Staff are ‘superheroes’ at All Saints Catholic School in Davenport

By Anne Marie Amacher
The Catholic Messenger

DAVENPORT — It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s teacher appreciation week!

The halls of All Saints Catholic School were decorated from top to bottom with a superhero theme to honor all teachers, faculty and staff for teacher appreciation week May 3-7.

Volunteers Cassandra Collum, Sarah Baldwin, Megan Cox and Toni Klaren decorated after school April 30 as a surprise to everyone when they returned May 3. “Each year we say thank you to our teachers,” said Klaren. This year, the volunteers wanted to do something special for all employees and selected a superhero theme.

Starting at the back entrance to the school, where students enter each day, the volunteers hung up a sign that read: “Hero Headquarters.” Signs decorated both sides of the doors — one for Captain Von Feldt (Principal Jeanne Von Feldt) and one for Super Sowells (Assistant Principal David Sowells).

Paper lanterns and cutouts hung from the first and second-floor ceilings with superhero words such as “Bam,” “Smash,” “KaPow” and “Amazing.” Part of the first-floor hallway featured a city skyline at night along the wall.

Each classroom and office doorway featured a cape and eye mask with a Superman-shaped symbol for every person who worked at the school. An alphabet letter represented the first or last name of the employee — depending on how students refer to the employee.

Homemade signs about superheroes decorated both levels of the school. Signs contained phrases such as “Superhero cleverly disguised as a teacher,” “The most amazing superheroes teach here,” and “Able to decipher kids handwriting in a single glance.”

“We are building community,” Cox said. All staff members were treated to a meal three days of the week and snacks on the other two days for “grazing” all day. Grinders donated lunch on Monday, Azteca on Wednesday and Streets of Italy on Friday. Snack samples included homemade cookies, granola bars, crackers, chips, fresh fruit, gluten-free snacks and beef jerky.

All staff members received an envelope full of superhero cards decorated by students, who had been encouraged in advance to decorate one or more cards keeping in mind teachers and also kitchen, custodial and office staff. Students signed their names to the cards on which they wrote why that employee was a superhero. Staff members received the packets on May 3. “Everyone makes a difference in our students’ lives,” Cox said.

Von Feldt said she got a call the night of April 30 from a staff member saying how excited she was that the volunteers were decorating. Von Feldt resisted the temptation to run over to school to see volunteers’ work. She gushed at the letters of thanks from the students and praised the volunteers and those who donated to make this teacher appreciation week so special.

Fifth-grader Emma Hollady got in on the decorating by helping to put up capes. She assisted because her mom helped with planning and Emma wanted to “thank the teachers for helping us to learn and to be nice to others.”