Polka Dot Lunch

Almost a decade ago, I began working with a wonderful child as her reading and resource teacher. Her mom was a Physical Therapist in a school district. I remember that first year, my other teacher friends said, now that you are working with her, you get an invite to the Polka Dot Lunch!!!

The what?

The Polka Dot Lunch.

I learned then that once a year, this momma made a lunch for all of her kids teachers and staff who helped her kids...from the classroom teachers to the secretaries to the PE teacher to the janitors, whoever took care of her kids and helped them as a way to say thanks. And the polka dot thing was just a fun way to put a theme to it and get creative.

I cant tell you how it made me feel. So loved. So appreciated. It was a simple act but meant so much. As a "special" teacher, we often got overlooked for cards at Christmas and end of the year( even when we worked daily with kids for years and years). And while I don't need gifts or cards- when I received them, they meant the world to me. I've saved a few to this day.

I was able to participate in 4 Polka Dot Lunches and when that student graduated, I missed them!

I decided then that when I had kids, they too would help plan Polka Dot Lunches. last year was my first and we had so much fun doing it. Today was our second.

With two kids at Lincoln now, we served 13 meals today. On the menu...

A choice between homemade loaded pototo soup or vegetable soup, grapes or an orange, roll or chips. Then everyone got homemade chocolate chip cookies and all the staff got polka dot snacks of cheeseballs and crackers and m&m's


The goody bags to go in the fridge( the kids decorated the bags.

my kids love this day too because they also get a polka dot lunch!

Every bag had a note...

I decorated a table in the teacher's lounge with snacks for everyone and more polka dots!

And another table for the soups and drinksAlaric wanted everything in each soup to be a circle too but you can't always get what you want.

I did try to cut the potatoes and carrots that way though

We loved doing it. I love spoiling the teachers and staff. I love honoring them for what they do. And I love that my kids get involved and see and feel what its like to say thanks, to spoil others and make them feel good, to be kind, to work together on a project, and to help clean it all up too!