Oxford businesses celebrate teachers at Della Davidson Elementary during appreciation week

Della Davidson Elementary got a visible boost when Oxford businesses, including The Magnolia, came to campus with gifts and hosted student visits during Teacher Appreciation Week. The support put local businesses inside the school day, giving teachers and students a direct sign that Oxford’s business community was paying attention.

The effort mattered because Della Davidson Elementary is part of the Oxford School District and sits at the center of daily life for many Lafayette County families. At a neighborhood school where added support can carry real weight, the visits offered a practical reminder that teacher recognition does not come only from inside the district.

Teacher Appreciation Week began May 4 this year, and the observance traces back to 1985, when the National Education Association created National Teacher Appreciation Week. In Oxford, that national calendar became local and immediate as business owners showed up at a school that remains active with district announcements and events.

Della Davidson Elementary has also been part of other community-centered work this spring. On March 17, the school highlighted Oxford School District students, staff and leaders taking part in the annual Empty Bowls fundraiser, which benefited the local food pantry. Together, the fundraiser and the Teacher Appreciation Week visits showed a school community tied closely to Oxford life, with businesses, educators and families sharing the same civic space.

Oxford School District has also leaned into that kind of partnership on its own calendar. The district announced the 24th Annual Governor’s Awards for May 18, when the Mississippi Association of Partners in Education will recognize Mississippi’s top school-community partnerships. That broader focus on partnerships matched the scene at Della Davidson, where the most concrete support came in the form of gifts, student interaction and a public show of respect for teachers doing the day-to-day work of the classroom.