Rodney Thompson Middle School PTO
75 Walpole St., Stafford, VA 22554
Hello Parents of RTMS,
This year has gone by so quickly but the RTMS PTO has one last BIG EVENT that I hope you will all
want to be a part of:
TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK
4 – 8 MAY 2015
Teacher Appreciation Week is five-days of events planned and executed by the Hospitality Committee
and volunteers like you. We want to make this the biggest and best Teacher Appreciation Week ever!!!
The Hospitality Committee Co-Chairs have been planning this week’s events since last September to
make it an event to remember. They have been working very hard and have a few surprises in store for
our teachers. This year there are 19 new teachers in the RTMS family. For most of them, this is their
first year teaching and we want to show them how rewarding teaching is and how much the students and
their families appreciate all their hard work.
We are also incorporating ALL the assorted April and May Recognition Days into this week of
celebration. These Recognition Days include: Para-Professional Day (1 April); Librarian Day (21
April); Administrative Assistants Day (22 April); School Lunch Hero Day (1 May); and National
Nurses Day (6 May). This is why we are having such big events during the Teacher Appreciation Week.
If you want to send in a personal thank you on the aforementioned specific dates, I know that it would
be appreciated.
One way you can show our teachers how much they are appreciated is by helping the RTMS PTO
successfully execute the Teacher Appreciation Week events. Please volunteer to donate items when the
all-inclusive Sign-Up Genius (for the week’s events) comes out, or volunteer to help out with one of the
many planned events. Even if all the volunteer slots are filled on the sign up genius we can always use
extra hands if your schedule opens up just drop by.
Another way to show our teachers how much they are appreciated is by providing them with personal
thank you notes, cards, or other personal thank you gifts.
Daily Events for the Teacher Appreciation Week: The Hospitality Committee will coordinate all of
the below listed daily events. Everyone is invited to join in the fun and volunteer to ensure everything
runs smoothly. You will see one all-inclusive Sign-Up Genius to supplement the items provided /
purchased by the PTO.
MONDAY (4 May): “Souper Monday!” The Hospitality Committee is asking for cans of Progresso
soup (with pull-top lids), crackers, and cases of water. Please have items to RTMS by the end of the
school day on Thursday, 30 April.
TUESDAY (5 May): “TACO Tuesday and so much more!” We will be doing a Mexican themed lunch
for Cinco de Mayo. This event will take place from 10:30 AM - 1:30 PM on the stage in the RTMS
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Rodney Thompson Middle School PTO
75 Walpole St., Stafford, VA 22554
Cafeteria. Set up begins at 9:30 AM. All other items need to be at RTMS by the end of the school day on
Thursday, 30 April.
WEDNESDAY (6 May): “Something Cheesy!” We will be throwing a little fun and sophistication into
the mix with a variety of cheese platters (goat cheese, brie, blocks of assorted cheeses, Havarti specialtyherbed cheeses, etc.). We will also serve fresh fruit (grapes, strawberries, apples, pears, melons, etc.),
smoked almonds, crackers (Triscuits, Wheat Thins, fancy crackers), and bottled water. This event will
take place from 10:30 AM – 1:30 PM on the stage in the RTMS cafeteria. Please have items to RTMS
by the end of the school day on Thursday, 30 April.
THURSDAY (7 May): “Sweets for our Sweet Teachers Candy Buffet!” The Hospitality Committee
will be asking for individually wrapped small candies (chocolate kisses, Werther’s caramels,
peppermints, tootsie rolls, etc.) and bags of M&M’s, Skittles, gummy bears, jelly beans, etc.). This event
will take place from 7:00 – 8:00 AM for homeroom teachers and those with morning duties (bus, traffic
control, etc.). All others will join in from 8:00 – 9:00 AM. Set up will be in the PTO room. At the end of
the school day, the teachers can head over to Sweet Frog (RTMS PTO Spirit Night) to get their free
small yogurt to top off our sweet day! The Hospitality Committee would like to borrow clear glass jars
to make it look like an old fashioned candy store (PLEASE put out your name on any jars and candy
dishes). Please have items to RTMS by the end of the school day on Thursday, 30 April.
FRIDAY (8 May): “Continental Breakfast!” The Hospitality Committee will serve a brown bag
breakfast to go for the teachers - muffins, orange juice, fresh fruit (bananas, grapes, apples, and pears).
We will stuff the breakfast bags at 6:30 AM and deliver to the teacher’s rooms. Please have items to
RTMS by the end of the school day on Thursday, 30 April.
Each day during Teacher Appreciation Week, the RTMS PTO will be conducting a prize drawing for the
teachers. Our goal is that by the end of the week, EVERY teacher will have received a prize. If you
would like to donate a gift card for the prize drawing, please place it in an envelope and write PTO
Hospitality on it. Inside the envelope please include your full name and the dollar value of the gift card.
Any dollar amount is fine (suggested gift cards include; Walmart, Target, Kohl’s, Wawa, 7-11, Home
Depot, Lowe’s, Movie tickets, Mani/Pedi certificates, any restaurant, etc.). The teachers do NOT know
about the prize drawing. In order to maintain the surprise, please do not discuss this Teacher
Appreciation Week event with them.
So now you have the plan for the Teacher Appreciation Week. If you would like more information,
please contact the Hospitality Committee Co-Chair, Marianne Nees, at mnees@comcast.net.
I hope each and every RTMS family can support this week of events in some manner.
Thank you,
James Nees
President, RTMS PTO
2014-2015 School Year
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