(Courtesy/Ms.Bening)

Friday, February 20, marked Faculty Staff Appreciation Day(FSAD), and students presented those celebrated with snacks, coffee, letters, and much appreciation. Starting at 8:20 a.m., four sessions of volunteers, each session dividing and conquering with one of five carts delivering tasty treats such as chips, chocolates, bars, and fruit snacks with drinks like sparkling water, Poppis drinks, soda, and a 20-gallon jug of Starbucks coffee were wheeled to staff around each school division, finishing at 11:30 a.m.

Before the snack carts came about, FSAD looked a little different. Service Board advisor, Ms. Bening, said that this event was started in the 1980’s by her predecessor, Glenna Spencer. Initially, FSAD only honored faculty and not staff, and the kitchen staff prepared separate lunches for teachers, but in 2000, the SB president revamped the tradition. Until COVID, faculty and staff received catered lunches, first in the theater lobby and later in the athletic lobby. But these catered events consumed a quarter of the Service Board’s budget, even with financial support from fundraisers like Candy Cane and Hershey’s Kiss sales. In 2022, alumna Eva B. reimagined the tradition by introducing a mobile treat cart for the event. Workers and recipients alike responded positively, appreciating the face-to-face interactions it fostered.

With the distribution of goods, the prior week’s preparation propelling FSAD to success can’t go unnoticed. Starting off with the Service Board team placing envelopes with teachers’ names, students wrote heartfelt letters each day to show their gratitude. Also, Service Board held kiss sales leading up to Friday.

Shaper, Mmesoma N. said, ” FSAD is a great way for students to gather and give back to the faculty and staff. We want to make sure they know their work is recognized and that we appreciate them.”

A big shout-out to Starbucks for supplying free coffee. Thank you to Ms. Bening, the Shapers, and volunteers for this year’s success.