to have a teacher's appreciation night. The ward really got around the idea. Each child in the ward invited their "favorite" teacher. Nearly all were not LDS and we'd have displays in the rooms throughout the ward building where these students took their teachers on a tour like sort of an open house. We had a wonderful dinner together where a different family was responsible for their own table as far as decorations and plates/china, etc. We were always able to find a dynamic speaker that made the experience even better. Gifts, like a decorated jar of the ingredients for making cookies was given, and other small things. We let the teachers all know how important they were in the lives of our children and how much we as a community appreciated their efforts.

It was a wonderful, joyous experience that we repeated every year from then on. Word got around and teachers would hope they would get an LDS boy or girl in their class and be chosen.