Dalton Public Schools and local restaurants get creative to show appreciation for teachers

Published 3:00 pm Thursday, June 18, 2020

With Dalton Public Schools staff members forced into distance education by the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the system had to be creative for Teacher Appreciation Week last month.

For the first time, all the schools got together to jointly celebrate all teachers and employees, said Pat Holloway, chief of staff for Dalton Public Schools. “In this environment, schools weren’t able to do their traditional snacks or special surprises for teachers and staff during this special week, so all the principals got together to” devise an alternate plan.

Principals used funds they typically would have utilized to honor their teachers and instead pooled that money, then contacted several local restaurants, which agreed to provide lunches for the system’s employees “for a set price,” Holloway said. “This idea not only recognizes the teachers and all those who touch the life of a child, (but) it also provided some much-needed business to local restaurants during (a) difficult time.”

Restaurants were limited to carry-out, curbside pickup, delivery and outside dining earlier this spring in an attempt to slow the spread of COVID-19. Then, after being permitted by Gov. Brian Kemp to resume indoor dining, capacity was limited to enforce social distancing.

Some of those restaurants are even owned by “parents of our students,” Holloway added. Restaurants that participated included Baja Coop, Buckin’ Burrito, Cherokee Brewing + Pizza Company, The Oakwood Cafe, Sol de Mayo and TK Wingz.

“It was a no-brainer for me,” said Kasey Carpenter, who owns The Oakwood Cafe and Cherokee Brewing + Pizza Company. “I’ve got two educators in my family, and I’m a big fan of teachers.”

Once he “figured out how to do it, how to enter it into the system, I absolutely (was ready),” Carpenter said. “We did some of the Christian Heritage School teachers” in addition to Dalton Public Schools.

“We probably had 180 teachers come through the two restaurants that week,” he said.

Holloway called the plan “mutually beneficial.”

“Restaurants and local businesses are generous with our schools throughout the school year,” she said. “This (was) one small way that schools could recognize staff and help out our local community.”

Principals were thrilled to recognize staff members in this manner.

“During a time like this, principals have felt led to have a dual purpose for both our community and the learner, especially all those who make both those things possible,” said Meleia Bridenstine, principal of Brookwood School. “It is setting a good example for our students.”