St. Mary School in Williamstown showed its appreciation for teachers on May 4, welcoming them with a red carpet and gifts as part of Teacher Appreciation Week around the country.
St. Mary and other schools within the Diocese of Camden have held in person and remote classes since September. Much like schools around the country, according to Principal Patricia Mancuso, St, Mary’s teachers showed dedication despite COVID restrictions.
“We just wanted to say thank you to our teachers because it has been a lot of work,” Mancuso said. “It is not easy keeping the kids all 6 feet apart from each other, keeping their masks on and learning how to reduce simple things like the traffic pattern in the classroom or outside for recess.
“The teachers went above and beyond.”
St. Mary’s welcomed teachers on the 4th by lining the school’s front walkway with a red carpet as they entered the building. Later that morning, cakes and other gifts were delivered to them in their classrooms. The day included lunch from Innovative Catering at the Estates at Monroe, raffles and gift bags.
Students showed their gratitude, too.
“We sent an email out to the parents without the teachers knowing and we asked if students could make cards for their teachers,” Mancuso explained. “So as soon as the students started arriving on Tuesday, the teachers started getting cards. Some of our families sent in treats and snacks for our faculty members that were really nice, too.”
The students also gave teachers a standing ovation during morning announcements. The principal read the names of every teacher to let them know their efforts in the past year had not gone unnoticed, and also acknowledged other school staff.
“We weren’t just recognizing our teachers,” Mancuso noted. “We were recognizing our staff as well because they, too, have gone above and beyond and have done so much for our school and for our kids.”
