Parent/Teacher Conferences

I just wrapped up a week of parent/teacher conferences. I always, always enjoy meeting with parents and celebrating their children, but it is also a very wearing, exhausting week. After all, you have to teach all day, with conferences both before and after school, and then grade papers and prepare for the next day after that. I put in several ten and eleven hour days this week!

(As you might imagine, I am glad it is Friday and am very much looking forward to the weekend.)

There are always those who show they care or are extra thoughtful to teachers this very busy week. Our PTA provides a simple buffet dinner on Tuesday and Thursday nights for us (the official conference nights. However, the Hershey teachers conference all week long, and some into the next week!) The PTA also had finger foods in the office for us during the day to grab during your prep time.

Heartland Church, a non-denominational church out near Hershey, adopted Hershey School a couple of years ago. They mentor children for us and do other nice things all year to help the school.  Monday when I arrived at work, I found a plastic pencil box with my name on it. It was chock full of things to help me during conference week - a red pen, tissues, breath mints, some snacks, and a card thanking me for my service to children. What a nice surprise!

 A plate of cookies and the Heartland Church care package.

Mrs. M., mom of one of my fourth graders, brought me a plate of cookies and other goodies along with a note thanking me for being her daughter's teacher.

And Mrs. J. brought me the mega-pack of Expo markers! I was so excited about that - I'd seen it on sale and nearly bought it myself, but it was still a lot of money so I'd left it behind. (You know you're a teacher when you get excited about new dry erase markers!)

As I said, it's been a long week, but those gifts, big and small, make me feel as though the long hours I spend planning, preparing, and teaching are valued and appreciated.