Costello Elementary Students, Parents Show Appreciation for Teachers

It's Teacher Appreciation Week at , and teachers and staff agree on one thing: they're stuffed.

As part of Teacher Appreciation Week, the school's students and Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) have been feeding them – and feeding them well – with a free breakfast, catered lunch from , handmade desserts, delicious candy and more – all as ways of saying "thank you."

"This PTO is the most generous, supportive group, and they've learned the way into our hearts is through our stomachs," Gary Wood, principal of Costello Elementary School, said with a chuckle. Wood, who has worked in Troy Schools for nearly 40 years, is set to retire on June 30.

"I don't expect it from the parents," Kindergarten teacher Julie Marjamaa said as she enjoyed a fajita Thursday, "but it's nice to be recognized."

Marjamaa said the parents do nice things for the teachers and staff all year long, but Teacher Appreciation Week is often over the top.

"Our classroom doors get decorated, and we get cards," she said. "Sometimes, we get gift cards, letters and notes, too."

"We have such a wonderful PTO," third grade teacher Val Thudium said, sipping on non-alcoholic sangria during lunch. "They're so supportive of all we do. They're such a wonderful group, and we couldn't ask for a nicer group of families to work with."

Students also helped show their appreciation this week by bringing in cards and gifts for their teachers.

"It's important, because without them, we wouldn't be able to know enough to get a job," 10-year-old Alexa Withun said during lunch Thursday. She added that the thing she likes most about her fourth-grade teacher, Joe Youanes, is that he never gives homework.

Lane Ann Rumel, 11, agreed with Alexa, saying, "Appreciating teachers is important, because without them, people wouldn't be very smart." Rumel said that as a way of showing her appreciation for her fifth-grade teacher, Julie Eldridge, she was "going to get her a present and give it to her (Friday)."

Rumel also echoed Alexa, saying her favorite thing about her teacher is that "she doesn't give lots of homework."

Nearby, 10-year-old Jeremy Bouford, whose mother Louis Bouford is the PTO president, said "a lot of people are bringing in a card to say thank you" this week, and he is planning on bringing in a cookie for his teacher on Friday.

"They teach you things that are good to know in life," he said about why he thinks teachers are important. "Without them, we wouldn't know a lot of things."