The teachers who notice, the children who need a little extra help, and a simple way to turn gratitude into something that matters.
There’s a lot that teachers do that never makes it onto a school report.
They notice the child who keeps borrowing a pencil. The one who quietly sits out because they don’t have what they need. The child who has started to realise that their classmates have things they don’t.
And often, teachers simply get on with fixing it.
They find spare stationery. They make sure no one is left out. They create opportunities for children to take part. Sometimes, they even reach into their own pockets to buy the things a student needs.
For many of us, there’s a teacher we still remember years later. The one who saw something in us before we saw it ourselves. The one who encouraged us, believed in us or simply made school feel like a place where we belonged.
This World Teachers’ Day, Warehouse Stationery and The Salvation Army are asking Kiwis to remember those teachers – and, at the same time, help another child who needs a little extra support.
A thank you that goes further
The nationwide Thank a Teacher appeal launches on World Teachers’ Day, 5th October, giving New Zealanders an easy way to say thank you to a teacher who made a difference.
And there’s a lovely twist: that thank you can help another Kiwi child.
Through the Warehouse Stationery website, you can create a free personalised card for a teacher who meant something to you. For every card created, Warehouse Stationery will donate $2 to The Salvation Army, up to a total of $50,000.
So that one-minute act of remembering someone who made a difference could help provide school essentials to a child facing hardship today.
When the basics aren’t so basic
The need is significant. The latest material hardship figures from Stats NZ, for the year ended 2025, show that 14.3% of New Zealand children – around 169,300 tamariki, or one in seven – are going without multiple everyday essentials.
When family budgets are already stretched, school costs can add another layer of pressure.
And while a pencil case, stationery, technology or other school supplies might seem like small things, for a child, having the same basics as their classmates can mean feeling included rather than different.
The Salvation Army’s Community Ministries Territorial Secretary Christina Tyson says that pressure can affect much more than the family budget.
“When household budgets are stretched, school costs can become another source of pressure,” she says. “Having the same basics as their classmates can make a real difference to a child’s confidence and ability to learn, helping them focus on simply being a kid.”
The teacher who believes in you
Primary school teacher, TikTok creator and Traitors NZ contestant Samantha Richards knows first-hand how much those seemingly small things can matter.
“As teachers, we get to see kids discover what they’re capable of,” she says. “Sometimes all it takes is someone noticing what they’re good at, giving them confidence or being in their corner when they need it.”
And that sense of belonging matters.
“You want them walking into class thinking about what they’re going to learn or who they’re going to play with at lunch – not what they don’t have.”
It’s a reminder that teachers aren’t simply delivering lessons. They’re often the adults who notice when something isn’t quite right and find a way to help.
From Kaitaia to Invercargill
Money raised through the appeal will be distributed through The Salvation Army’s 70 Community Ministries centres, supporting hundreds of families from Kaitaia to Invercargill.
The funding will help with stationery, technology and other school essentials, with support becoming available from February 2027.
For Warehouse Stationery Education Specialist Amy Croxford, the campaign brings together two things that have long been part of the organisation’s connection with New Zealand communities: teachers and the practical resources children need at school.
“We’ve been part of Kiwi classrooms for a long time and regularly hear stories of teachers going above and beyond to support their students, often in ways that go unseen,” she says.
“Thank a Teacher is about recognising the people who help shape young lives every day, while turning that gratitude into practical support for children who need it most.”
Who was your teacher?
Perhaps there’s a teacher you can still picture.
The one who encouraged your writing. The one who gave you confidence when you were struggling. The one who made you laugh. Or maybe simply the teacher who noticed you when you needed someone to.
From 5th October to 1st November, you can create a free personalised thank-you card online at Warehouse Stationery or at card-making stations in its 67 stores nationwide.
And every card created means another $2 goes towards helping Kiwi kids.
If you’d like to do a little more, you can also make an additional donation when shopping at Warehouse Stationery stores.
Sometimes saying thank you is about looking back.
This time, it could also help a child look forward.
How to take part
What: Create a free personalised thank-you card for a teacher who made a difference in your life.
When: 5th October – 1st November, 2026.
Where: Online at warehousestationery.co.nz or at card-making stations in all 67 Warehouse Stationery stores.
How it helps: Warehouse Stationery will donate $2 to The Salvation Army for every card created, up to $50,000.
Want to do more? You can add your own donation when shopping at any Warehouse Stationery store.
