Kristen Gustafson keeps a basket on her desk that’s filled with notes her students have written her over the years — notes that share how her PE and health classes made an impact on their lives. One of the most recent additions to her basket came with a donation to BEF and a gift card for Dutch Bros coffee. It was a Teacher Appreciation Gift, which BEF offers for the winter holidays and Teacher Appreciation Week.
On harder days at work, Kristen pulls a few cards from the basket, and reading them reminds her why she’s a teacher. “Reading their notes about how my class had an impact on their life reinforces why we do what we do. It inspires and rejuvenates me, especially when I’m having a moment wondering if I’m even making a difference,” says Kristen, who taught PE and health at Conestoga Middle School for 19 years before transitioning this year to be the District’s educator on special assignment for health and PE in middle and high schools.
“What struck me the most was not the gift itself — although I do love coffee — but how the parents took the time to make the donation to BEF, to write the note, and to make sure I felt appreciated,” she says.
“BEF makes it easy for families to honor us, and it means so much to me that the families are also supporting BEF. Both as a teacher and a parent of two Beaverton students, I see firsthand how BEF steps in to help fill in gaps in District funding.”