative end of the school year that leads to building a greater school community.

 

Reference:

Williamson, R. & Blackburn, B. R. (2022, April 11). Celebrate with staff as a challenging year ends. MiddleWeb. 
https://www.middleweb.com/46905/celebrate-with-staff-as-a-challenging-year-ends/