Planning a memorable Teacher Appreciation Week takes a touch of advance planning and creativity, but the impact on your school’s teachers and staff is immeasurable.Â
Because it doesn’t take much at all for them to feel the love and appreciate your efforts right back!
This year, take them on an under-the-sea adventure with a week of aquatic fun and appreciation!Â
Here’s a guide to help your Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) organize a fin-tastic celebration. Ha!
Start with Decorations
Make a grand entrance!Â
Decorate the teacher’s lounge or common area with a school of construction paper fish swimming across under the sea color scheme streamers.
Cover the door to the Teacher’s Lounge, if that’s where you’ll host the week of appreciation events, with this super fun blue foil decoration.
It’ll help them feel like they’ve been transported under the sea!
Hang colorful jellyfish decorations and coral cutouts.
String up some bubble garlands across the ceiling or walls.
Sea themed ceiling swirls are another fun ceiling decoration that adds bright pops of color to any space.
Mix up the size, shape and color of the decorations for a pretty decoration plan. This wall decor kit from Mari Mari is really cute and easy to hang.
Use 3M adjustable hooks to hang the decorations in a damage free way.
Honeycomb sea shapes are a decoration even kids can help decorate with.
Balloons are a fantastic way to decorate a space in your theme. This under the sea balloon kit comes with latex and mylar balloons to replicate this look.
This balloon garland kit looks super impressive but is just a collection of balloons in various sizes, ordered by color. It’s much easier to create than it looks!
This post has all the details about creating balloon arches and decorations for your PTO’s events.
Table Decorations
If your plan for the week of fun involves anything food related, decorate the main table in the under the sea theme.
A table covering serves dual purpose in that it acts as a decoration and protects the surface at the same time.
This fun decor duo is a fun beginning to a table decoration.
Add to it with a healthy sprinkling of sea shape table confetti.
Door Decorations
A great idea for involving more parents in the week of appreciation is to get the Room Parents involved by running a “Door Design Contest” with an under-the-sea theme.
This fish themed door covering is a quick way to decorate the entire door.
Next add some lettering and additional ocean themed cut outs.
Daily Ideas for an Under the Sea Appreciation Week
Monday
Leave a small, wrapped ocean-themed gift (seashell soaps, bath bombs, seashell picture frames) on each teacher’s desk with a note hinting at the next days surprises.
Package the gift up in a sea themed gift bag.
Candy bracelets are a childhood throwback treat perfectly on theme.
Toss a handful of individually wrapped Swedish Fish candy into each gift bag.
Fish shapes lollipops are a fun addition to the gift bag.
This sea shape silicone mold can be used to make the soaps, or candy to add into the gift bag.
Tuesday
Get the entire PTO team in on Staff Appreciation Week by recruiting volunteers to write a personalized thank you note to each and every staff member and teacher.
Room parents can help collect notes written by students to give to the teachers.
PTO leaders can pitch in by writing notes to staff members, like custodians, specialists, supports staff, etc. who don’t have a regular class of students.
This set of thank you note card features a fun design with a more subtle color palette.
This Papyrus note card assortment features different under the sea images.
And this thank you note is particularly striking with the bold graphic print.
Wednesday
Treat the entire staff to a delightful under the sea themed luncheon!
Some menu ideas:
“Coral” popcorn mix (white popcorn with Chex Mix), “Beach” pretzel mix (pretzels, goldfish crackers, Chex Mix), “Sun” chips and guacamole.
“Fin-tastic” fish sandwiches or “Under the Sea” veggie wraps.
“Ocean Water” lemonade or blue Hawaiian punch decorated with gummy sharks.
“Seashell Surprise” cupcakes decorated with icing and sprinkles, or a “Beach Cake” decorated with graham crackers and frosting.
Lean into the theme with the tableware.
These Meri Meri octopus napkins are so cute!
Same with these sea turtle napkins, also from Meri Meri.
And of course you can’t skip sea shell plates!
This shark platter is the perfect vehicle for a vegetable tray.
Thursday
Chalk the walk from the parking lot to the school building doors with heartfelt messages and drawings from students and parents.
It’s inexpensive, easy and will last for days (rain, rain stay away!) and will be a nice surprise for the staff as they come into the building for the day.
And it’s a fantastic way to involve students and parents in the week of appreciation events.
Friday
End the week of teacher and staff appreciation on a sweet note with a decadent dessert bar!
Ask parent volunteers to bake cupcakes using the fun chevron wave-inspired cupcake liners in this Meri Mari kit and then top them off with the under the sea cupcake toppers.
This under the sea cupcake topper set is such glittery fun.
These wave cupcake liners are good for both cupcakes and can also be used as small bowls for fruit and candies.
Unify cupcake donations from multiple parent bakers with the same ocean themed sprinkles.
You can also bake up pans of brownies and decorate them with different sprinkles:
This mix of shapes and colors in this sea glass inspired sprinkle mix is really nice.
How fun is this bright fish tank sprinkle mix?
This pearly finish mermaid, bubble and seashell sprinkle mix is pretty.
This 3 tier cupcake stand makes for a fun display and space saver on the table too, since you can stack the cupcakes and treats vertically.
Over to you
By incorporating these ideas for decorations, daily activities, menu and gifts, your PTO can create an unforgettable under the sea themed Teacher Appreciation Week that will leave a lasting impression on the amazing teachers and staff in your school.Â
Remember, it’s the little things that count, so get creative, have fun, and show your teachers how much you appreciate all they do!
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