March 28, 2024
Local News | The Times


Local News

“Take What You Need Tuesdays" a pick me up for Centennial School staff in Streator

Goody baskets placed throughout the school available to all staff

School staff are finding new challenges when it comes to meeting the needs of their students during a global pandemic.

Centennial School Social Worker, Megan Theisinger, came up with a way to bring a little sunshine for the staff of Centennial by creating “Take What You Need Tuesdays.”

Every Tuesday, goody baskets are placed in eight different central locations around the building with the hopes of being available to all staff.

The baskets have a variety of items in them. Items included can range anywhere from word searches and highlighters to motivational quotes, candy, snacks and sticky notes.

The baskets are set out Tuesday morning and emptied Tuesday afternoon to ensure that all staff, regardless of their start or end times, have access to the baskets.

“This year is hard on all staff members and has brought a whole new set of challenges due to COVID-19," Theisinger said. "In addition, we have a lot of staff members who have really difficult things happening in their personal lives. I just wanted to help provide some comfort while also being mindful that everyone finds comfort in different ways. Some like to talk and others keep things to themselves. I didn't want anyone to feel like they had to talk about what was going on in order to get support. I wanted everyone to feel included.”

The baskets have been a little pick me up and greatly appreciated by the staff.

Rachel Reff is a teacher at Centennial Elementary School in Streator. The Times invites educators to submit articles highlighting programs and activities happening in schools. For more information, email newsroom@mywebtimes.com.