Goodbye school. Hello summer break! We have less than a week of school left, and I can’t wait for summer. It’s getting warmer and I’m ready to pack my bags. For the students of Altoona, school is ending on June 1. For the teachers, June 5. Our teachers do a lot for us, and we appreciate them so much. Here’s how to show your appreciation, for free!

Materials needed: a kind soul and a teacher.

First, approach your teacher. Be humble and considerate. Once you’ve approached them say what you’d like to say. Here’s some considerate things to say:

• • Thank you for your guidance, friendship, and even for your discipline.  Thank you for taking the time to be my friend. (Maybe not from a five-year-old, unless the child is a precocious specimen successfully shaped by this remarkable teacher’s effective teaching method.)

• • Thank you for creating an environment of enthusiasm for learning, appreciation for growing, and room for making mistakes along the way. I am grateful to have you as a guide, leading by example.

• • Thank you for sharing your gift of teaching with us!

• • You are not only our teacher, you are our friend, authority and guide, all rolled into one person. We will always be grateful to you for your support and kindness.

• • I may not always say it, but I mean it whenever I say it. Thank You, Teacher, for all the extra efforts you make to help us grow, and the challenges you encourage us to face to help us become who we are.

Have a happy summer!