Students and parents decorate the sidewalk with chalk messages ahead of Teacher Appreciation Week at North Stonington Elementary School on Sunday, May 2, 2021.

The activity was organized by the school's Parent Teacher Organization to kick off a week of teacher appreciation, which includes a Taco Tuesday lunch, goodie bags and handmade thank you cards.

"This year our teachers have really been going above and beyond," said PTO Treasurer Dawn Goralewicz who helped organize the event, of how the teachers have been working during the COVID-19 pandemic, including sometimes teaching home school students, hybrid learners and full-time in-person learners, all at the same time.  "We wanted to give some of that back to them."