5/9 - Thank You Notes for Teacher and Staff Appreciation
General Activity Outline
The 1 - 2 - 3 of each activity
TODAY'S BIG IDEA
For this teacher/staff appreciation week advisory, each student will choose one person in the school, a teacher or staff member, who has made a difference, who has helped them, or made their lives easier or better. Students will then will write that person a thank you note, a real, hand-written thank you note that can be delivered by hand or to the mailbox of the staff member (courtesy of the Student Council) .
HOW TO GET THERE
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WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA?
The Big Idea is just that: the one nugget all advisees should leave the X-Block understanding. Share The Big Idea first thing - project it, post it, someone read it off the site, however you want to do it! With more opportunities for choice in activity this year, The Big Idea will work to anchor everyone to essentially the same outcome.
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HOW TO GET THERE
This section will outline the instructions for the activity. As much as possible, different options will be offered for how the content is reached. Every group is encouraged to work together to choose the best method, with the advisor having ultimate discretion. Try to make these calls by the Tuesday before the X Block period so you can request any needed materials. [TIP: use homeroom time or the last 2 minutes of X-Block to make choices for the next session] This section should take about 10-15 minutes.
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BEFORE YOU GO
A few minutes before the bell it is important to stop and wrap-up the actvitity, even if all the listed steps were not completed (remember: there are usually more things listed than there is time to do it - only to prevent idle time, not stress anyone out!). In the wrap-up, read the take away together, have a few people respond, and send along the responses. Submissions can be sent right through the webpage by a student or the teacher (BYOD!), just fill in the purple box!
REMINDER
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No Cell Phones out during advisory unless they are part of the activity
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All school rules apply in advisory
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All students should be participating in the Advisory Activity.
If you have a student who is disruptive or refuses to participate in a productive manner please send them to room 330 and send an email to Xblock@spyponders.com and the students dean.
"Silent gratitude isn’t much use to anyone."
-G.B. Stern
Before Advisory
Please have plain white lined paper or blank white paper available to the students. If you need either of those, I will have some available in your house office.
During Advisory
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1. Writing a thank you note:
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Ask students: What teacher or staff member has made a difference in your life, either this year or past years at the school?
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Mention to students that this could be a teacher, coach, secretary, custodian, lunchroom staff member, club adviser, tutor, teacher who wrote a recommendation or someone else.
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Students can brainstorm a list or they might already know who their person is going to be.
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Write a thank you letter. (we strongly suggest drafting a note on scrap paper before writing a final version) Remind students to do the following:
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Make sure to address it properly starting with ¨dear¨ or ¨to¨ and the person’s name.
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Include why he/she made a difference in their life.
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Say thank you!
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Sign off with sincerely, fondly, from, regards and the student’s name.
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Note: The message can be as long or as short, as simple or as complicated as the student likes, as long as it says thank you!
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Stuck? Check out these hints from Hallmark
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Feel free to decorate the cards and/or the envelopes as well!! Make it personal.
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2. Prepare the thank you note for delivery:
1. Have the students fold the note in half or any way they would like. If tape is available they can tape it shut.
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2. Have students put the name of who the note it written to and the school house (if available) on the outside of the note.
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3. How can the thank you notes be delivered?
1. Students can hand deliver them.
2. Collect notes that students do not want to deliver themselves. Please put them in the manila envelope located in their house office labeled ¨Teacher/Staff Appreciation Notes.¨ Student council members will deliver them to the school mailbox of the teacher/staff the note was written for.
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Before you go:
Before you go, fill in the feedback section below.
BEFORE YOU GO
TAKE AWAY
If students are willing to share who they wrote too we would love to know.
Who did you write to? Why?