Hey, fellow teachers! We all know our schools wouldn’t run nearly as smoothly without the incredible support staff who keep everything ticking. Educational assistants, custodians, office staff, librarians, volunteers – they’re the unsung heroes who make our jobs easier and our schools brighter. Let’s show them some love! Meaningful appreciation doesn’t have to break the bank or eat up all your prep time. Come check out some of the ways we’re saying thank you to the people who help make our jobs easier.
While we have included some ideas for special appreciation weeks, most of these ideas can be used all year round just to say thank you.
Simple Gestures that Speak Volumes
Make Space
If you have someone who works directly in your classroom, make a space for them to work. Give them a shelf to keep their supplies on or a drawer for their belongings. This is a simple gesture that makes them feel included.
One of the best ways you can thank your custodians is by getting students to help keep your room relatively tidy. Pick up items off the floor. Put the bins near the door. Make it easy for them to do the cleaning because you’ve already done the tidying. This also teaches students to be responsible for their space.
Ask the librarian (if you’re lucky enough to have one) when the best time to return books is. Offer up your class to come into the library and help out. Supervise students yourself so your librarian doesn’t have to teach, return books, do reader advisories, and keep the shelves tidy.
Don’t interrupt the office staff with requests and phone calls unless it’s absolutely necessary. Instead, send written notes or emails that include “please and thank you” and then wait patiently. Your patience and kindness will be rewarded when you really have an emergency.
Treat support staff as you wish to be treated. These are humans, and just because you have different jobs, itdoesn’t mean you aren’t equally important.
The Power of a Kind Word
A genuine “Thank you for all you do,” or “I really appreciate your help with…” goes a long way. Be specific! Did they help you organize your messy supply closet? Mention it! Did they comfort a student having a tough day? Acknowledge their impact.
We keep a set of blank cards in our desk that we use for this purpose. The kids can also write kind notes of thanks. Have your class create thank you cards or drawings. Even a simple picture with a child’s message is a treasure. These are especially impactful and personal.
We also have these feedback notes that you or your students could use to write a thank you note. We’ll send them directly to your inbox when you sign up for our email list. If you’re already on the list, you can find them in our Resource Library.
Morning Greetings
Make an effort to greet support staff by name each morning. A simple “Good morning” while using their name shows you see them and value their presence. Get to know support staff you don’t normally interact with. Introduce yourself. Find out where they work in the school.
Custodians are often in the school early in the morning. If you’re also an early bird, bring the occasional beverage or morning treat. Seek them out to let them know you’re in the building.
Share the Love
Tell their supervisor about the amazing things they do. Positive feedback is always appreciated. Put it in writing, too.
“We Love Our Support Staff” Bulletin Board
Dedicate a space on a bulletin board to celebrate support staff. Include photos, student artwork, and teacher testimonials.
We created a collaborative poster specifically for our educational assistants. Students colour their individual pieces, and then they are assembled into a poster. Our collaborative posters come with 18, 24, or 36 pieces, so they work with any size class.
Find our Educational Assistants Appreciation Collaborative Poster in our TpT Store ($USD) or BN Shop ($CAN).
Classroom “Thank You” Book
Have your class create a book filled with drawings and messages for the support staff. This is a lovely keepsake they can cherish.
Wear A Favourite
Find out which teams your support staff love. Ask about their favourite colour. Wear the team colours or their favourite colour as a way to honour them.
Sing Something
If you get to know a favourite song, band, or just a song that says thank you, have the class sing it for your support staff. If you can’t teach students to sing it, maybe just play it and dance along.
Chip in For Lunch
We recognize that it’s not always possible with school schedules, but give your support staff a break by chipping in on their lunch for a day and letting them sit in the staff room to enjoy it by taking over their supervision duties for one of the breaks. If everyone on staff chips in over the course of a week, it makes it easy to celebrate everyone who works in your school alongside you.
Create a Cheer
Have students help write and perform a simple cheer. It could be performed in the classroom or a school-wide assembly.
Do Shout-Outs Online or Over the Announcements
Have students write a shout-out thanking a support staff member for something. These could be written as little blurbs on your school’s website or in the school newsletter. Students can read them aloud on the announcements.
Create a Piece of Art
This can be a simple way to make a lasting impression for your appreciation. If you frame it, it makes a small, simple gift that will be cherished for years.
Draw a heart and have students make a fingerprint in the heart. Add student names.
Draw a tree. Write “thanks for helping us grow” on the bottom. Students will add a fingerprint as leaves on the tree.
Have students make or cut out small hearts and have them write their names on them. Take a photo of a student cupping their hands as if they are holding something. Focus on the hands and end the photo below the chin of the student so there is no face. Attach the hearts to the photo to make it look like the hands are holding the hearts. Frame it.
Celebrate an Appreciation Day or Week
We tried to find a list of dates but discovered that celebrating your support staff really depends on where you work. These are a few we found, but we recommend you reach out to your school board to find out when the specific dates or weeks are in your district. If there are no events planned, choose dates for your school. Get the appreciation dates added to your school calendar and remind staff to celebrate.
World Education Support Personnel Day: May 16th. This is an international day to recognize the contributions of education support personnel, including custodians, office staff, educational assistants, and other support staff.
Support Staff Appreciation Week: This is often celebrated during the last week of April, but varies by province and school board.
National School Support Staff Day (Québec): The last Thursday of September. This day is specifically for support staff working in Québec school boards who are affiliated with the Fédération du personnel de soutien scolaire (FPSS-CSQ).
Educational Assistant Appreciation Day: This is often celebrated on different days in different school boards. Some boards may have a specific day in the fall or spring, while others may celebrate it during World Education Support Personnel Day. You can check with your local school board to see if they have a designated day. Find our Educational Assistants Appreciation Collaborative Poster in our TpT Store ($USD) or BN Shop ($CAN).
Custodian Appreciation Day: October 2nd. This day is often recognized as National Custodian Day in many places. It recognizes the work of custodians and maintenance workers who keep schools clean and safe. Find our Custodian Appreciation Collaborative Poster in our TpT Store ($USD) or BN Shop ($CAN). This poster has the statement “Thank you for making our school shine,” so it can be used for anyone who makes your school a special place.
School Office Staff Appreciation Week: There doesn’t seem to be a nationally designated week for this, but it could be celebrated during Administrative Professionals Day on April 23rd.
Don’t Forget About Your Volunteers
Find our General Appreciation Collaborative Poster in our TpT Store ($USD) or BN Shop ($CAN). We also have a Volunteer Appreciation Collaborative Poster in our TpT Store ($USD) or BN Shop ($CAN).
Be Genuine
Remember, the most important thing is sincerity. A genuine expression of gratitude is more valuable than any grand gesture. Make sure your support staff know how much you appreciate them! They are an integral part of our school community, and their hard work and dedication deserve to be celebrated.
Are you looking for more ways for students to say thank you?
Being Thankful in the Classroom
