Teacher Appreciation Week is an excellent opportunity to show our gratitude to the educators who work tirelessly to shape our children’s futures.
This year, why not add a twist to the traditional celebration and host a lemonade-themed teacher appreciation week?
In this blog post, we’ll cover a step-by-step guide on how to plan a lemonade-themed teacher appreciation week for your school staff and teachers, hosted by the PTO.
Step 1: Set a date and time
The first step in planning any event is to set a date and time that works for everyone involved.
This may involve coordinating with the school administration, teachers, and PTO members to check availability for the staff as well as helpers to ensure the events go off without a hitch.
Consider scheduling the event during teacher appreciation week or on a day when teachers have a little extra time to relax and enjoy the festivities.
Schedule around field trips and assemblies so teachers and staff can enjoy what you have planned and no one misses out dude to a conflict.
Step 2: Choose a Location
Select a location that is accessible and convenient for all teachers and staff members for your week of events.
This may be the staff lounge, library, gymnasium or cafeteria, depending on the timing of the event and how many day’s you’ll need a physical space for your planned celebration.
Keep in mind that the location should be large enough to accommodate all attendees comfortably.
Ideally, keep everything in one space so you can decorate once, to save time not having to move decorations.
Step 3: Develop the Lemonade Theme
The lemonade theme can be incorporated in several ways, from decorations and activities to food and drinks.
Consider incorporating lemon-themed decorations and yellow-colored decor throughout the week.
We’ll get into a deep dive for the decorations in a bit.
Step 4: Plan the Week
Make a plan for the week with a different event each day for the staff and teachers to enjoy.
Need some ideas? Read on!
Monday
Star the week off with a delicious luncheon!
When planning the menu for the event, consider incorporating lemon-themed food and drinks.
This could include lemonade, lemon bars, lemon cookies, and lemon-infused water.
Consider providing a variety of food and drink options, including vegetarian and gluten-free options.
You’ll need tableware and this set of lemon themed plates, napkins and cups is perfect.
Cupcakes are an easy ask for the volunteer to make to serve for dessert.
Top off a few of the cupcakes with some of these cupcake toppers for an extra decoration.
Presentation is really what makes the event more special and show that you’ve invested time and thought to make it nice for the teachers and staff.
Tuesday
Give every staff member a gift bag filled with some lemon themed treats!
Fill these cello bags with a nice variety of goodies.
For bulkier gifts, consider using these lemon gift boxes! How cute are they?
Decorate some chocolate kisses and candies with these lemon stickers and add to the gift bags.
Or pop a tube of citrus hand cream in the gift bag. Hand lotion is always appreciated since hand washing happens so frequently.
A new keychain is a thoughtful little gift to add to the gift bag.
Add in some non-chocolate candy treats too, like these lollipops.
Or some pink lemonade Now and Laters.
Or some Strawberry Lemonade Frooties.
Wednesday
Set up a lemonade and popcorn party for all to enjoy.
Investing in a set of drink dispensers is a smart way to have bulk beverages on hand for not only this week celebrating teachers and staff, but future PTO events too.
Have lots of cups on hand to keep thirsty staff well hydrated.
Straws are a functional and fun addition to the lemonade bar.
Serve the popcorn in these cute popcorn boxes.
And it’s smart to have extra napkins on hand for the popcorn and any spills too.
Put out a bowl of lemonheads for staff to enjoy on the go throughout the day.
Thursday
Pop a scratch off game ticket into each staff member’s school mailbox and give away a few big gifts.
Tote bags always come in handy for teachers and anyone who works in a school! This lemon themed tote is pretty cute .
The scent of this lemon verbena soy candle is so refreshing.
These lemon bandaids are unique and kinda fun too.
Notebooks are also another useful and thoughtful gift idea.
And so are notepads! Love the bright design of this pad.
One last idea is for this lemonade mocktail or cocktail mix. Fun gift to be enjoyed after work!
Friday
End the week of appreciation events with a personalized note for each staff.
They’re sure to love having a heartfelt sentiment from a PTO volunteer or a student. This is a great day to get knocked off the list before staff appreciation week comes.
Take the stack of note cards to the March and April PTO meetings and have a note writing session following the meeting or divvy up and send members home with a few to complete and send back before the event.
Step 5: Send Out Invitations
No less than a week before, send out invitations to all teachers and staff members, including information on the date, time, location, and theme for the week of events.
Since school staff love a good theme, maybe even encourage attendees to dress in yellow or lemon-themed clothing and accessories so an extra fun touch.
Step 6: Decorate
Decorate the event space with lemon-themed decorations such as yellow balloons, lemon garlands, and lemonade signs.
A well decorated space has a mix of textures, shapes and patterns all mixed in. This collection of fans, and bunting decor is really fun and will give a nice foundation for other layers.
Balloons are an easy way to add pops of color around the room. Dazzle attendees with a huge balloon garland for a statement piece.
Group these signs in small vases or Frappuchino bottles and spread them around the room.
This tassel and garland set is another fun decoration layer.
Also be sure to decorate the walls of the event space to set a thoughtful tone for the event and a garland is a quick way to add a splash of lemon inspired decoration.
If you plan on serving food during the week, decorate the table, starting with a disposable tablecloth to make clean up at the end of the week a snap.
Extend the decorations up to the ceiling with these swirls.
Sprinkle some lemony confetti for a small touch that’s sure to be appreciated!
Consider incorporating photos of each teacher and staff member in lemonade-themed frames to create a personalized touch.
Step 7: Thank Volunteers
At the end of the event, consider sending a thank you note to each PTO volunteer who helped you during the week to make the week’s events come to life!
Over to you
Planning a lemonade-themed teacher appreciation week for your school staff and teachers can be a fun and unique way to show your appreciation.
By following these seven steps, you can create a really memorable event that shows your gratitude and appreciation for all that teachers and staff members do to educate and support our children.
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