The Colonie basketball program is celebrating a powerful connection between students and teachers.

As part of a senior recognition initiative, and following a growing nationwide trend of expressing gratitude during the Thanksgiving season, the graduating boys’ basketball players are surprising teachers who have made a lasting impact on their lives with personalized handwritten notes of appreciation.

“I was just telling my friends that actually, it is really wholesome,” said Peter Tenney, a graduating senior. “It makes us feel good. I’ll kind of get back to them because they really don’t understand how much they make an impact on our lives sometimes until moments like this. So it is pretty special.”

Each teacher will also receive a jersey symbolizing their positive influence on the students both on and off the court.