IT'S OFFICIALLY SPRING TIME

I love APRIL. Springtime brings crazy schedules for the Cromwell Family. However, I am determined to enjoy these precious moments with my family along with the later sunsets, the blooming flowers, the birds chirping in the morning, and evenings on the back deck. All of these beautiful signs of spring make me smile. This month of April, you need to not feel guilty about shutting down your phone for an evening or weekend. Go for a walk, turn the music up a bit louder on your drive to and from work, get a massage, AND treat yourself to some me time. April is when we are starting to see the finish line for this school year, so fill YOUR bucket. I know you will find this edition of the School Celebration Newsletter helpful to bring laughter, joy, and appreciation to your work. As always, feel free to reach out to me @sholtys on twitter if I can do anything to support your work or be a sounding board of ideas. I believe in you!

APRIL DAYS TO CELEBRATE

April 3 | Tweed Day. Can you have a fun tweed dress-up day today?

April 4 | National Vitamin C Day. Pick up a box of "Emergen C" at Costco and share with staff to encourage them to build up their immune system to get through this spring.

April 5 | National Deep Dish Pizza Day. Check with your local pizza restaurants and see if they would be willing to donate a few pizzas to honor your staff. Either treat staff to a pizza lunch or utilize them as prizes for a drawing for dinner.

April 6 | National Carmel Popcorn Day. Individual bags of Carmel Popcorn with a note that reads, “I am popping for JOY that you are a part of our staff. Happy National Popcorn Day.” April 6 is also National Burrito Day. What a great day for a staff burrito potluck to “wrap up your staff” with the good stuff.

April 7 | National Coffee Cake Day. Pick up a couple boxes of Little Debbie Coffee Cakes for an easy way to celebrate this day.

April 10 | National Siblings Day. Have staff share pictures of themselves with their siblings and post them on a bulletin board or on your school's media screens. What a great way for your students to get to know the faculty.

April 11 | National Pet Day. Have staff share pictures of their pets. Then have a class competition to see which classroom can match the most staff with their pets.

April 12 | National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day. Ask your PTO or school booster group to make grilled cheese sandwiches for lunch today. April 12 is also National Licorice Day. Have staff vote on preferences for Red Vines vs. Twizzlers?? Or provide licorice in your staff room for a quick snack. Include a note to say, “I am extending a vine to help you pull through the week.”

April 13 | National Make Lunch Count Day. Provide staff a list of relaxing activities they could do at lunchtime, either individually or with their class. April 13 is also National Scrabble Day. Set out a few Scrabble boards in the staff room for staff to use or write out your school name and mascot, such as "Kelso Virtual Academy Chargers" on a piece of paper and hand it out to your staff. Give staff a set amount of time to create as many words from the phrase.

April 14 | National Gardening Day. This could be an awesome theme for your Teacher Appreciation Week also. As an idea--"We grow great learners at Loowit High School (fill in your school)." Provide a basket of seeds for your staff with a note of thanks for helping grow students or a tiny (cheap) fushcia start with plant stake.

April 15 | National Laundry Day—Yes, it is a Saturday, but you can celebrate this on Friday, April 14th, because it is a fun one. Purchase Shout Wipes with a sticker or note that says I want to shout out to the world how thankful I am for you. (Shout Wipes are a must have in the Cromwell Household)

April 18 | National Animal Cracker Day. Do you remember the red circus boxes of animal crackers? Add a stick on each one that says, “I am thankful you are a part of our circus.”

April 19 | National Garlic Day. Give everyone a bulb of garlic and a pack of Tic Tacs with a note "I will always have you covered." Or create a poster in the staff room where staff could share favorite things to use garlic in and for. It is also National Banana Day. OK, so let me share with you that my grandmother believed in the power of bananas. Those, along with peppermint and honey, could cure just about everything. Bananas have potassium along with a ton of other good for you nutrients, and well, they do amazing things for the human body. On this day I will be providing bananas for every staff member and a note that says, “Have a Banana. It cures just about everything. –Grandma Alice”

April 20 | National Look-Alike Day. Can you have a dress-up day where students dress up like a staff member? OR maybe teachers partner with their grade level or content area teams to dress up similarly?

April 21 | National Tea Day. A tea buffet to greet everyone in the morning with some breakfast pastries. Add a few signs that say, "We are brewing up a successful year. Thank you".

April 24 | National Bucket List Day. Create a bucket list board in your staff room. Ask staff to write on a post-it something that is on their bucket list and place it on the board.

April 26 | National Pretzel Day. Pretzels in the staff room or handed out in your treat cart with a note "Everywhere I turn, I see great things happening in your classroom/school." AND April 26 is also National Administrative Professionals Day. The most important day of the month to remember.

April 27 | National Babe Ruth Day. As Washington State’s BIGGEST Red Sox Fan, I have mixed feelings about this one. However, what a great day to celebrate baseball!! Fill your treat cart or staff room with Cracker Jacks, Peanuts, and Licorice. You could also include Big League Gum and sunflower seeds to add to a baseball feel.

April 28 | National Superhero Day. Turn lanyards into superhero badges with superhero names, emblems, or a special power they have, OR pass out capes (purchased online) to all of the Superheroes you work with.

Cindy is in her 23rd year as a school administrator. She is currently the principal of Kelso Virtual Academy and Loowit Alternative High School within the Kelso School District in Kelso, Washington. Cindy has been recognized by the National Association of Secondary School Principals as the 2021 National Digital Principal of the Year. She has two teenagers and has been married to her husband, Leszek for 23 years. Find her on Twitter @sholtys.