Monday marked the return to school for all Westerville educators and staff and members of Alcott Elementary's PTA spent the weekend showing just how much their Alcott team means to them.
All across the entrance of the building, children’s artwork and positive messages were drawn in chalk: “You are.. amazing, appreciated, loved, strong, inspiration;” “Staff We love you! We appreciate you;” “What the WORLD needs now is love, sweet love;” and “Welcome Back!”
“Our families felt it was important for staff to know that we see the effort and care they're putting into teaching this year, no matter where or how they're doing it,” said Ryan Hilperts, president of Alcott’s PTA.
She said PTA Executive Vice President Kristy Groger proposed the idea last week at their regular meeting. All Alcott families were invited to participate with most of the art completed on Sunday.
Gavin Farkasovsky, a seventh-grader at Genoa Middle School, and his brother, Henry, a third-grader at Alcott, contributed to the display Monday morning. Gavin said it was cool to be able to join the effort and support his former teachers.
“I want to let them know how their job helps a lot of people,” he said.
Hilperts said with so much stress and anxiety around schooling right now, the PTA Board thought something light and fun and encouraging would be a great idea for families.
“As a PTA, we're trying to provide as much normal as we can for our families and find new ways for them to experience the Alcott community,” she said. “This felt like a small way to do a little of both of those things.”