Teacher Appreciation Week: CPS students, parents honor teachers with socially distant chalk art

CHICAGO (WLS) -- This week students, parents and principals have done their best to honor the teachers in their lives during Teacher Appreciation Week. The community at Daniel Boone Elementary in West Ridge is no different.

"Not only do the teachers teach in our school, but they also live in our community, they help our community," parent Nicki Shamley said. "We wanted all the parents and all the kids that walk by to know that our school is here and that we love each other."

Because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, Shamley and the rest of the Building Boone Committee wanted to find an alternative and safe way to celebrate their teachers.

So, fellow mom, Deirdre Anglin took over and decided that chalk art would be the best way to do it.

"It's an active and communal expression about how thankful we are for the work that our teachers are doing right now," Anglin said. "Not only during the first part of the year, but how they took on all this IT and new way of learning."

A communal expression, that's appreciated by the people who needed it most.

"It's really good to feel appreciated at this time, especially since our job basically did a whole 360," Boone Kindergarten Teacher Moira Doman said.

Doman teaches a class of 30 kindergarteners and recently received a grant to provide them with additional learning material during the COVID-19 crisis.

She's been distributing the materials every day this week, so seeing her students' kind messages brought mixed reactions.

"The year ended so abruptly so I can't really ever be with them all together except for virtually," Doman said. "It's nice that we're still feeling appreciated but at the same time it's sad."

Even if teachers don't come by the school in person, they will be able to see the drawings and messages. Photos will be posted to the Building Boone Committee's Facebook page as well as emailed to teachers.

Chalk and other supplies will be left at the school for anyone who walks by and wants to participate.

Jalyn Henderson is a Community Journalist at ABC 7 Chicago. She tells stories on the North Side of Chicago in neighborhoods like Uptown, Edgewater, Ravenswood, Lincoln Square, West Ridge and Rogers Park. If you have a story to share in these neighborhoods you can send an email to Jalyn.L.Henderson@abc.com