Dream Center gifts show appreciation to educators, support staff

All across the country most everyone involved in educating youngsters, from teachers and teacher assistants, to support staff and bus drivers, are being shown their appreciation.  

This is National Teacher Appreciation Week, annually celebrated the first full week of May.  Teacher Appreciation Week serves as an opportunity for students, parents, administrators, and communities to collectively express their gratitude and appreciation for the hard work, dedication, and lasting impact of educators. 

While parents are presenting their child’s teacher with cards and gifts this week, one nonprofit in DeSoto County is making sure all teachers and support staff and others are being thanked and remembered.  

Volunteers were at the DeSoto County Dream Center Wednesday, packing about 5,000 restaurant gift cards into a goody bag that includes a devotional and other care items. The gift cards come from locally-owned restaurants, said Dream Center Executive Director Jenna Kern. The goody bags are going to all DeSoto County schools and Northpoint Christian School.

“We include the Central Office, bus drivers, janitors, Child Nutrition, everybody that’s a part of DeSoto County Schools and we include Northpoint Christian School as well,” Kern said.  “We are not only showing teachers who we think are the foundation of our community how much we appreciate them, but also supporting local restaurants.”

Twenty local restaurants were selected and with the support of the Homer Skelton Charitable Foundation, the gift cards totaled $10,000 per restaurant. Between 200-300 gift cards per restaurants are being presented.  

“When teachers thrive, students thrive,” said Kern. “We want teachers, administrators, janitorial staff, nutrition staff and bus drivers to know they are seen and appreciated. The gift cards offer [school staff] a chance to go out and do something fun for themselves. The devotional (‘Live in Grace, Walk in Love’ by Bob Goff) hopefully adds a special word of encouragement when it is needed.”

The Dream Center serves as the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) for the Juvenile Detention Center in Hernando, Magnolia Elementary School and DeSoto County Alternative Center in Horn Lake, sending volunteers monthly who provide acts of care and service to staff.

These three schools traditionally have not received the support of a PTO and teachers have expressed sincere gratitude for the partnership in the midst of very challenging work. 

The Dream Center’s mission is to uplift Title 1 school communities, which are where at least 40 percent of students in attendance live below the poverty line. According to the Dream Center, there are several district schools where over 70 percent of students live under the poverty line currently. 

In 1953, Eleanor Roosevelt successfully persuaded Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day. However, it wasn’t until 1980 that the National Education Association (NEA), along with state affiliates, lobbied Congress to establish it as an annual event, with the first National Teacher Day celebrated on March 7 of that year.

In 1984, the National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) expanded the recognition by designating the entire first full week of May as Teacher Appreciation Week. The NEA followed suit in 1985, and National Teacher Day was then observed on the Tuesday of that week, a tradition that continues to this day.