National Teacher Appreciation week is scheduled from May 3-9. "Great Teachers Make Great Schools," is the theme for the celebration highlighting the crucial role teachers play to ensure that every person receives a quality education and conveys their hard work to make schools great for every student.

It is the time to let teachers know how they have touched kids' lives. The idea for Teacher Appreciation Week appeared around 1944 when political and education leaders were pushed about the need for a national day to honor teachers. In 1953, Eleanor Roosevelt persuaded the 81st Congress to proclaim a National Teacher Day. Today, Congressman John W. Olver (D-Amherst) and other members of Congress continue to acknowledge the great contribution teachers make to a progressive society. "Few touch as many lives as teachers do," notes GCC President Robert Pura. "National Teacher Appreciation Week is a good time to learn about the contributions all teachers, in and out of the classroom, make to our community every day." He notes that Governor Deval Patrick talks about how his life changed for the better because he "caught fire" from a teacher. "Those fires burn bright every day in our schools," says Pura. "The quality of our community's schools is the result of the extraordinary commitment of teachers; this is a great week to celebrate their day to day achievements."