Toast Teachers Outside and Online Thursday

COURT HOUSE — A week after heading to their porches to salute first responders, Middle Township residents will honor other heroes of these challenging times — the teachers. 
According to a release, Thank a Teacher Thursday will be held at 6 p.m. April 9, as neighbors go outside and raise a glass to the educators who have kept kids learning over the last few weeks. 
It will be the third in a series of Social (Distancing) Hour events organized through the Middle Township CoronaVirus Info Page, a community Facebook group.  
Previous events that unite neighbors – but at a safe distance – have been held on Fridays, but this one will take place a day earlier out of respect for Good Friday, the statement said. 
While most people have had to adjust to working remotely, teachers have faced more changes than most, adapting traditional lessons into a fully virtual curriculum with little or no time to prepare, reads the release. Many teachers are working with their students while also supporting their own children’s online learning at home.  
Middle Township residents will come out to their porches to toast the teachers, but this event will also be celebrated on social media.  
Teachers and students are encouraged to post video and photo messages for each other on the Middle Township CoronaVirus Info Page.  
Unlike last week, when fire trucks and ambulances paraded through town for First Responder Friday, this event will not include a caravan of vehicles, according to the release. The Middle Township Board of Education has advised teachers not to take part in parades as a public-health precaution as the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve.  
But, following the example set by teachers themselves, residents will find an innovative way to accomplish their goal.  
“As this crisis plays out, we must always remember to put public safety first,” Mayor Tim Donohue said in a statement.
“We should avoid planning any events that bring any large group of people together in one spot. However, I believe we can still work to uplift our community spirit from a safe social distance. That is what these events are all about in Middle Township. We will ask everyone to stay on their porches, keep their distance and share their spirit safely on social media,” he continued.