Honor your school secretary this week

Many people make your school run, and the backbone of the operation rests with the receptionists, secretaries, administrative assistants and others who handle the administrative jobs of the school.

You might not even realize it, but this week is Administrative Professionals Week. So why not take the time to show your appreciation for their work.

According to the International Association of Administrative Professionals, Administrative Professionals Week is one of the largest observances in offices around the world, just behind employee birthdays and major holidays.

Administrative Professionals Day is always the Wednesday of that week, putting it on April 21 this year. The top gifts given are lunch, flowers, cards and gift cards. Here are a number of ideas that you can use to thank them.

• Bake some goodies and take them to the office. Coffee cakes, muffins, cookies and brownies are all good and easy choices.
• Make a large banner that says: Have you thanked our office staff today? Put it outside the office, so everyone going into the office will thank them.
• Offer to do small jobs, such as stuff envelopes, put on stamps or make copies, just to lighten their load.
• Make cards and flowers out of tissue paper and buy candy and take them to the office staff.
• With permission, take up a collection and donate it to the office staff’s favorite charity. If you really want to do something big, get larger donations and start a school scholarship in business on their behalf.