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No Tricks, Just Treats: CSPA Thanks Teachers with New “Appreciation Stations”
Calvert faculty and staff enjoyed a variety of raffles, treats, and pre-packaged snacks today as the CSPA debuted its first Appreciation Stations, monthly grab-and-go displays thanking everyone at Calvert for their hard work.
Designed as a COVID-conscious stand-in for Wonderful Wednesdays, these displays allow Calvert families to show their appreciation for their favorite teachers and administrators in a safe and responsible way, strengthening our tight-knit community during this unexpected year.
Now more than ever, CSPA Liaison Rosane Aviles says, it’s important to bring students, parents, teachers, and staff together as one warm, welcoming community, and to make sure that everyone feels supported.
“We wanted to offer as much normalcy, positivity, and fun as possible,” she said. “Even within this small, one-day event, you can really see just how much Calvert teachers and staff are appreciated.”
Decked out in parent-donated snacks, raffle items, and homemade cards from students, today’s Appreciation Stations – themed “Chip, Chip, Hooray!” – were provided by Tenth Age families in the Lower School and Eighth Grade families in the Middle School, and different grade levels will contribute throughout the year.
Unlike their predecessors, Wonderful Wednesdays – which included fresh bagels, coffee, homemade baked goods, and other shareable offerings – the Appreciation Stations were developed in a COVID-aware world, and the CSPA kept a close eye on safety guidelines.
Each display contained bags of chips, granola bars, cookies, candy, and other treats, all of which were provided in individual packages to minimize sharing and exposure. Perfect for grab-and-go visits, the Appreciation Stations are laid out to ensure appropriate social distancing and promote well-being. They can also be moved to different locations as health guidelines and spacing recommendations change.
As an extra safety measure, all raffles have also been streamlined, and faculty and staff are automatically added to each one – removing the need to share pens or gather around sign-up sheets.
Thanks to generous parent donations, the CSPA was able to award more than 20 raffle prizes to deserving winners, and the group hopes to offer a handful of smaller gifts and surprises before the next Appreciation Stations, which are scheduled for early November.
“Parents really want to show support and appreciation for the teachers and their incredible work this year,” Ms. Aviles said. “Their support has been overwhelming.”
Coach Angulo-Bartlett says that he always feels appreciated at Calvert, but special offerings like these are an exciting and welcome bonus.
“This is fantastic. I’m so happy about this,” he said today. “I think it’s an amazing treat, and it’s really nice of the parents.”
Learning and Support Coordinator Courtenay Shure ’91 – also a Calvert parent – says that she is thankful for the parent-teacher link and community connection the Appreciation Stations provide.
She said it is comforting to know that, even though parents are not allowed on campus this year, they are still hugely supportive of teachers’ hard work and dedication to their students.
“It’s really, really heartwarming to know that they are all cheering us on,” Mrs. Shure said.
Thank you to all of the Tenth Age and Eighth Grade families who made today’s Appreciation Stations possible!
To contribute to a future Appreciation Station or get involved with the CSPA, please contact Development Coordinator and CSPA Liaison Rosane Aviles at raviles@calvertschoolmd.org.
Calvert School is a coed independent lower and middle school.
