Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

National Teacher Appreciation Week provides school communities with an extra-special opportunity to recognize and celebrate teachers.

But it's no secret – our appreciation for teachers is year-round.

We're proud of Pennsylvania's teachers, who serve and support students every single day – but what does serve and support truly mean?

It means a lot more than teaching.

Teachers are support systems. Connectors. Change makers. Courageous community leaders. Creative, compassionate, committed champions for kids. Teachers accept an enormous responsibility each time they enter a physical or virtual classroom – and they never look back. Each day brings new challenges and new mountains to move – and they never give up.

Even though we couldn't be together in person this year, it didn't stop communities across Pennsylvania from recognizing teachers. We're inspired by the celebration of teachers we saw on social media this week:

• A Parkside Elementary School student constructed a ship and named it after his teacher.
• Cocalico Middle School students designed thank you messages and shared them with their teachers.
  
• Weatherly Area School District's National Honor Society shared messages of thanks.
• A Lingle Avenue Elementary School teacher shared a blog post about a surprise reunion with his favorite teacher - many years after leaving her sixth grade classroom.
• Penn Manor School District's School Directors shared their appreciation for their community's dedicated teachers.

These are just a few of the thousands of examples of our commonwealth's collective appreciation for teachers. We're cheering for you. We're proud of you. We're inspired by you. We believe in you. This week and every single week.

Thank you, teachers, for being the foundation of every child's future. We are forever grateful.